Family & History

William Gilbane, son of Thomas and Bridget Gilbane and natives of County Leitrim, was born on September 21, 1844. 

Gilbane is one of the largest privately, held family-owned construction and real estate development firms in the industry. This timeline provides a brief overview of the Gilbane family history and Gilbane's evolution from a carpentry business to a global firm.

Thomas Gilbane, his wife, and young son William immigrated to America from County Leitrim in Ireland during the Great Irish Famine.

Thomas Francis Gilbane was born on November 5, 1854 - Son of Thomas and Bridget Gilbane and brother to William.

William was driven by the belief that hard work, attention to quality craftsmanship and basic honesty would carry him through the recession (1870-1879). These basic principles formed the cornerstone that Gilbane's reputation is built upon.

William Gilbane started his own carpentry and building business.

In 1871, Thomas Gilbane began his apprenticeship with his brother William to learn the carpenters' trade.

The brothers formalized their partnership by establishing “William Gilbane and Brother,” working dusk to dawn, six days a week, building homes known for their quality.

Gilbane built the building between 1894-1895 and opened it in 1896. It still operates today. Roger Williams Park Museum of Natural History and Planetarium is located within Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island.

William Gilbane and Bro. built the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus between 1896 and 1900 in the Romanesque style.

On April 23, 1897, a large kerosene lamp exploded in the Gilbane Brothers’ shop on Centre Street, engulfing the entire building in flames. Only a small amount of lumber stored across the street remained. The losses exceeded the insured amount. Thankfully, the company’s books were locked in a fireproof safe and were not destroyed. This tragedy did not stop the brothers and their company; they returned to work to ensure their customers were not affected.

In 1900, the Gilbanes were contracted to build a colonial revival brick and marble house for Brown University President William Faunce, marking the beginning of their long-standing relationship with the university.

In 1902, the company secured a major contract to build Providence's new Central Fire Station, the largest public project at the time.

In 1908, Gilbane Building Company was officially incorporated. The Providence Board of Trade Journal noted under Building and Architectural Notes that Gilbane Building Company was incorporated in Providence to engage in building, general contract work, and manufacturing in wood and other materials, as well as buying and selling land, houses, lumber, hardware, and other merchandise. The capital stock was $60,000, and the incorporators were William Gilbane, Thomas F. Gilbane, and William H. Gilbane.

Three laborers dug a ditch. A passerby asked, “What are you doing?” One replied, “Digging.” Another said, “Earning five dollars.” The third answered, “Building a cathedral.” Thomas F. Gilbane, commenting on his favorite story, said the Gilbane employee would be the one “building a cathedral.”

William H. Gilbane, son of William Gilbane became the second company president when his father retired in 1909. William ran the company through a poor economy, instilling loyalty and dedication as deep-rooted values. Loyalty and dedication became deep-rooted values. The company headquarters moved to 90 Calverly St., Providence, RI.

Thomas F. Gilbane takes over the company and is joined by his brother William J. Gilbane in the early 1940s.

Under-Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal, awarded the company for its "outstanding performance in wartime construction - and for preserving the unbeatable American spirit which can only be satisfied by achieving today what yesterday seemed impossible.”

Up until this time, subleasing equipment for very large jobs was necessary. During the General Motors job in Massachusetts, the excavation subcontractor suddenly went out of business, leaving Gilbane stranded. “Without hesitation, we jumped in and arranged to buy the equipment we needed,” said Bill Gilbane, Sr. BT Equipment Company, named after Bill and Tom Gilbane, became a tremendous asset to the business.

Following the success of the Navy work, Gilbane secured a national client in General Motors. In 1946, Gilbane built GM’s new assembly plant in Framingham, MA, worth $12 million. It was the largest industrial plant in New England at the time. This project marked Gilbane’s first significant out-of-state endeavor and a major milestone in the company’s development. The relationship with GM grew, and in 1957, Gilbane was awarded the Fisher Body Plant project in Mansfield, OH.

In 1947, under the guidance of Paul Choquette, Sr. (Tom and Bill’s sister Virginia’s husband), Gilbane developed a system for pouring concrete year-round under canvas tents. Gilbane first utilized this precast method to construct eight dormitory buildings at the University of Connecticut.

Gilbane won the contract to build the world’s largest closed die forging press for Wyman-Gordan Co.

"It was my father's philosophy that it didn't matter if a man ate steak or left behind a little or a lot of money. What really mattered was to leave behind a good reputation,"  Robert V. Gilbane

Gilbane constructed the iconic egg-shaped IBM Corporation pavilion for the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair, which hailed itself as a “universal and international” exposition. Additionally, Gilbane built the India Pavilion, the Hawaii Pavilion, and the New England States Pavilion.

Under the leadership of Robert V. Gilbane in the 1970s, Gilbane Properties was founded as a real estate development company. This subsidiary of Gilbane Building Company worked on projects such as joint ventures and affordable housing developments. Some earlier projects included Fleet Center in Providence, LaSalle Square in Providence, and Arsenal Marketplace and Apartments in Watertown, MA.

Gilbane completed eleven Miller Brewing Company projects spanning an eight-year period, totaling $1.3B and 8,000,000-SF, including a $10M barrel brewery with a warehouse and packaging facility.

Ensuring the museum’s readiness for the nation’s bicentennial celebration on July 1, 1976, was critical. At a time when government projects were seldom completed as planned, this project finished on time and under budget. The result is a stunning piece of history we can all be proud of.

In 1978, Gilbane broke ground on its new corporate headquarters in Providence, RI. The design reflected a strong, forward-looking corporate image. On March 7, 1980, the brick four-story building opened its doors.

The ice arena, home of the legendary “Miracle on Ice” game, marked a huge triumph for Gilbane. The Olympic Committee’s inflexible deadline and strict budget presented great challenges.

Gilbane constructed the Cleveland Clinic building, a 617,800 SF , 13-story freestanding ambulatory care facility, marking the start of numerous projects with the Clinic.

Arsenal Apartments and Marketplace transformed into a mixed-use residential, retail, and business community. The site, now registered on the ASCE’s List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks and the US National Register of Historic Places, housed buildings designed by renowned architect Alexander Parris, later designer of Quincy Market. For forty years, Gilbane Development Company has owned and continues to manage the 156-unit community, Arsenal Apartments.

Work on site began on March 16, 1982, five days after the design and plans received final Federal approval, and ground was broken on March 26, 1982. The President of the United States accepted the completed Vietnam Veterans Memorial on November 10, 1984. The marble walls are etched with the names of the nation’s 58,000 dead and missing from the Vietnam conflict.

Gilbane developed and built a 14-story, 765,000 SF facility to house 2,000 employees in the heart of Pittsburgh’s central business district. GDC collaborated with Mellon to analyze four potential locations and provided a thorough evaluation of the chosen site’s overall development costs.

One of Gilbane Development Company's first P3 projects was a state-of-the-art, 158,000 SF, five-story county government center with a 418-car garage, maintaining the architecture of the neighboring historical district.

This project encompassed a biopharmaceutical manufacturing building, a laboratory/office facility, a warehouse, and support buildings on a 100-acre greenfield site.

Gilbane Inc. formed with Gilbane Building Company and what is now known as Gilbane Development Company as its subsidiaries.

The Memorial, the first national memorial dedicated to those who served during World War II, stands at the east end of the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall, between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

Gilbane Development Company and Gilbane Building Company partnered with the Houston Independent School District (HISD) to develop a creative, cost-conscious plan to provide schools that accommodate the area’s surging student population, including 5,000 new students annually.

A 30-foot vast, 690-ton tunnel boring machine dug the main tunnel through hard rock. The project also built a 50-million-gallon-per-day pump station in a gym-sized cavern 30 stories deep. It included a computer control system and seven surface facilities to divert overflow into 250-foot-deep drop shafts.

Gilbane Development Company and The Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services (DMHMRSAS) receive the NCPPP’s Innovation Award for their unique collaboration in delivering the new Hancock Geriatric Treatment Center at Eastern State Hospital, which opened its doors to 150 patients last spring under Virginia’s Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act (PPEA).

The new state-of-the-art Innovation and Technical Center boasts customer application suites, research and development labs, culinary facilities, sensory services and a vast commercialization center dedicated to customer production commercialization.

Gilbane acquires W.G. Mills, Inc., a construction management firm with operations based in Florida.

Gilbane Development Company is recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a 2010 ENERGY STAR Leadership in Housing Award.

Gilbane Building Company announces the acquisition of Innovative Technical Solutions, Inc. (ITSI). Bringing ITSI into Gilbane broadens the firm’s capabilities with the U.S. Government, worldwide.

Gilbane Development Company transformed a vacant industrial site into a vibrant, mixed-use environment where several others had been unsuccessful in redevelopment. The project also restored the 1920s-era Hajoca Building and added two wings of new construction to provide a 136-unit, 406-bed community designed for Virginia Commonwealth University students.

This highly modern building features 1,400 solar cells, including several hundred that act as cladding on the south-facing side, making the building 87 percent energy self-sufficient. This team uses integrated design to create a state-of-the-art design/build facility that strives to meet 2030 carbon neutrality goals. Tenants include the Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute and other energy research teams. Remarkably, there is no air-conditioning in the laboratory.

The project comprised of approximately 22,375 square feet space adjacent to State Department’s old War Department Building along 21st Street, NW, in Washington, DC.

The largest project in Gilbane’s history, the ExxonMobil campus in Houston reaches completion. The complex covers 385-acres and is home to 10,000 workers. It features 14 office buildings, three parking garages, state-of-art central utility plant and several other buildings. The project achieved 17 million hours worked without a lost-time incident.

Gilbane Development Company and Fairmount Properties announced that the College Town Rochester, NY project was awarded by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Greater Rochester a 2015 BOMA Rochester Recognition Award in the category of New Construction.

Gilbane CEO Tom Gilbane, Jr., served as ACE Mentor Program of America’s national chairman.

Gilbane launches our construction industry-first family leave benefit, offering employees four weeks of Paid Family Leave that can be used in a single block of time or intermittently.

Gilbane completes the world’s largest brewery, the Constellation Brands facility in Nava, Mexico.

Gilbane creates Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to support inclusion, diversity, and belonging at the company.

Gilbane’s Japan office celebrates its 15th anniversary.

Gilbane returns to work on Lake Placid Olympic Center. Forty years after historic "Miracle on Ice" U.S. Olympic Men's Hockey victory, Gilbane partners with the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority to modernize their facilities.

Gilbane completes work on the highest observation deck in the Western Hemisphere, located at 30 Hudson Yards.

Gilbane celebrates 150 years in business by thanking our Gilbane family of employees, clients, and partners. Click here to watch the celebration video. 

Gilbane starts work on the HARIBO of America production facility.

Gilbane Development Company, Hudson Companies, MHANY Management, Inc., WXY Architecture + Urban Design and Body Lawson Associates, Schnapf LLC, and Roux Environmental Engineering and Geology, P.P.C. redeveloped a former juvenile detention center into The Peninsula in HuntsPoint neighborhood of the Bronx, NY.

Gilbane’s Atworth included in Amazon’s $2 billion commitment to building affordable, Transit Oriented Development along Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)‘s College Park transit station

Gilbane’s Tempo student housing community in College Park, Maryland was awarded ‘Best Use of Green & Sustainable Construction & Development’ and the Gilbane-led Eastern Michigan University Welcome Home 2025 Plan for quality, affordable on-campus housing was awarded ‘Best Public/Private Financing Solution’ at last week’s 2023 Student Housing Business Innovator Award ceremony and conference in Austin, Texas.