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[Cope and Stewardson's Office] Group photo of Cope & Stewardson Firm (c. 1899) <I>AIA/T-Square Yearbook</I>, p. 213 (1923)
[Cope and Stewardson's Office]
Group photo of Cope & Stewardson Firm
(c. 1899)
AIA/T-Square Yearbook, p. 213 (1923)

Born: 1/6/1863, Died: 2/10/1936

Emlyn L. Stewardson, the son of Thomas and Margaret Haines Stewardson, attended Germantown Academy in Philadelphia and St. Paul's School in Concord, NH, before entering the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1884 with a degree in civil engineering. After working for a structural iron firm for a few years in an engineering capacity, he entered Cope & Stewardson, where his older brother John Stewardson was an immensely successful and popular partner. The younger Stewardson was placed in general charge of contracts and engineering for the firm. Following the sudden death of his brother in 1896, Emlyn Stewardson became more active in the firm. Walter Cope continued as partner in charge of design, and Stewardson remained in charge of engineering and business matters. After Cope's death in 1902, Stewardson maintained the firm name Cope & Stewardson until 1912, but in that year he took on a new design partner, George B. Page, and changed the office name to Stewardson & Page.

This firm received the medal from the Philadelphia Chapter of the AIA in 1926 for their design for the Insurance Company of North American (INA) Building in Philadelphia. Otherwise, in many projects they were simply succeeding the successful practice of Cope & Stewardson with further alterations and additions to the University of Pennsylvania and other major clients already developed by the older firm.

In 1896 Stewardson joined the T-Square Club, perhaps to continue the tradition which had been established by his recently deceased brother. He also was a member of the Philadelphia Chapter of the AIA, serving on the executive committee in 1903, the Committee for the Preservation of Congress Hall, 1907-08, and the committee for the Preservation of Historic Monuments, 1911-16. In addition he was second vice president in 1916/17 and the delegate to the national AIA convention in 1908.

Written by Sandra L. Tatman.

Clubs and Membership Organizations

  • American Institute of Architects (AIA)
  • Philadelphia Chapter, AIA
  • Rittenhouse Club
  • T-Square Club
  • Philadelphia Club

School Affiliations

  • University of Pennsylvania
  • St. Pauls School (NH)
  • Germantown Academy

 

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