Editing Cope and Stewardson (section)

== Tragic Deaths ==

John Stewardson's death in January 1896, when he drowned after falling through ice while skating on the Wissahickon Creek, shocked Philadelphia's architectural community. At 37, Stewardson was recognized as one of the most talented architects of his generation, with achievements that promised even greater work ahead. His death removed the partnership's principal designer and raised questions about the firm's future.<ref name="tatman"/>

Walter Cope continued the practice, maintaining quality and securing significant commissions including Washington University's campus plan. But Cope's own death in 1902, at 41, ended the firm entirely. The double loss deprived American architecture of talents whose potential remained unfulfilled. Yet the work they completed in barely a decade of partnership established an approach to collegiate architecture that influenced American universities for generations.<ref name="cram"/>