Born in New Jersey, Strickland was the son of carpenter. At age 14 Strickland spent three years as apprentice to English architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the best trained and most accomplished architect active in America at the time. As an architect Strickland is identified for his interest in Classical forms, although he occasionally used other styles. Throughout his career Strickland worked mostly on public buildings, primarily in the Greek Revival Style. Much of his work was done in Philadelphia where he lived with his family until 1845 when they moved to Nashville, where Strickland had been commissioned in the past. The Athenaeum on Benefit St. in Providence, RI (1836-39) was Strickland's only work in New England, but one that clearly states his achievement as an architect.