{{Short description|American architect (1856–1946)}} thumb|200px|Creighton, from his 1922 passport application.
'''James Miller Creighton''' (September 14, 1856 – November 25, 1946) was an American architect who practiced in Phoenix, Arizona from the 1880s to the 1920s. He is considered to be one of Arizona's first architects.
==Early years== Creighton was born in Newcastle, New Brunswick, now Miramichi, in 1856. At the age of 13, Creighton began working as an apprentice, to learn carpentry and building. He remained in his native Canada until 1879, when he emigrated to Denver, Colorado. He worked for a local builder, and studied architecture at night school.
==Arizona== Interested in opportunities in Arizona, he moved, this time to Tucson. There, he formed a partnership with J. M. Henderson. in 1882 he moved on to Phoenix, hoping to get a job on the construction of the new Maricopa County Courthouse. Unsuccessful, he formed a partnership, Patton & Creighton, with Samuel E. Patton.<ref name="Tempe">''Tempe Hardware Building NRHP Nomination''.</ref> Patton had been the successful bidder on the courthouse's carpentry.<ref name="Guide">''Guide to MS 10, James M. Creighton Collection, Photos and Documents''. 2009. Web.</ref>
Gradually, he focused more and more on design and less on building, and opened an office for the practice of architecture in late 1887, after obtaining the commission for City Hall. He practiced alone until the mid-1890s, when he added Denslow W. Millard, formerly of Minnesota, as a partner. The firm of Creighton & Millard only lasted until 1897, When Millard went on to establish his own practice. Circa 1898, he partnered with C. Schenstrom as Creighton & Schenstrom, and ended the partnership in 1899.<ref>''Phoenix City Directory 1899–1900''. 1899.</ref>
Around the turn of the century, Creighton moved to Birmingham, Alabama, in the face of a severe drought that limited opportunities. However, he soon returned to Phoenix.<ref name="Guide"/> In 1905 he again partnered with Millard, this time as Millard & Creighton.<ref>''Arizona Republican'' 2 May 1905: 6.</ref> The partnership lasted until 1907. That year, Creighton associated with Henry C. Trost of El Paso. The resulting firm, Trost & Creighton, was organized to supervise Trost's Arizona work. They dissolved partnership in 1908, when Trost established Trost & Trost. Creighton practiced alone until 1915, establishing Creighton & McDonald, but soon returned to private practice.<ref>''American Stone Trade'' 1 Aug. 1915: 35.</ref> He continued to practice under his own name until the mid-1920s.
==Later years== During the early 1880s, Creighton became a naturalized citizen. He married Mary E. Smith, in Phoenix. He became a widow in 1913 and later married Nellie Eliza, Mary's younger sister.<ref>U.S. Passport Application for J. M. Creighton, architect, dated February 20, 1922. Ancestry.com. U.S. Passport Applications, 1795–1925 [database on-line]. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 – March 31, 1925; Collection Number: ARC Identifier 583830 / MLR Number A1 534; NARA Series: M1490; Roll #: 1840.</ref>
{{multiple images | align = right | width = 200 | direction = vertical | image1 = Phoenix-Cemetery-Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery-James Miller Creighton.jpg | caption1 =Creighton family plot | image2 = Phoenix-Cemetery-Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery-James Miller Creighton-2.jpg | caption2 = Grave of James Miller Creighton }} Despite traveling extensively, he died at his home in Phoenix in 1946. Creighton is buried in Phoenix's Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery. In 2009, the asteroid 10046 Creighton was named in his memory.
==Works== A number of his works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://tempehistoricalsociety.org/page19.html |title=Tempe's Historic Buildings, Tempe Historical Society |access-date=2012-08-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029052937/http://tempehistoricalsociety.org/page19.html |archive-date=2012-10-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
'''Patton & Creighton, ?–1887:''' * Fry Building, 146 E. Washington St., Phoenix (1885) – Altered. Also the oldest identified commercial building in Phoenix<ref>"Fry Building (Baxter Block)". Arizona State Historic Property Inventory. 1983.</ref> * Territorial Insane Asylum, 2500 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix (1886–87)<ref name="ReferenceA">''Inland Architect and Builder'' April 1886: 51.</ref> – From plans by an unidentified Californian firm<ref>[https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset?assetID=a9f93667-1245-43ca-aa7a-56ffcc06ad75 Arizona Daily Star Building NRHP Nomination]. 2002.</ref> * Territorial Normal School, Tempe (1886) a.k.a. Old Main<ref name="ReferenceA"/> * Old Main, University of Arizona, Tucson (1887–91)<ref name="Nequette, Anne M 2002">Nequette, Anne M. and R. Brooks Jeffery. ''A Guide to Tucson Architecture''. 2002.</ref> '''James M. Creighton, 1887–?:''' * Phoenix City Hall, 125 E. Washington St., Phoenix (1887–88) – Demolished c. 1928<ref>''Maricopa County Courthouse NRHP Nomination''. 1988.</ref> * John Nicholas Saloon, 46 E. 11th St., Florence (1889) * Andre Building, 401 S. Mill Ave., Tempe (1888) – Remodeled 1900<ref>''Andre Building NRHP Nomination''. 1979</ref> * Phoenix Indian School, 300 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix (1891–92)<ref name="Melikian, Robert A. 2010">Melikian, Robert A. ''Images of America: Vanishing Phoenix''. 2010</ref> * Second Pinal County Courthouse, 135 N. Pinal St., Florence (1891)<ref>''Florence Townsite Historic District NRHP Nomination''. 1995</ref> * Osborn School, 3443 N. Central Ave., Phoenix (1892) – Demolished. Now the site of Phoenix Financial Center<ref name="Melikian, Robert A. 2010"/> * Niels Petersen House, 1414 W. Southern Ave., Tempe (1892)<ref name="Tempe"/> * Frank Titus House, 1310 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale (1892)<ref>''Frank Titus House NRHP Nomination''. 1982.</ref> * Con P. Cronin House, 2029 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix (1893)<ref name="Multiple">''Nineteenth Century Residential Buildings in Phoenix Multiple Property Listing NRHP Nomination''. 1994</ref> * Oscar Roberts House, 2004 W. Madison St., Phoenix (1893)<ref name="Multiple"/> '''Creighton & Millard, ?–1897:''' * George J. Roskruge House, 318 E. 13th St., Tucson (1895)<ref name="Nequette, Anne M 2002"/> * Hotel Adams, 50 E. Adams St., Phoenix (1896) – Burned<ref>''The Pacific Reporter, Vol. 59, December 14, 1899 – March 8, 1900''. 1900.</ref> * Darius M. Purman House, 1317 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix (1897–98) '''James M. Creighton, 1897–1898:''' * Odd Fellows Hall, 520 S. Mill Ave., Tempe (1898)<ref name="Tempe"/> '''Creighton & Schenstrom, 1898–1899:''' * Ellingson Building, 21 W. Washington St., Phoenix (1899) – Demolished<ref>''Engineering Record'' 26 Aug. 1899: 206.</ref> '''James M. Creighton, 1899–1905:''' * Vernetta Hotel, 216 N. Frontier St., Wickenburg (1905)<ref>''Historic Resources of Wickenburg, Arizona''. 1986.</ref> '''Millard & Creighton, 1905–1907:''' * Dominion Hotel, Broad & Sycamore Sts., Globe (1905) – Burned 1981<ref>''Engineering News'' 14 Sept. 1905: 86.</ref> * Carnegie Public Library, 1101 W. Washington St., Phoenix (1906–07)<ref>''Engineering Record'' 21 April 1906: 54.</ref> * President's House, Tempe Normal School, Tempe (1907)<ref>''Arizona Republican'' 2 June 1907: 10.</ref> '''Trost & Creighton, 1907–1908:''' * Y.M.C.A. Building, Monroe St. & 2nd Ave., Phoenix (1908) – Demolished<ref>''Engineering-Contracting 1 April 1908: 36''.</ref> '''James M. Creighton, 1908–1915:''' * Gold Hotel, 3rd & Washington Sts., Phoenix (1911–12) – Demolished<ref>''Southwest Contractor and Manufacturer'' 25 Nov. 1911: 20.</ref> * Tempe City Hall, 140 E. 5th St., Tempe (1913–14) – Demolished 1968<ref>''Municipal Journal''</ref> '''Creighton & McDonald, 1915–?:''' * Wilson School, 3025 E. Fillmore St., Phoenix (1915) – Demolished * Suhwaro Hotel, 58 W. Buffalo St., Chandler (1916)<ref>Crago, Jody. [http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/chandler/contributed/2015/09/03/throwback-thursdaydowntown-chandlers-suhwaro-building/71648770/ "Throwback Thursday: Downtown Chandler's Suhwaro building"]. ''http://www.azcentral.com/''. 3 Sept. 2015.</ref>
==Historic structures== The following are images of historical structures in whose development James M. Creighton played an instrumental role: {{Gallery |title=Historic structures<br>250px|center|thumb|{{center|Plaque in the main entrance of the '''Main Building''', also known as '''Old Main''' and the '''Normal School'''.}} |width=180px |height=200px |align=center |File:G-Fry Building.jpg|The Fry's Building – 1885 |File:Phoenix-Arizona State Hospital Building-1900.JPG|Arizona State Hospital Building (Territorial Insane Asylum) – 1900 |File:Tempe-ASU-Main_Building,_Tempe_Normal_School-1889.jpg|The Old Main building a.k.a. Tempe Normal School – 1889 |File:Florence-John Nicloas Saloon-1889.JPG|The John Nicolas Saloon |File:Tempe-Andre Building-1888.jpg |The Andre Building – 1888 |File: P-Phoenix Indian School 1891.jpg|The Phoenix Indian School – 1891 |File:Florence-Second Pinal County Courthose-1891-2.JPG|Second Pinal County Courthouse, Florence – 1891 |File:Tempe-Niels Petersen House-1892-2.jpg|Niels Petersen House, Tempe – 1892 |File:Scottsdale-Frank_Tilus_House-1875.jpg|The Frank Tilus House – 1875 |File:Phoenix-C.P. Cronin House- 1893.JPG|Con P. Cronin House, Phoenix – 1893 |File:Phoenix-Oscar Roberts House-1893.jpg|Oscar Roberts Madison House – 1893 |File:P-Smurthwaite House-1897.jpg|Darius M. Purman House, Phoenix – 1897 |File:Tempe Hardware Building (Tempe, Arizona).jpg|Odd Fellows Hall, Tempe �� 1898 |File:Wickenberg-Vennetta_Hotel_2.jpg|Vernetta Hotel – 1905 |File:P-Phoenix Carnegie Library and Library Park-1907.jpg|Carnegie Public Library, Phoenix – 1906–07 |File:President's House (Tempe, Arizona).jpg|President's House |File:Chandler-Suhwaro Hotel.jpg|Suhwaro Hotel, Chandler – 1916 }}
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Creighton, James M.}} Category:1856 births Category:1946 deaths Category:Architects from Arizona Category:19th-century American architects Category:Artists from Phoenix, Arizona Category:20th-century American architects Category:People from Miramichi, New Brunswick Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States Category:People from Arizona Territory