Frank Furness established an architectural partnership in Philadelphia after returning from service in the Civil War. He solidified his reputation with his design of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 1872-1876, in which he fused elements of neoclassical and Gothic revival architecture in a manner suggestive of the contemporary French style. With that design, Furness began the transition in American architecture from the derivative academic buildings of the previous generation toward a more highly decorated Victorian style. His work, which includes many private and public structures in the Philadelphia area, had a strong effect on Louis Sullivan, the leading architect of the next generation who worked for Furness as a draftsman.