Evans, Allen, 1849-1925

Allen Evans was born in Paoli, Pennsylvania, son of Edmund Cadwalader Evans, MD (1812-1881) and Mary Louisa Allen Evans. He studied two years at the Philadelphia Polytechnic College, and by 1869 he was employed in the office of Samuel Sloan. By 1871 Evans had moved to Furness & Hewitt. In 1881 he became a full partner with Frank Furness and the firm's name became Furness & Evans. In 1885 the firm was expanded and the name became Furness, Evans & Co. Evans carried on the firm under the same name after Furness's death in 1912.

Furness was unquestionably the dominating personality in the firm until his declining years, and it is difficult to establish definitely Evans's role in the design of the firm's projects. According to biographical materials [099.36] prepared by his daughter, Margaret Evans, after his death, "Frank Furness was the bizarre, original and brilliantly artistic member of the firm, while Mr. Evans took care of the more practical part of the planning. His tastes were more quiet and tended towards simplicity of line and careful proportions. This showed in some of the later buildings which were more under his influence, at the end of Mr. Furness' life, and after his retirement and death - notably the Girard Trust Company Building ... which was largely of Mr. Evans' designing."

...