William R. Walker & Son
William R. Walker & Son was an American architectural firm in Providence, Rhode Island, active during the years 1881 to 1936. It included partners William Russell Walker (1830–1905), William Howard Walker (1856–1922) and later William Russell Walker II (1884–1936). Firm history William R. Walker began his architectural practice in 1864. Between 1876 and 1881 he partnered with Thomas J. Gould in Walker & Gould. In 1881, the two parted ways to start independent firms. Walker took his son W. Howard Walker into partnership to form the firm of William R. Walker & Son. William R. Walker died in 1905. W. Howard Walker died in 1922, at which point his son William R. Walker II took charge until his own death in 1936. After the death of the last Walker, the firm was briefly succeeded by Rice & Arnold, the partnership of George H. Rice (1881-1945) and Roy F. Arnold (1884-1972), both draftsmen in the Walker office. Arnold continued to practice architecture in Providence and Pawtucket into the 1950s. Throughout the firm's history, it was known for its educational buildings. All of the Walkers had important political connections, enabling them to obtain the commissions for these and other civic structures. The