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Tracy and Swartwout The historic Muhlenberg buildings are important and unique because the architectural firm

of Tracy and Swartwout of New York City designed them. Muhlenberg Hospital's 1903 buildings are the earliest Tracy and Swartwout complex of buildings known to still exist. Many of the Tracy and Swartwout firm's buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, including: Cathedral of St. John in the Wilderness, Denver, (1905-1911); the US Post Office and Courthouse now known as Byron R. White U.S. Courthouse (opened in 1916), in Denver; The Missouri State Capital building (1912-1916) in Jefferson City, Missouri. The partners of the Tracy and Swartwout firm were Evarts Tracy (1868-1922) and Egerton (Edgerton) Swartwout (1870-1943). Both men were Yale graduates: Tracy in 1890 and Swartwout in 1891. They met at the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, and in 1900, formed a partnership called Tracy and Swartwout, located in New York City.

Evarts Tracy (1868-1922)

Evarts Tracy was born in New York on May 23, 1868, and moved with his family at the age of six to Plainfield, New Jersey. His parents' house is located on West Eighth Street in the Van Wyck Brooks Historic District, Plainfield, New Jersey. He graduated from Yale in 1890, and he was a Bonesman, Yale's secret society. Tracy was the great-great grandson of Roger Sherman, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the only one to sign three other historic documents: The Association of 1774, The Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States. Tracy married Caroline Streuli on June 23, 1894. In 1900, Evarts Tracy built his own house in Plainfield, New Jersey and occupied it in 1901. Tracy's residence was built perpendicular to the road, and one could surmise that he watched the construction of Muhlenberg from his residence on Hillside Avenue, which is on a hill overlooking Muhlenberg.

His residence was also built to the points of the compass just like his Muhlenberg buildings. Tracy's residence is now part of the Hillside Avenue Historic District, Plainfield, New Jersey. Earlier in 1896, Tracy designed a Nurses' Home for the "old" Muhlenberg in the west end of Plainfield, and it was completed in 1897 (now demolished). Tracy was into the latest inventions of his time. He purchased a locomobile, "Best Built Car in America," and it was expensive and elegant. He thought so much of his locomobile that the architectural plans of his Hillside Avenue residence shows that he designed a large locomobile opening and door so that he could drive his locomobile right into the basement of his house. This no longer exists at the residence, but what a concept for 1900, an attached garage. The story goes that he also gave people rides around the city in his locomobile. References are made that Tracy retired from the Tracy and Swartwout architectural firm in 1915, but in actuality he offered his services to the country in the Great World War (WWI). He entered the United States Army and commanded Co. 15 at the Pittsburgh Camp. He had an idea

about camouflage, and he was appointed captain in charge, and later commissioned Major of Engineers, commanding the 40th Camouflage Regiment organized in France. His regiment's camouflage ideas were used on ships and over two million soldiers were transported to Europe without a loss of life by German submarines. Lieut. Colonel Tracy became known to the French government, and he was selected to work on the reconstruction of France. Tracy was in Paris for two months in 1922, when he developed heart disease and died in the American Hospital on January 31, 1922. He was survived by his wife Caroline and five sisters and one brother. (He was one of nine children of Jeremiah and Martha Sherman Evarts Tracy, and two of his brothers pre-deceased him.) His military service during WWI was memorialized on the Plainfield City Hall bronze memorial tablet. One of his other early buildings extant in Plainfield is the Old Plainfield Police Headquarters located at West Fourth Street and Cleveland Avenue (not a designated historic site.)

Lieut. Evarts Tracy's tombstone reveals the man: "Sacred to the memory of Lieut. Col. Evarts Tracy Born New York May 23, 1868 Died Paris January 31, 1922 An architect who in the service of beauty erected noble buildings A soldier who in the service of his country won achievements expressing a valiant soul As Major of Engineers pioneer camouflage officer in the United States Army he performed important labors was twice cited for bravery in action and was awarded the distinguished service medal As a man and a friend he was loved." Hillside Cemetery, on a hill overlooking Muhlenberg Hospital

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