Harold R. Simmons, Jr.

 

The life of Harold Simmons, one of the great influences in my career, was celebrated today in East Hampton, New York.  He passed away peacefully in his home on August 12, 2014, after the challenges of hip cancer.


Peter van Hattum (left) and Harold Simmons (right)
at The Hampton Designer Show House,
11 May, 2004
Photo via Patrick McMullen.

Harold was formerly the Senior Vice-President at Parish-Hadley Associates in New York City where he worked for 21 years.  Among his many responsibilities, Harold headed the Design Studio which numbered as many as seven architects during my time there in the 1980s.  Each of us was responsible for one or more of the architectural projects underway, often of tremendous scope for clients such as Rockefeller and Getty, but always under the direction of Harold Simmons.

Hertenhof (Deer Court), Harold and Peter's home
that Harold designed and had built in East Hampton.
2009 photo via Black Tie Magazine.

Harold's knowledge in the fields of interior design and architecture was vast and of the highest level of taste, that combination being a relative rarity in the profession.  And there was never hesitation to share that knowledge.  The list of items to be considered was a long one, from the plan of the furniture to the balance of the lighting to the physical allowances for window treatments, and on and on.  But Harold Simmons knew all the answers and taught that same level of competency to his staff.


Peter van Hattum, Joan Worth, and Harold Simmons
at a charity event reception held at Hertenhof, 2009.
Photo via Black Tie Magazine.

Harold R. Simmons, Jr., was known as "Young Harold" in his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi, because his father had the same name, Harold R. Simmons.  After graduating from Ole Miss, Harold worked for one year at the celebrated Memphis design firm owned by Kenneth Kimbrough and his partner Robert Bedford who insisted that he should get a degree from Parsons School of Design in New York if he wanted to be a design professional.  (Bobby Bedford, now in his mid-90s, is a cherished friend of mine because of the connection with Harold).


The Mausoleum of Emperor Diocletian, Spalato,
as drawn as a conjectural restoration by
Robert Adam, 1764.

After graduating from Parsons in 1965 and specializing in Interior Architecture, Harold first worked for the architectural firm of Alfred Easton Poor.  In 1966, he joined the decorating firm then known as Mrs. Henry Parish, 2nd, as the personal assistant to Albert Hadley.  Harold once told me that, on his first day on the job, he went with Mr. Hadley to an enormous apartment that was to be extensively renovated; Mr. Hadley began marking big "X"-es on the walls to be demolished, noting new locations for electric outlets on the walls, etc., all instructions soon to be lost when the construction process began.  Harold brought a level of order and professionalism to the office, contributing much to making it one of the most respected full-service design firms in the 1980s. 


View of the tomb of Caius Cestius by Piranesi.

After leaving Parish-Hadley in 1987, Harold joined his long-time partner Peter van Hattum (whom he had met his first week in New York in 1962) to found the firm Van Hattum and Simmons.  Their work included embassies in South America and numerous fine residences in New York, Washington, DC, and London, among other locations.  Also, their work was highly regarded in numerous Kips Bay Decorator Show Houses and Southampton Decorator Show Houses.  Harold and Peter were married in 2012.

The combination of charm, wit, and talent is far too rare, so it is especially sad to lose someone like Harold.  Memorial gifts may be made in honor of Harold Simmons to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, New York 11978.  My deepest sympathy goes to Peter, another remarkable individual, and their family.

HAROLD R. SIMMONS, JR.

1939 to 2014

REQUIESCAT IN PACE

A Bit More About Me

I have been interested in architecture for as long as I can remember, so it was no surprise that I wanted to be an architect.  I am a gradate of the University of Tennessee School of Architecture with a Bachelor of Architecture (BARCH) degree.  Participating in a summer foreign studies program administered in cooperation with L'Ecole des Beaux Arts and based at the palace in Fontainebleau, France, really cinched my love of history and preservation after my second year at the university.  The UT program allowed a special concentration of study and mine in Architectural History and Historic Preservation won a special commendation in the form of an award from the faculty.  Roz Li, a noted architect from New York City was brought in to head the preservation program and she provided an invaluable foundation for my education.  (Now in private practice, she has been responsible for numerous projects of renown, such as the Rhinelander Mansion restoration for the Ralph Lauren flagship store).

The award of a summer internship administered by Dee Ann Walker with the National Trust for Historic Preservation satisfied the required service practicum;  I was a team member of the Historic American Building Survey and documented the Woodrow Wilson House in Washington, DC.  I also participated in a grant from the Tennessee Historical Commission, administered by Glorial Neal Testerman, to survey pre-1930 building in Jefferson County, Tennessee.

Ignoring chronological order, I later had the great honor to be chosen to attend the Attingham Summer School in England, a prestigious program usually reserved for museum curators.  Focusing on the Country House, its architecture, contents, and landscape setting, my study of decorative arts began in earnest.  It was a life-changing opportunity for a truly hands-on examination of a wide range of disciplines and styles.  The program was headed by renown educator and author Geoffrey Beard and a team of tutors and lecturers, each a noted specialist, including Gervace Jackson-Stops, Roger White, and Annabel Westmann.  Also in education, were two semesters of teaching in the Interior Design department chaired by Ann Borsch and directed by Tim Gunn at Parsons School of Design, The New School in New York City;  I also taught a class in the summer program in Paris.

My first job out of university was with BuildingConservationTechnology/TheEhrenkrantzGroup, a nationally recognized architectural firm specializing in historic preservation.  Leadership of the offices in Nashville and the historic community of Rugby, Tennessee, was provided by Joseph Herndon.  When James Marston Fitch, known as the Father of Amercian Preservation, retired from Columbia University to enter private practice, I was tapped to be his assistant at BeyerBlinderBelle Architects and Planners in New York City.  But Reaganomics brought government participation in preservation to a halt, bringing about a change in my profession.

Knowledge of traditional architecture and interest in decorative arts landed me a position at the legendary interior design firm Parish-Hadley.  Under the guidance of Sister Parish and Albert Hadley, and the tutlege of Bunny Williams and Harold Simmons, my design education reached a new height of connoisseurship.  It was a truly invaluable experience, and prepared me to open my own mult-faceted studio in 1987.

Drawing on my education and experience in history and preservation, I am often called on for sensitive improvements to existing houses and apartments, designing additions and renovations.  But I also design new houses.  I often collaborate with interior designers on major projects as well as only particular elements such as individual pieces of furniture or custom light fixtures.  Contemporary design is taken on in special circumstances, but I remain a devoted classicist.