Wilgus, William J. (William John), 1865-1949

William John Wilgus (1865-1949) was a civil engineer who worked for the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. By 1899 he was the chief engineer for construction and maintenance of way and in 1903 became vice-president in charge of construction. During those years he supervised the planning and construction of Buffalo Union Station, the Weehawken (N.J.) Terminal and the modern Grand Central Station. In 1907 Wilgus opened his own consulting practice and advised railroad companies on construction and improvement projects for states and municipalities including several concerned with the improvement of passenger and freight transportation in the New York Metropolitan area. During World War I he directed transportation for the Allied Expeditionary Forces in France. After his retirement from private practice in 1930, he devoted much of his time to writing and research on military and civilian transportation issues while working in the private sector.

William John Wilgus was born in Buffalo, New York on Agust 11, 1865. William enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a civil engineer who worked on several large railroad projects throughout the country. He is best known for participating in the design and implementation of New York City's Grand Central Station. During WWI, Wilgus was given the title of Colonel after his service as a member of the Military Railway Commission and the Director of Railways for the Allied Expeditionary Forces. Wilgus was also awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Vermont (1927) and the Stevens Institute of Technology (1921). Just before he retired from private practice in 1930, Wilgus settled in Weathersfield, Vermont, and later died in 1949 in Claremont, New Hampshire.

Wilgus and his wife built their home, Iridge, just outside of Weathersfield, Vermont, with a view of mount Ascutney. Wilgus hired Charles C. May, a prominent architect from New York City, who began drawings of Iridge in 1922. He hired Clarence Fowler, another distinguished New York architect, to design the grounds. The house, built in the Georgian style, was completed on February 27, 1924.