Carved in stone: Why Steuben County's James Wetmore has his name on thousands of buildings

James A. Wetmore made his mark on America, though most people scurry by without noticing his name. It’s on the cornerstones of the many federal buildings — the New York Times figured about 2,000 — created during his 19 years as Acting Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department.

Wetmore was born in Bath and educated in Hornell, then trained as a stenographer and held various jobs before settling in with the Treasury in 1893. He also got a law degree, and became a 33rd-degree Mason.

Energetic and highly capable, he was often put in charge of various offices and divisions on an interim basis — for a couple of months even filling in for the Secretary of the Treasury. In 1915 he took over the Supervising Architect’s job on a “temporary” basis, and retired from that position — still only temporary — in 1934.

This office designed all federal buildings. As Acting Supervising Architect Wetmore oversaw creation of the Alaska State Capitol (then the territorial capitol) and the monumental 1916 Hornell Post Office, not to mention coast-to-coast courthouses (and many other facilities).

During the first hectic year of the New Deal he was in charge of 1,700 architects. TIME magazine said that his name was “carved on the cornerstones of more post offices, customs houses, federal court houses and office buildings than that of any other U.S. citizen.” He oversaw creations through the Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, and Franklin Roosevelt presidencies.

Wetmore insisted on being labeled as “acting” since he was not, in fact, an architect. The position was managerial and administrative (right up his alley), and so did not require an architectural professional. But he honored his personnel and their skills. He did not want to claim, even by implication, that he could do their jobs.

More: Four who left 'indelible mark' nominated for Steuben County Hall of Fame. See the list.

When he retired, TIME reported (in its article “Cornerstone Man,” Dec. 10, 1934) “Of all the cornerstones that bear the name of James A. Wetmore, Acting Supervising Architect, he is proudest of the one under the new post office in his native Bath. He laid that one himself, in 1931. The trowel, suitably engraved, hangs over his mantel. He will take it with him to Coral Gables, Fla., where he plans to spend the rest of his days.”

And there he ended those days, in 1940.

The 1916 Hornell post office still stands, though now in private hands. But just in our neck of the woods, Mr. Wetmore's name is carved into the still-busy working post offices of Dansville, Wellsville, Owego ... and Bath.

— Kirk House, of the Steuben County Historical Society, writes a biweekly column appearing in The Spectator and Corning Leader.

This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Carved in stone: Why Steuben County's James Wetmore has his name on thousands of buildings