C. Richard Bierce, UA grad known for architectural restoration, dies

C. Richard Bierce, a distinguished graduate of the University of Arizona School of Architecture, known for his expertise in architectural restoration, died Dec. 26 at his Tucson home after a long illness. He was 79.

Bierce went on to earn a master’s degree in architecture from Columbia University in 1968, where he was among the first to study in the relatively new academic field of historical preservation, said Chuck Albanese, UA dean emeritus of architecture.

During his “distinguished career,” Bierce became well known for the restoration and conservation of historic properties, particularly in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., Albanese said.

Bierce also reviewed thousands of other properties for historic significance, including churches, government buildings and homes, and directed or consulted on scores of restoration projects across the U.S.

Bierce and his wife, Violet, spent two years in Brazil as Peace Corps volunteers (1968-70), followed by architectural work for a Tucson firm involving projects at the UA, Fort Huachuca and creation of labs and observatories in Chile.

In 1973, he was hired by a Virginia restoration architect in advance of the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial. Among other projects, he managed historical research and architectural restoration of Gadsby’s Tavern, which dates from the 1770s, in Alexandria, Virginia. Gadsby’s Tavern was once patronized by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and other leaders of that period. Gadsby’s dining room and museum, including its period ballroom, are open to the public.

Working for the National Trust for Historic Preservation during the 1980s, Bierce at various times served as vice president, architect for properties and director of museum services. In one of the Trust’s flagship projects, he managed acquisition and opening to the public of Montpelier, the 1770s-built home of James Madison, the nation’s fourth president.

He was called upon to lecture at Eastern colleges and at the UA. He revisited Rio de Janeiro in the late 1980s and published on the 17th and 18th century urban core of Rio. In 1989, Bierce surveyed historical properties in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico after the devastation of Hurricane Hugo.

After living in Alexandria, Virginia, for 45 years, the Bierce couple returned to Tucson in 2018. A 1962 graduate of Tucson High, he was inducted into the Tucson High Badger Foundation Hall of Fame in 2021. He was honored for his professional achievements and volunteer work, including service as endowment chair for the Badger Foundation. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to his scholarship fund at the foundation.

Services will be held Saturday, Jan. 20, at 11 a.m. at First Christian Church, 740 E. Speedway Blvd. Bierce is survived by Violet, his wife of 56 years, sister Rose Bierce of Alexandria, son Jonathan (Hillary), grandsons CJ and Grant; and son Matthew (Diana Alkire) and grandson Victor Bierce. He was predeceased by his brother Bill Bierce.