Walter DuBois Richards' 22nd Stamp: Massachusetts State House In Boston

     For personal reasons, The State House in Boston is one of my favorite buildings that Walter DuBois Richards had decided to profile for his American Architecture Series.  It was completed 1798 and designed by the father of Federalist architecture, Charles Bulfinch.  He was also a principal architect of the Capital Building in Washington, D.C.  It's interesting that Wally decided to portray the pre-WWI State House design, excluding the two white wings that are now part of the modern State House.     

     The first day of Issue was launched in Kansas City, Missouri, of all places, on June 4, 1979.  Each stamp in the block of four stamps sold for $.15.  Wally had just completed his 20th thru 23rd stamps at the young age of 72.  His foray into producing a small mountain of 36 stamps in 15 years (when you exclude the Post Card in 1987, his 37th 'stamp') seemed an appropriate way to finish his rather illustrious career as an American artist.  

     It was nice of him to send me this first day of issue stamp with a short note, considering I was just 26 months old.  I am glad he did and fortunately it has survived the years, and now I may give it to my children when they're ready.  Someday they may get a kick out of it, or perhaps collect stamps themselves. 

Thanks Grandpa! 

Complete Stamp Index: 37 Stamps

1.  Frederick Douglass $.25 Prominent Americans Series Issued February 14th, 1967 Scott #1290

2.  Plant for more Beautiful Cities $.06 Beautification of America Series Issued January 16th, 1969 Scott #1365

3.  Plant for more Beautiful Parks $.06 Beautification of America Series Issued January 16th, 1969 Scott #1366

4.  Plant for more Beautiful Highways $.06 Beautification of America Series Issued January 16th, 1969 Scott #1367

5.  Plant for more Beautiful Streets $.06 Beautification of America Series Issued January 16th, 1969 Scott #1368

6.  American Bald Eagle $.06 Natural History Series Issued May 6th, 1970 Scott #1387

7.  Save Our Soil $.06 Anti-Pollution Series Issued October 28th, 1970 Scott #1410

8.  Save Our Cities $.06 Anti-Pollution Series Issued October 28th, 1970 Scott #1411

9.  Save Our Water $.06 Anti-Pollution Series Issued October 28th, 1970 Scott #1412

10.  Save Our Air $.06 Anti-Pollution Series Issued October 28th, 1970 Scott #1413

11.  Cape Hatteras Seashore - Upper Left $.02 National Parks Centennial Series Issued April 5th, 1972 Scott #1448

12.  Cape Hatteras Seashore - Upper Right $.02 National Parks Centennial Series Issued April 5th, 1972 Scott #1449

13.  Cape Hatteras Seashore - Lower Left $.02 National Parks Centennial Series Issued April 5th, 1972 Scott #1450

14.  Cape Hatteras Seashore - Lower Right $.02 National Parks Centennial Series Issued April 5th, 1972 Scott #1451

15.  Paul Laurance Dunbar $.10 Issued May 1st, 1975 Scott #1554

16.  Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum $.15 Tree Series Issued October 9th, 1978 Scott #1764

17.  White Pine Pinus strobus $.15 Tree Series Issued October 9th, 1978 Scott #1765

18.  White Oak Quercus alba $.15 Tree Series Issued October 9th, 1978 Scott #1766

19.  Gray Birch Betuia populifolis $.15 Tree Series Issued October 9th, 1978 Scott #1767

20.  Jefferson 1743 - 1826 Virginia Rotunda $.15 American Architecture Series Issued June 4th, 1979 Scott #1779

21.  Latrobe 1764 - 1820 Baltimore Cathedral $.15 American Architecture Series Issued June 4th, 1979 Scott #1780


22.  Bulfinch 1763 - 1844 Boston State House $.15 American Architecture Series Issued June 4th, 1979 Scott #1781

23.  Strictland 1788 - 1854 Philadelphia Exchange $.15 American Architecture Series Issued June 4th, 1979 Scott #1782

24.  Renwick 1818 - 1895 Smithsonian Washington $.15 American Architecture Series Issued October 9th, 1980 Scott #1838

25.  Richardson 1838 - 1886 Trinity Church Boston $.15 American Architecture Series Issued October 9th, 1980 Scott #1839

26.  Furness 1839 - 1912 Penn Academy Philadelphia $.15 American Architecture Series Issued October 9th, 1980 Scott #1840

27.  AJ Davis 1803 - 1892 Lyndhurst Tarrytown, NY $.15 American Architecture Series Issued October 9th, 1980 Scott #1841

28.  Stanford White 1853 - 1906 NYU Library New York $.18 American Architecture Series Issued August 28th, 1981 Scott #1928

29.  Richard Morris Hunt 1828 - 1895 Biltmore Asheville, NC $.18 American Architecture Series Issued August 28th, 1981 Scott #1929

30.  Bernard Maybeck 1862 - 1957 Palace of Arts San Francisco $.18 American Architecture Series Issued August 28th, 1981 Scott  #1930

31.  Louis Sullivan 1856 - 1924 Farmers' Bank Owatonna Minn $.18 American Architecture Series Issued August 28th, 1981 Scott #1931

32.  James Hoban White House Architect
     32a.  Eire (Ireland) .18 $ Issued in Ireland September 29th, 1981 No Scott #
     32b.  USA $.18 Issued October 18, 1981 Scott #1935
     32c.  USA $.20 Issued October 18, 1981 Scott #1936

33.  Frank Lloyd Wright 1867 - 1959 Fallingwater Mill Run, PA $.20 American Architecture Series Issued September 30, 1982 Scott #2019

34.  Mies van der Rohe 1886 - 1969 Illinois Inst Tech Chicago $.20 American Architecture Series Issued September 30, 1982 Scott #2020

35.  Walter Gropius 1883 - 1969 Gropius House Lincoln, Ma $.20 American Architecture Series Issued September 30, 1982 Scott #2021

36.  Eero Saarinen 1910 - 1962 Dulles Airport Washington, D.C. $.20 American Architecture Series Issued September 30, 1982 Scott #2022

37.  Timberline Lodge Mt. Hood, Oregon - Postal Card or Post Card $.14 Issued September 28, 1987 Scott #UX119