Henry Hardinge Menzies

About Henry Hardinge Menzies

Henry Hardinge Menzies was born in Hickory, North Carolina, on April 20, 1928. He received a BA degree from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) in 1948. He did a year of graduate work at the University of Southern California. From 1951 to 1955, he served in the U.S. Navy, eventually becoming a lieutenant in active duty during the Korean War. After the war, he received his degree in architecture from the School of Design at North Carolina State University (Raleigh) in 1958. He began his architecture career working for Perry, Shaw, Hepburn and Dean, Architects, in Boston, Massachusetts. Later, he worked for John M. Gray, Architect, in Boston. In 1962, he founded a firm, The Architects Group, with fellow architects, Vince Solomita and Joe Palermo. From 1964 to 1977, he conducted a private practice in Boston. In 1978, he moved to New York City, forming the partnership of Menzies & LeMieux. He later moved his private practice in 1982 to New Rochelle, New York, where he continues to work today.

His design efforts have concentrated on church projects, either designing new structures or renovating older buildings. Three of the more outstanding designs have been: The Cathedral of St. Augustine in Bridgeport, Connecticut, St. Aloysius Church in New Canaan, Connecticut, and the chapel of the Heights School in Potomac, Maryland. He has given lectures on church architecture in New York and Connecticut, writing a number of articles on the subject, as well. Most of his architectural work and articles can be seen on his website: www.hmenzies.com.

He has been a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Menzies Clan Society, and the Society for Catholic Liturgy. From 1998 until the present, he has been included in the publication: "Who's Who in America." He has held architectural registrations in: Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, the District of Columbia, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, New York, Texas, and Connecticut.

Zeal for God’s House: An architect’s reflections on Sacred Space

Something vital has been lost in Catholic church architecture, obscuring any indication that God is truly present there. “Zeal for your house consumes me.” (Jn 2:15) The sun was setting over the vast Valley of Mexico as I climbed up to the … [Read more...]