GRAND RAPIDS HISTORIC ARCHITECTS & BUILDERS PRE-CIVIL WAR TO MIDCENTURY

This is partial list of architects and builders including statewide and nationally known individuals who once created, developed or renovated Grand Rapids historic homes and buildings. The period is generally pre-Civil war to Mid-century with a few exceptions. More will soon be added, especially the mid-century architects and builders, as the research continues.

F.P. Allen & Son —Frank P. Allen (1856-1934) & Son, founded the firm in 1892 working with sons Frank P. until 1900, and Roger until 1934 when Frank P. died. They published a catalog of home plans, Artistic Dwellings. The Allens’ portfolio of West Michigan homes and buildings included the Saugatuck Felt Mansion.

Allen, Roger (Roger Allen Associates) —Roger Allen (1891-1972) launched his own practice in 1934. He designed the 1938 Grand Rapids Public Museum, 1965 Hall of Justice Building (gone), Aquinas College Wege Center, Mulick Park and Shawnee Park Schools, and over 80 new or renovated Central Michigan University and Ferris State University campus buildings. He received honorary doctorates from both institutions. Known as a humorist, Allen wrote the popular “Fired at Random” column published in the Grand Rapids Press.

William Baker & Son— The early 20th-century contractor with offices at 427 Curtis worked on downtown buildings and also built a foundry for the National Brass Company.

Barrows Jr., Ashahel —Connecticut born Ashahel Barrows Jr. worked in Chicago, Detroit and Adrian, Michigan before building St. Mark's Episcopal Church. His work included the 1867 Second-Empire-style Adrian Masonic Temple, replaced in 1924 by the Osgood & Osgood-designed Masonic Temple.

Beman, Solon—Brooklyn-born Chicago architect Solon Beman (1853-1915) designed the Michigan Trust Building after being inspired by Chicago's famous Rookery Building. Other work included the Chicago Pullman town and factory and the Cincinnati Proctor & Gamble Factory.

Blood, Marion— After graduating from Central High, Blood worked as a draftswoman for Kenneth Welch who encouraged her to pursue an architectural degree. She graduated from the University of Michigan’s architecture program in 1924 and received the coveted Booth Graduate Fellowship for six months of European travel, and designed upscale homes for architect Alexander McColl. After becoming a registered architect in 1932, she taught women home design for the Putnam School at the YWCA, and worked in defense weapon design during World War II at the General Motors Company. In 1943, Blood was a process engineer on glider contracts for the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company in Muskegon, designing homes and building additions on the side. In 1947, she worked in Youngstown, Ohio for Glancy & Carle as a structural draftsman, and from 1949-1952 taught architectural, structural and mechanical drafting to veterans. In 1952, Blood became an engineering detailer on the Mackinac Bridge project for the American Bridge Company Division of the U.S. Steel Company in Pittsburgh, as well as the Hudson River’s Tappan Zee Bridge (replaced in 2017). Blood joined the Society of Women Engineers, formed in 1950. She died in 1990.

Bower, Paul (see WBDC).

Boylon, Fannie—Boylon Builders. Fannie Boylon wasa self-trained architect who started renovating homes with her husband, Fred Boylon, after he sustained a job injury. They founded Boylon Builders and Fannie designed more than 1,200 homes, known for their efficiency and convenience, ranging in price from $3,000 to $20,000. Many Boylon-built achieved Red Seal electrical certification from the Grand Rapids Electrical Club. Fred and their son Tom died in a tragic 1933 automobile crash, and over 2,500 persons, including the governor, attended the funeral at St. Andrew's Cathedral. Fannie retired after completing the work in progress.

Erhard Brielmaier & Sons—Erhard Brielmaier (1841-1917) & Sons Architects provided the design to rebuild the Cathedral at St. Andrews after the 1901 fire. With offices in Milwaukee and Chicago, the firm's work includes over 1,000 Canadian and American catholic churches, including Milwaukee's Basilica of St. Josaphat, based on the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome.

Bunshaft, Gordon—Pritzker Prize-winning principal architect with SOM|Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Bunshaft is known for sleek modern towers with smooth glass facades. Work includes the Lever House, Yale's Beinecke Rare Book Library, and Washington's Hirschhorn Museum/Library.

Burnham, Daniel —Chicago architect and urban planner, Burnham's (1846-1912) work includes the NYC Flat Iron Building, London's Selfridges Department Store, and the "White City," 1892-93 Columbian Exposition.

Campau, Antoine —Campau (1878-1963) a junior partner with W.G. and F.S. Robinson in 1905, was a full partner in Robinson & Campau. An MIT graduate, he studied in Paris in the Atelier Lalou and was the great-grandnephew of Antoine Campau, fur trader, and brother of Louis Campau.

Carson, Lundin & Shaw—This New York firm, showcased in a 1979 MOMA Exhibition, was formed in 1941 by Robert Carson (1906–1960) and Earl H. Lundin (1902-1976).

Chappell, William —-Chappell was a partner in the Canadian firm Chappell & Company Architects & Builders. Their work includes buildings throughout Nova Scotia and Cape Breton. William and architect-son Melbourne Chappell are known for their 40-year search for treasure on Oak Island (Curse of Oak Island History Channel series).

Clarke, William M.—Clarke (1872-1953), architect of Grand Rapids English Tudor Homes after a driving tour through England. Clarke's Grand Rapids work includes the Metz Building. He moved to Los Angeles and became a noted Architectural Digest photographer. Look for pieces of the Metz Building's polychromatic terra-cotta trim on the St. Cecilia Building.

Cobb, Henry Ives—Massachusetts-born Chicago architect Henry Ives Cobb (1859-1931) studied with renowned Chicago acoustical engineer Dankmar Adler. His work with partner Charles Sumner Frost (1856-1931) includes Lake Forest College and University of Chicago campus buildings, the Chicago Federal Building, and the Newberry Library.

Colton & Knecht —Formed in 1921 by Harry Colton (1887-1974) and Frederick Knecht (1898-1985). The firm's work included the Electric Service Building, Graceland Mausoleum, and Rosedale Memorial Park. Later, Colton was Chief Underwriter, Federal Housing Administration. Knecht later formed Knecht, McCarty, and Thebaud and worked on the 1937 Gas House.

Coolidge & Hodgdon—Founded by Charles Allerton Coolidge (1858-1936) and Charles A. Hodgdon (1966-1953), the firm was the successor to Chicago's Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge, which inherited the work of celebrated architect Henry Hobson Richardson. Coolidge & Hodgdon's work includes the design of many important University of Nebraska campus buildings.

Clark Construction —Leon Clark founded the Lansing family firm after converting General Motors World War II production facilities into automobile factories.

Clarke, William M.—Clarke (1872-1953), architect of Grand Rapids English Tudor Homes after a driving tour through England. Clarke's Grand Rapids work includes the Metz Building. He moved to Los Angeles and became a noted Architectural Digest photographer. Look for pieces of the Metz Building's polychromatic terra-cotta trim on the St. Cecilia Building.

J. &. G. Daverman/Daverman Associates —Daverman Associates was founded in 1903 as J. & G. Daverman by Dutch immigrant Johannes Daverman (1852-1944) and his son George Daverman (1887-1954). They designed homes and commercial buildings and specialized in Christian Reformed churches. Examples include the West Leonard and Neland Avenue Churches, the First Christian Reformed Church in Fremont, and the recently renovated Kalamazoo Grace Christian Reformed Church. George's sons Herbert George Daverman (1913-1990) and Joseph Daverman (1912-1999), became the next-generation firm's principal architects. They recruited their engineer cousins, Robert James (1912-2003) and Edward Herman Daverman (1915-2002), also University of Michigan graduates. Their collective architectural and engineering expertise leveraged the post-World War II building boom and cultivated close connections with Congressman Gerald R. Ford. Work included the Kent County Airport. As the Daverman firm expanded, its revenues grew from $2.5 million in 1945 to $78 million in 1960. Urban renewal projects included the Old Kent Bank Building, the State of Michigan Building, and the Calder Plaza Building. Projects in other states grew, and Daverman completed University of Wisconsin campus plans and shopping malls nationwide like San Antonio's North Star Mall in addition to the hometown Woodland Mall. Grand Rapids buildings included the Bissell factory and the Grand Rapids Osteopathic Hospital.The Daverman firm's international growth included the Montego Bay, Jamaica Holiday Inn project, a Korean hospital for abandoned babies, and Saudia Arabian vocational schools. Systems Planning Corporation purchased the Daverman firm in 1971. Greiner absorbed the firm in 1987, and in 1995, Greiner became URS Greiner.

DeKoning, A.G.—The work of this Kalamazoo building company includes Kalamazoo Schools and Michigan Bell Telephone Buildings.

Demmon Ralph— Demmon (1894-1978), son of a Union High School English teacher, was a World War I aerial photographer and an associate architect with Osgood & Osgood. He then formed a solo architectural practice, becoming a sought-after architect of upscale homes.

DesignPlus—Founded in 1979, the company merged with Progressive AE in 2012. Work includes the EQ3 Furniture Store, US Signal, Anheuser Busch Icehouse, Abram Pike House renovations, and the Downtown Market and GVSU-Pew Campus masterplan. The firm received the 2001 Masonry Institute award for the distinctive GVSU campus brickwork.

DeWinter, Marvin —Dewinter AIA (1932—) started his solo practice in 1962, formed Marvin DeWinter Associates in 1964, and won an AIA award for the Amway Grand Plaza glass tower. He is best known for his design of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, and his work also includes the Gaslight Village Jacobson's Store and Grand Rapids Gravel Company on 28th Street.

Dow, Alden —Dow (1904-1983), son of Dow Chemical founder Herbert Dow was a Columbia University architecture graduate and Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin apprentice with his wife, Vada. Dow's fine collection of mid-century modern Midland homes and buildings includes the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio, considered one of the "Top 25 Historic Homes in America."

Esser, T.C. — Self-trained Milwaukee painter, Theodore Clemens Esser, founded the T.C. Esser Company in 1893 to distribute paint, plate glass, and stained glass. Esser designed the Gift of the Magi window at St. Mark's Church and windows for churches in Milwaukee and Marquette, Michigan's St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

Fuller Construction —This Chicago firm, founded by architect C.E. Clark and Boston engineer George A. Fuller, built over 600 structures, including early skyscrapers like Holabird & Roche’s Tacoma Building and Daniel Burnham’s New York Flatiron Building.

Bayard K. Gibson —Chicago architect Gibson (1892-?) specialized in hotel design and built a near-twin to the Rowe Hotel, the 12-story 1928 Karcher Hotel in Waukegan, Illinois, listed in 1994 on the National Register of Historic Places.

Gilleo, M. (Myrtle) Louise—(1899-1989) designed elegant period-style homes in Ottawa Hills and East Grand Rapids. Her father, Clarence Gilleo, was the head of the Grand Rapids Herald printing plant. Louise attended Union High School, Western State Normal College (Western Michigan University), and served as a draftswoman at the Furniture Temple in 1920. From 1921-1923, she worked for architect Alexander McColl and then was staff architect for Blakeslee Brothers Builders. Between 1929 and 1932, the Ladies Home Journal featured Gilleo's home plans. According to the Tampa Times, in 1925, Louise designed cast-stone architectural ornamentation for homes and schools at a Florida firm. In 1929, she married Benjamin Sharpe and moved permanently to Tampa.

Grady, John —Grady (1834-1904) was the architect of the Cathedral at St. Andrews, the Ledyard, the Aldrich Block, and St. James Church on Bridge Street. He served as the City’s Superintendent of the Poor and as a city alderman. He sustained permanent injuries in a fall from construction scaffolding at the Cathedral at St. Andrews.

Benjamin William Hertel —Hertel served as the in-house architect at Owen-Ames-Kimball. Hertel served on the Architects Civic Design Group, developing plans to meet future city challenges.

Hoertz, Charles & Brothers (& Sons) —Founded in 1890 by Charles Hoertz (1863-1935), they were contractors for Engine House #1, New Hotel Mertens, the Brown & Sehler Building, and the Anheuser Busch Icehouse.

Holabird & Roche—Founded in 1880 by Chicago architects William Holabird (1854-1923) and Martin Roche (1853-1927), works include the Marquette Building, Chicago City Hall/County Building, University Club, and Palmer House.

Hopkins, David —An early Grand Rapids architect, David Hopkins (1834-1918) came to Grand Rapids in 1868 as a master carpenter and worked with Sydney Osgood on Westminster Presbyterian Church in 1885. After designing the 1889 Victorian mansions of Muskegon Lumberman Charles Hackley, and partner Thomas Hume, Hopkins founded a successful mail-order house plan company.

Henry Jackson— Henry Jackson AIA (1890-1962) formed Vickers & Jackson in 1922 and designed the Flanagan Building. Later Jackson worked as an architect for the NYC Dept. of Public Works.

E. John Knapp (see O’Bryon & Knapp)

Lindholm, Pierre — Belgium-born architect Pierre Lindholm (1891-1940) designed the second Corl & Knott Building, Wealthy Street Theatre, and historic revival homes in the Ottawa Hills neighborhood.

MacWhirter Engineering and Construction— A engineer with Bell Aircraft of Buffalo and associated with Grand Rapids Industries post-World War II development of a civilian aircraft called Skyrider, MacWhirter was also a contractor of city homes and buildings.

Mead, Harry FAIA —Architect/Engineer Mead (1883-1965) specializing industrial educational, institutional, and religious buildings including the Loyal Order of the Moose Building, St. James, Sacred Heart, and St. Adelbert schools, the Ionia Ypsilanti-Reed Furniture Factory, Michigan Soldiers Home Women’s Annex, and St. Mary’s Hospital south and east wings. During the Depression years, Mead personally kept the Grand Rapids AIA chapter afloat.

Minnhaar, Gretchen —Argentinian-born architect, Gretchen Minnhaar AIA (1957-2018), was a partner at the Marvin DeWinter Associates firm—see DeWinter for buildings including in Grand Rapids Downtown Buildings. Minnhaar was a city planner and became an internationally-known painter with paintings in galleries worldwide. She co-founded the Grand Rapids Chirosquaro International Film Festival.

Myers, Elijah —Myers (1832-1909) designed the 1888 Grand Rapids City Hall and the Texas, Colorado, and Michigan State Capitol buildings.

McLaughlin, Wilifred AIA — McLaughlin AIA (1892-1960) worked for Thomas Benjamin & Sons and partnered with Adrian Benjamin as Benjamin & McLaughlin. Works include the Davenport Institute Building, the Eberhardt Home (gone), homes in the Ottawa Hills neighborhood, and the Lake Michigan Palomita estate of Rapistan founder John Sebastian.

O’Bryon & Knapp —Obryon & Knapp was founded in 1952 by Belding High school friends Charles O’Bryon AIA (1910-1988) and E. John Knapp AIA (1916-2017). They served as associate architects on the 1969 SOM-designed City-County Administration Building and the 1952 Eric Mendelsohn-designed Temple Emanuel. Previously Knapp worked for the Eero Saarinen Office and Smith and Hinchman & Grylls firm in Detroit, including on the General Motors Technical Center construction. O’Bryon & Knapp designed mid-century commercial buildings, custom homes, and over 300 developer homes for Albert Builders.

Oltman, L.P. —Grand Rapids Builder Oltman was the President of the Building Contractors Association in 1914. He built the Monument Square Building (Grand Rapids Children’s Museum) and 62 Commerce.

Osgood, Sydney J. FAIA After sailing around the world with an uncle, learning church building from his father, and studying architecture in Boston, Syndey J. Osgood (1845-1935) moved to Grand Rapids from Ellsworth, Maine, in 1875. His first major solo commission was the 1889 Kent County Courthouse (gone) and others like the Muskegon and Mason County courthouses. Osgood built wood frame churches for the Dutch immigrant community with Victorian-era details. A member of the Michigan Society of Architects, Sidney was a friend of architects Daniel Burnham and Louis Sullivan.

Osgood & Osgood —In 1903, Sidney J. Osgood (above) and son Sidney Eugene (Gene) Osgood (1880-1952), a recent Cornell graduate, partnered as Osgsfood & Osgood. Works included Masonic Temples in Manistee, Muskegon, Battle Creek, Adrian, and Canton and a Masonic Homes in Rochester, New York, and Providence, Rhode Island. Osgood & Osgood were consultants on the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia.

Osterink & Vos Company —Ernest A. Vos was the contractor for the U.S. Post Office/Aveda Institute. Works include the Michigan Street and Eastern Avenue branches of Grand Rapids National Bank, Engine House #10, the Minor Pie Company, and Studio 28 multi-screen theater (demolished).

Owen-Ames-Kimball (O-A-K) Still active —Engineers Edwin Owen, Charles Hauser, George Ames and William Owens founded the company first as Hauser, Hayden & Owen Company. In 1917, ten years after Daniel Kimball joined in 1907, it was renamed Owen-Ames-Kimball (O-A-K). Works include a World War I munitions plant town, and during World War II, over $20 million in army contracts for barracks and buildings, including Fort Custer in Battle Creek. Post-World War II work includes the Lake Michigan Pipeline and Pumping Station, Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, and current projects nationwide.

Parducci, Corrado —Parducci immigrated to the United States with his family at age 4, and by the age of 15, he was working for the best architectural sculpture firms in the city. Albert Kahn recruited Parduicci to work on some of the 1920s most significant Detroit buildings, such as the Guardian Building, the Masonic Temple, and the Fisher Building. In Grand Rapids, Parducci designed architectural sculptures for the 77 Monroe Center Building and the Civic Auditorium. Parducci fans formed the Michigan Parducci Society in 2012.

Paris, Francklyn —Paris (1871-1954) and Frederick Wiley designed stained-glass windows for Park Church and Fountain Street Church, setting up a studio in Chartres, France, to study medieval glass techniques. Paris designed architectural ornamentation for Missouri, Minnesota, and West Virginia State Capitol buildings.

Rindge & Rindge —Founded by brothers Warren L. Rindge (1891-1972) and W. Kenneth Rindge (1898-1933), work included Park Church and St. Cecilia renovations, custom homes, and oversight of the Michigan Society of Architects' Mackinac Island Biddle House restoration.

Robinson, William G. —Canadian-born Robinson (1845-1907) first worked with Reuben Wheeler and Frank Barnaby after moving o Grand Rapids. In 1872, Robinson established a solo practice and work included the Castle and the Voight House.

Robinson (W.G.) & Robinson (F.S.) —William Robinson partnered as Robinson & Robinson with son Frederick Sloan Robinson, a Cornell graduate from 1897 to 1906.

Robinson, Frederick Sloan, (see Robinson & Robinson/Robinson & Campau)

Robinson & Campau —After William G. Robinson’s 1907 death, Frederick Sloan Robinson (1870-1931) partnered with Antoine Campau as Robinson & Campau. Crowe eventually became a partner, making it Robinson, Campau & Crowe. Work includes the above plus the James Street African Methodist Church, Central High, South High, and Union High Schools, and the 1926 Butterworth Hospital Building.

Rosema & Top —Founded in 1887 by Dutch immigrant Nanco Rosema (1860-1941), Rosema & Top General Contractors & Builders added contractor Jacob Top (1883-1967) as a partner during the Kelsey Building construction.

Rowland, Wirt—Wirt Rowland (1878-1946) was the lead architect at Smith, Hinchman & Grylls/SHR when he designed the Grand Rapids Trust Company Building/77 Monroe and the Michigan Bell Telephone Building. Rowland’s work includes Detroit’s famous Art-Deco Guardian Building and Penobscot Building. Rowland worked with Detroit architects Albert Kahn and George Mason.

A. W. Rush & Co.—Founded by civil engineer Amos William Rush (1844-1923) & Son Edwin (1867-?), work included the Botsford Building in the Civic Theatre complex, the Waldron Building, the Thomas Friant House, and Indiana’s Fulton, Rush, and Pulaski County Courthouses. Rush completed the Muskegon Union Depot initially awarded to Sydney Osgood. Moving to Oklahoma, they formed the Tulsa firm Rush, Endicott & Rush, and work includes the Oklahoma Atlas Life Building, Tulsa Municipal Building, and First National Bank.

Shattuck & Hussey—Founded by Walter F. Shattuck (1871-1948) and Canadian-born Harry Henry Hussey (1882-1967), the firm consulted on the 1916 Grand Rapids YMCA, a designed the 1918 Hong Kong YMCA, 1919 Minneapolis YMCA, and 1911 Nashville YMCA, listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings.

Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge —Founded by George Shepley (1860-1903), Charles Rutan (1851-1914), and Charles Coolidge (1858-1936), the work includes the unfinished Henry Hobbs Richardson’s projects, Stanford University Campus, and Chicago Public Library, Performing Arts and Sciences, Dallas Holocaust & Human Rights Museum, and Cincinnati Music Hall.

Skidmore, Owings, Merrill (SOM) — Louis Skidmore (1897-1962), Nathaniel Owings (1903-1984), and John Merrill (1896-1985) founded SOM in Chicago in 1936. The firm designed many famous tall buildings, including the Sears Tower, John Hancock Center in Chicago, Dubai's Burj Khalifa (considered the world's tallest building at 2717 feet), and New York's Manhattan Building.

Smith, Hinchman & Grylls (SHG) now Smith Group — Founded in 1907 by Fred Louis Smith (1862-1941) and H. J. Maxwell Grylls (1865-1942) and engineer T. H. Hinchman Jr.(1869-1936), work also includes the Detroit Ford Piquette Plant, McNamara Detroit Airport Terminal, Detroit Country Club, the Martha Dodge estate, Meadowbrook Hall in Rochester, and the Detroit Public Library. As Smith Group, the firm designed the MSU Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building.

George L. Stone —Stone (1858-1942) designed the Nichols & Cox Lumber Company Offices, Lenox Apartments, Trenton Apartments, and the Stone Hills Estate.

James K. Taylor— U. S. Treasury Department supervising architect Taylor (1857 - 1921) taught at MIT from 1912 to 1914. He was responsible for designing hundreds of United States federal buildings completed from 1897 to 1912.

Tiffany Studios —Tiffany Studios was made famous for its iconic jewelry, blown-glass vases, leaded glass windows, and pottery by its president and art director, Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of Charles Lewis Tiffany. Tiffany Studios designed stained glass windows for Park Church, First Church, Ladies Literary Club, and St. Cecilia Music Society.

Welch, Kenneth —Architect Kenneth Welch was an early city planner, a nationally-known shopping mall designer, and the owner of the Welch-Wilmarth Company, which merged with the Grand Rapids Showcase Company and specialized in office interiors. At one time, it was one of the largest office equipment companies in the nation.

Western Construction Co.—Detroit contractor.

Reuben Wheeler —After some design studies in Chicago, Wheeler joined his brother in 1855 in Grand Rapids. The brother was a plasterer and a mason. Wheeler (1815-1889) was considered a master builder and designed several Monroe Center Italianate commercial buildings. He operated a successful building materials manufacturing company in Grand Rapids.

Willet Studios —Willet Studios, founded by William Willet (1869-1921) in 1898, was the first influential American stained-glass workshop to design and fabricate faceted glass windows. Willet Studios' first major commission was the West Point Military Academy Cadet Chapel.

Williamson & Crow — Founded by William Williamson AIA (1851-1907) and Henry Crow (1873-1926), the firm later added partner William Proctor (1873-1952). Work included the Monroe Avenue City Electric and Pumping Station, Scribner Avenue Car Barns, and Palatine Building on Division. Williamson designed Dudley Water’s Oak Hill Cemetery mausoleum based on the Greek Temple of Athena Nike.

Wold & Bowers (WBCD)—Founded in 1960 in Grand Rapids by Paul Bowers (1931-2018) FAIA and Robert Lee Wold (1931-2000) FAIA, the firm expanded and reorganized as Wold, Bowers, DuShane, and Covert (WBDC) and is credited with 2,000 plus projects including the Steelcase Pyramid. Robert Lee Wold & Associates opened in 1977 and won a Michigan AIA Gold Medal for the Mutual Home Building.

Colonel J. W. Wood —An opera house and theater architect, Wood (1841-1907) designed over 100 theaters, including Jefferson Theater in Goshen, Indiana, Riverside California Opera House, Wood’s Theatre in Bay City, Michigan, and the Opera House at the Saxon Theater in Boston.