James E. Ware (1846-1918) Prospect 297

James E. Ware was a very well known architect of his time.  He was also a veteran having served in the Seventh Regiment of NY (2nd company) as a Lieutenant.

He designed many beautiful structures in New York City, including churches, armories and many structures under the "Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor", in an effort to relieve the congestion of inner city living, and supply better living conditions for the underprivileged.

He was a pioneer in designing a modern type fireproof warehouse. The stone building in Mohonk Mountain House is one of his designs. So is the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York as well as Mount Morris Park Historic District in Harlem. Many of the structures he designed have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. James Ware designed the Maple Grove Administration Building and the receiving tomb around 1880. Maple Grove and these buildings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. He also designed one of the first train stations for Maple Grove, part of the Long Island Railroad, which no longer exists.

He signed a contract with Maple Grove Cemetery in 1875 that was unusual. In exchange for 100 dollars and a prominently located spot with room for a 12 family plot, he would design for the cemetery these three structures. The original contract of this deal is among Maple Grove's historical archive. His son Franklin became State Architect and both he and another son Arthur worked in his firm with him.