Carl Pfeiffer was born in 1834 in Brunswick, Germany,[a] and came to the United States as a teenager in 1850. He was trained in architecture and engineering in Ohio and elsewhere in the midwest before coming east to New York City c. 1860, where he worked as a draftsman for four additional years.[b][2] At an unknown date he also worked with the Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan, who in 1868 called him a "friend and former pupil."[3] In 1864 he established an office of his own in New York, and was in continuous practice until his death in 1888.[2] He was particularly known for his expertise in ventilation systems, and designed many hospitals and churches.[1]
Pfeiffer was married to Elizabeth Dayton in 1871. She was the daughter of Aaron Ogden Dayton, the long-time Fourth Auditor of the United States Treasury.[7] They had two children, a son and a daughter. For the last few years of his life Pfeiffer was in poor health, and about a month prior to his death traveled south to Asheville, North Carolina, in search of rest. On his return north he stopped at the home of relatives in Washington, D.C., where he died April 27, 1888.[8] His wife died August 21, 1913, in New York.[9]
Legacy
Two of Pfeiffer's works have been designated New York City Landmarks, one of which has also been listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places.
^ abOther years are given by different sources, including 1836 and 1838.
^Some sources, including his obituary in the American Architect and Building News, instead indicate that he received a thorough education as an engineer in Germany and came to the United States in his twenties.[1]
^This building was executed by architect William G. Robinson of Grand Rapids. The tower has been incorporated into the new building on the site.
^The home of Pfeiffer's sisters-in-law, where he died in 1888.
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