A. Page Brown

A. Page Brown, born Arthur Page Brown (December 1859–January 21, 1896), was an American architect known for buildings incorporating historic styles in the Beaux Arts manner. Starting with McKim, Mead and White in New York City in 1879, he established his own office in 1884. He moved his office to San Francisco, California in 1889 with commissions by Mary Ann Crocker, the widow of the wealthy Charles Crocker.

Brown is best known for designing the San Francisco Ferry Building, which opened in 1898, the largest project until then in the city. He introduced the Mission Revival style to Santa Barbara and it was widely adopted in the city to shape its visual identity.

Early life and education

Arthur Page Brown was born in Ellisburg, New York, in Jefferson County; he was descended from Yankees from New England. After attending local schools, he studied for a year at Cornell University School of Architecture but left in 1879 to join the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White. He later traveled in Paris and other major European cities, where he was influenced by the École des Beaux-Arts style, based on historical styles.