York and Sawyer was an American architectural firm active between 1898 and 1949, subsequently as the Office of York & Sawyer, Architects; Kiff, Colean, Voss & Souder into the mid-1950s; and was succeeded by Kiff, Colean, Voss & Souder, who were active as late as 1965. The firms' early work is exemplary of Beaux-Arts architecture as it was practiced in the United States. The original partners Edward York and Philip Sawyer both trained in the office of McKim, Mead & White in the 1890s.[1] In 1898, they established their independent firm, based in New York City.[citation needed]
Their structure for the New-York Historical Society (1908) was extended in 1938 by Walker & Gillette. Their ability to organize, separate and coordinate mixed uses in a building is exemplified by their massive New York Athletic Club.
York and Sawyer became known as specialists in the design of banks and hospitals. Original architectural drawings by York and Sawyer are held in the Dept. of Drawings & Archives at Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University in New York City. Their successor firm, Kiff, Colean, Voss & Souder, were leaders in hospital design.