George Thompson Hobbs was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of architect Isaac H. Hobbs. Like his father, he became an architect and in 1871 his father’s firm had changed its name to Isaac H. Hobbs & Son. However, that was not to be his destiny. Circa 1878 Hobbs began study at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. In 1882, Hobbs, with Philadelphians James L. Claghorn, Joseph W. Bates, William S. Stewart, Samuel Sloan, took steps to revive the old .