John Kellum

Who was John Kellum?

John Kellum was an American architect in practice in New York City.

Kellum, born in Hempstead, Long Island, was trained as a carpenter; he was largely self-taught in architecture, and was taken into partnership in 1846 by the well-established New York architect Gamaliel King. King was engaged in constructing Brooklyn City Hall, and Kellum, as junior partner, was his on-site supervisor. Together they established a reputation for constructing many of the new cast-iron commercial buildings that changed the aspect of New York. They remained in partnership until 1859, when Kellum left to open a practice in partnership with his son.

Kellum received his first big independent commission as the architect to Alexander T. Stewart, the department store magnate, designing the A.T. Stewart store at Broadway and 10th Street, which occupied the entire blockfront He designed Stewart's marble mansion on the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, that was the first of Fifth Avenue's marble palazzos.

Kellum designed and built for Stewart the Working Women's Hotel, on Park Avenue between 32nd and 33rd Streets.