John McShain
Encyclopedia
John McShain was a highly successful American
building contractor
known as "The Man Who Built Washington."
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
the son of Irish
immigrants, John McShain graduated from La Salle University
in 1917. His father founded a successful construction company, which he was forced to take over at age twenty-one, when his father died in 1919. Under his management, the company became one of the leading builders in the United States. From the 1930s to the 1960s, McShain's company worked on more than one hundred buildings in the Washington, D.C.
area. Most notably, the company built or was the prime contractor for a number of landmark structures including The Pentagon
, the Jefferson Memorial
, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
, the Library of Congress
annex, Washington National Airport, and the 1950–51 reconstruction of the White House
. Of his many construction projects, McShain also built the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
at Hyde Park, New York
.
McShain acquired the Barclay Hotel
on Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square
and became part owner of the "Skyscraper By The Sea", the 400-room Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey
in County Kerry
. McShain owned Killarney House
and eventually spent a great deal of time there. In 1973, they gifted Innisfallen Island
and the ruins of its historic abbey to the government of Ireland. In 1979, he turned over the entire estate for a nominal sum on the understanding that he and his wife would retain a life tenancy of the home. As part of the agreement, the property was to be merged into Killarney National Park
in perpetuity. His daughter, a nun, amended this arrangement after his death in order to obtain planning permission which would otherwise have not been forthcoming.
, his racing stable met with reasonable success at New York State tracks and Monmouth Park in New Jersey
, notably with Turbo Jet II. However, his greatest racing success came in Europe
where in 1958 he was the British flat racing Champion Owner
. McShain's colt Ballymoss
won numerous prestigious races including Ireland's Irish Derby Stakes
, England's St. Leger Stakes
and France's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
. Ballymoss was voted 1958 European Horse of the Year
honors and in 1981 the Republic of Ireland
honored him with his image on a postage stamp
. McShain also owned the filly
Gladness who had victories in the Goodwood Cup
and the Ascot Gold Cup
.
A devout Roman Catholic, John McShain was a major benefactor to Wheeling Jesuit University
. In 2000, the newly-constructed admissions center was dedicated to the memory of him and his wife. McShain served on the Board of Directors
of a number of major American corporations and educational institutions including St. Joseph's University, Catholic University
, and Georgetown University
. John also attended St. Joseph's Preparatory School, an urban Jesuit high school in North Philadelphia.
McShain retired in 1976 and died at Killarney House in 1989. His wife lived there until her death in 1998. They are buried together in Philadelphia and commemorated with medallions at the Cathedral-Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul
. Their only child became a Roman Catholic nun
. Through the John McShain Charities, Sister Pauline McShain continued her parents' tradition of financial support for various Catholic organizations such as the Neumann College
scholarship program.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
building contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
known as "The Man Who Built Washington."
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
the son of Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
immigrants, John McShain graduated from La Salle University
La Salle University
La Salle University is a private, co-educational, Roman Catholic university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Named for St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, the school was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. As of 2008 the school has approximately 7,554...
in 1917. His father founded a successful construction company, which he was forced to take over at age twenty-one, when his father died in 1919. Under his management, the company became one of the leading builders in the United States. From the 1930s to the 1960s, McShain's company worked on more than one hundred buildings in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area. Most notably, the company built or was the prime contractor for a number of landmark structures including The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, the Jefferson Memorial
Jefferson Memorial
The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is a presidential memorial in Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father and the third President of the United States....
, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...
, the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
annex, Washington National Airport, and the 1950–51 reconstruction of the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. Of his many construction projects, McShain also built the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, New York is the first presidential library built in the United States. It was conceived and built under the direction of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt from 1939 to 1940.- History :...
at Hyde Park, New York
Hyde Park, New York
Hyde Park is a town located in the northwest part of Dutchess County, New York, United States, just north of the city of Poughkeepsie. The town is most famous for being the hometown of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt....
.
McShain acquired the Barclay Hotel
Barclay Hotel
The Barclay Hotel is located at 237 S. 18th St. on the southeast corner of Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, PA. Once the most famous hotel in the city and owned by John McShain , it has since been converted to condominiums. The hotel opened in October 1929.The hotel was the site in 1980 of the...
on Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square
Rittenhouse Square
Rittenhouse Square is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn and his surveyor Thomas Holme during the late 17th century in central Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The park cuts off 19th Street at Walnut Street and also at a half block above Manning Street. Its boundaries are...
and became part owner of the "Skyscraper By The Sea", the 400-room Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
Ireland
In 1927 John McShain married Mary J. Horstmann (1907–1998). Over the years, the McShains began visiting Ireland and in the late 1950s acquired the 25000 acres (101.2 km²) Killarney Estate in KillarneyKillarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
. McShain owned Killarney House
Killarney House
The site of Killarney House was chosen by Queen Victoria on her visit to Ireland in 1861. This house was the replacement for Kenmare House as the seat of the Earl of Kenmare....
and eventually spent a great deal of time there. In 1973, they gifted Innisfallen Island
Innisfallen Island
Innisfallen or Inishfallen is an island in Lough Leane; one of the three Lakes of Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland. It is home to the ruins of Innisfallen Abbey, one of the most impressive archaeological remains dating from the early Christian period found in the Killarney National Park. The...
and the ruins of its historic abbey to the government of Ireland. In 1979, he turned over the entire estate for a nominal sum on the understanding that he and his wife would retain a life tenancy of the home. As part of the agreement, the property was to be merged into Killarney National Park
Killarney National Park
Killarney National Park is located beside the town of Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. It was the first national park established in Ireland, created when Muckross Estate was donated to the Irish state in 1932...
in perpetuity. His daughter, a nun, amended this arrangement after his death in order to obtain planning permission which would otherwise have not been forthcoming.
Thoroughbred racing
In 1952 John McShain established Barclay Stable in the United States and in 1955 expanded its operations to Ireland. Based in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, his racing stable met with reasonable success at New York State tracks and Monmouth Park in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, notably with Turbo Jet II. However, his greatest racing success came in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
where in 1958 he was the British flat racing Champion Owner
British flat racing Champion Owner
The Champion Owner of flat racing in Great Britain is the owner whose horses have won the most prizemoney during a season. The list below shows the Champion Owner for each year since 1894.-----See also:* British flat racing Champion Jockey...
. McShain's colt Ballymoss
Ballymoss
Ballymoss was an Irish Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. The son of Mossborough, his grandsire was the extremely important Nearco. Out of the mare Indian call, the damsire of Ballymoss was Singapore whose sire was the 1918 U.K. Triple Crown winner Gainsborough.Ballymoss was sold by his breeder at...
won numerous prestigious races including Ireland's Irish Derby Stakes
Irish Derby Stakes
The Irish Derby is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June or early July.It is Ireland's equivalent of the Epsom Derby,...
, England's St. Leger Stakes
St. Leger Stakes
The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...
and France's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
. Ballymoss was voted 1958 European Horse of the Year
European Horse of the Year
European Horse of the Year is an award in European Thoroughbred horse racing. Since 1991 the honor has been part of the Cartier Racing Awards. It is presented annually by Cartier SA to a horse of any age racing in Europe.-Honorees:...
honors and in 1981 the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
honored him with his image on a postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
. McShain also owned the filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
Gladness who had victories in the Goodwood Cup
Goodwood Cup
The Goodwood Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 2 miles , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August.-History:...
and the Ascot Gold Cup
Ascot Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
.
A devout Roman Catholic, John McShain was a major benefactor to Wheeling Jesuit University
Wheeling Jesuit University
Wheeling Jesuit University is a private, co-educational Roman Catholic university in the United States. Located in Wheeling, West Virginia, it was founded as Wheeling College in 1954 by the Society of Jesus . Today, Wheeling Jesuit University is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of...
. In 2000, the newly-constructed admissions center was dedicated to the memory of him and his wife. McShain served on the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of a number of major American corporations and educational institutions including St. Joseph's University, Catholic University
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
, and Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
. John also attended St. Joseph's Preparatory School, an urban Jesuit high school in North Philadelphia.
McShain retired in 1976 and died at Killarney House in 1989. His wife lived there until her death in 1998. They are buried together in Philadelphia and commemorated with medallions at the Cathedral-Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul
Cathedral-Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul
The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, head church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, is located at 18th Street & the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on the east side of Logan Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the largest Catholic church in Pennsylvania and listed on...
. Their only child became a Roman Catholic nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
. Through the John McShain Charities, Sister Pauline McShain continued her parents' tradition of financial support for various Catholic organizations such as the Neumann College
Neumann College
Neumann University is a private Roman Catholic, coeducational college in the Franciscan tradition located in Aston, Pennsylvania, USA. Neumann was ranked in both the Best Regional Universities and Best Nursing Programs at the graduate level categories by US News & World Report for 2011...
scholarship program.