Reveals new and previously unknown biographical material about an
important figure in 19th-century American architecture and music
Jacob Wrey Mould is not a name that readily comes to mind when we
think of New York City architecture. Yet he was one-third of the
party responsible for the early development of Central Park in New
York. To this day, his sculptural reliefs, tile work, and
structures in the Park enthrall visitors. Mould introduced High
Victorian architecture to NYC, his fingerprint most pronounced in
his striking and colorful ornamental designs and beautiful
embellishments found in the carved decorations and mosaics at the
Bethesda Terrace. Resurfacing the forgotten contributions of Mould,
Hell on Color, Sweet on Song presents a study of this 19th-century
American architect and musical genius. Jacob Wrey Mould, whose
personal history included a tie to Africa, was born in London in
1825 and trained there as an architect before moving to New York in
1852. The following year, he received the commission to design All
Souls Unitarian Church. Nicknamed "the Church of the Holy Zebra,"
it was the first building in America to display the mix of colorful
materials and Medieval Italian inspiration that were characteristic
of High Victorian Gothic architecture. In addition to being an
architect and designer, Mould was an accomplished musician and
prolific translator of opera librettos. Yet anxiety over money and
resentment over lack of appreciation of his talents soured Mould's
spirit. Unsystematic, impractical, and immune from maturity, he
displayed a singular indifference to the realities of architecture
as a commercial enterprise. Despite his personal shortcomings, he
influenced the design of some of NYC's revered landmarks, including
Sheepfold, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of
Natural History, the City Hall Park fountain, and the Morningside
Park promenade. From 1875-1879, he worked for Henry Meiggs, the
"Yankee Pizarro," in Lima, Peru. Resting on the foundation of
Central Park Docent Lucille Gordon's heroic efforts to raise from
obscurity one of the geniuses of American architecture and a
significant contributor to the world of music in his time, Hell on
Color, Sweet on Song sheds new light on a forgotten genius of
American architecture and music. Funding for this book was provided
by: Furthermore: a program of the J. M. Kaplan Fund
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