Proudfoot & Bird

Last updated
The Polk County Courthouse in Des Moines, designed by Proudfoot & Bird beginning in 1900 and built from 1902 to 1906. Polk County Courthouse; Des Moines, Iowa; July 2, 2013.JPG
The Polk County Courthouse in Des Moines, designed by Proudfoot & Bird beginning in 1900 and built from 1902 to 1906.

Proudfoot & Bird was an American architectural firm that designed many buildings throughout the Midwest region of the United States. Originally established in 1882, it remains active through its several successors, and since 2017 has been known as BBS Architects | Engineers.

Contents

History

The firm of Proudfoot & Bird was originally established in Huron, Dakota Territory in 1882 by William Thomas Proudfoot (1860–1928) and George Washington Bird (1854–1950). Though they practiced variously in South Dakota, Kansas, Utah and Iowa, they are best known for their works in Iowa.

William T. Proudfoot (who later went by Willis) was born May 2, 1860, in Indianola, Iowa, to Elias Proudfoot, a carpenter, and Martha Ann (Barnett) Proudfoot. He attended the local schools, and by 1880 was working as a draftsman for William Foster, then the leading architect of Des Moines. George Washington Bird was born September 1, 1854, in New Jersey. His early life or when he came west is unknown, but he was probably educated in Philadelphia. By 1882, he had joined Proudfoot in Foster's office. That same year, the two young architects went northwest to Huron in what is now South Dakota, and first established the firm of Proudfoot & Bird. At that time the Dakota Territory was at the peak of what is referred to as the Great Dakota Boom, when the territory experienced significant investment and population growth. In 1883 the partners relocated to Pierre, though it was not yet the capital. They designed several buildings in Pierre which survive. It was during this time that Proudfoot briefly went east, spending the winter of 1884–85 in the architecture school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After his return in 1885, when the Dakota Boom was beginning to slow, the partners moved south to Wichita, Kansas, then undergoing an even larger boom. They were more successful in Wichita, where they designed the City Hall, the YMCA, several colleges and universities and many homes and businesses. However, by 1890 the boom had collapsed, and in 1891 the partners went even further west to Salt Lake City. [1]

In Salt Lake City the partners formed a partnership with the established local architect Henry Monheim (1824–1893), which was known as Monheim, Bird & Proudfoot. This firm almost immediately won the competition to design the new Salt Lake City and County Building. Monheim died in 1893, and Proudfoot & Bird was reestablished. In addition to the City and County Building, completed in 1894, they designed several homes and other structures in Salt Lake City. In 1895, with the economy in decline, Proudfoot went to Kansas City, and Bird to Philadelphia. [1] In 1896 they returned to Iowa, and reestablished Proudfoot & Bird in Des Moines, where it would remain. [2] In 1898 they won the job to design Schaeffer Hall at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, a project which cemented their reputation in Iowa, and over the next decade became the leading architects in the state. [1]

In 1910 Proudfoot & Bird was merged with the firm of Hallett & Rawson , and became Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson with third partner Harry D. Rawson (1872–1934). [3] In 1913, owing to ill health, George W. Bird retired, [lower-alpha 1] though his name was not removed from that of the firm. [4] In 1925 Proudfoot and Rawson were joined by H. Clark Souers (1888–1970) as partner, and the firm finally dropped Bird's name and became Proudfoot, Rawson & Souers. [1] In 1928 Proudfoot died, [lower-alpha 2] and in 1929 the partnership was further expanded to include Oren Thomas (died 1955), a school specialist, and became Proudfoot, Rawson, Souers & Thomas. [5] [1] In 1932 Souers and Thomas both retired, and J. Woolson Brooks (1897–1982) and Elmer H. Borg (1893–1970), who had joined the firm in 1912 and 1913 respectively, joined the partnership. By this time the Great Depression was well underway and the firm's business was severely reduced. Whereas Souers had invested $50,000 to join the partnership, Brooks and Borg only had to contribute $2,000 each. The new firm was known as Proudfoot, Rawson, Brooks & Borg. When Rawson died in 1934, [lower-alpha 3] Brooks and Borg were the sole partners. [1] Following World War II, in 1945, the firm was renamed Brooks-Borg. [6] In 1966 they were joined by Paul Skiles (1921-1991) as partner, and the firm became Brooks-Borg-Skiles. It kept this name under several changes of leadership until 2017, when it became BBS Architects | Engineers, which it remains in 2022. [7]

Legacy

The former Des Moines Fire Department Headquarters, designed by Proutfoot, Rawson, Brooks & Borg and completed in 1937, is indicative of the firm's embrace of Modern architecture. Former Des Moines Fire Department Headquarters-Fire Station No. 1 and Shop Building.jpeg
The former Des Moines Fire Department Headquarters, designed by Proutfoot, Rawson, Brooks & Borg and completed in 1937, is indicative of the firm's embrace of Modern architecture.

Proudfoot & Bird and their successors were the leading architects in Iowa for several decades. Under its founders the firm had a conservative design philosophy, and worked in the popular Revival styles of the time. Early works were designed in the Italianate or Victorian Gothic styles, before the rise in popularity of the Richardsonian Romanesque in the mid-1880s. The architecture at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 spurred the popularity of Beaux-Arts architecture in the United States, and Proudfoot & Bird followed suit. Though other styles were chosen for other buildings, the Classical architecture of the Beaux-Arts movement was the norm in the firm's work until Proudfoot's death. After this, the surviving members of the firm looked to more modern styles, including the Art Deco, Streamline Moderne and International Style during the Great Depression and lead-up to World War II. [1] After the war, Brooks-Borg embraced Modern architecture, was associated with Eliel Saarinen and Eero Saarinen on several projects, and later designed several Brutalist and Postmodern buildings. [8]

A large number of their pre-war buildings which survive are listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places. [9] Many of these were listed as part of one 1988 study and multiple property submission. [9] [10] In 1988 there were 25 known surviving Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson buildings in Des Moines alone. [10] :10 Their work was also part of the architecture event in the art competition at the 1928 Summer Olympics. [11]

List of works

Notes

  1. Several years after retiring from Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson, Bird relocated to Los Angeles where he lived for the rest of his life. He was apparently attracted there by the movie business, though his later career is unknown. He died there September 7, 1953. [1]
  2. Proudfoot never retired, and worked with the firm until his death, which occurred June 8, 1928. [1]
  3. Harry Dustan Rawson was born September 1, 1872 in Des Moines. He was educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1896. He worked for Joseph Lyman Silsbee in Chicago and George E. Hallett in Des Moines before becoming Hallett's partner in the firm of Hallett & Rawson in 1898. When Hallett retired in 1910, Rawson merged his business with Proudfoot & Bird. He died February 14, 1934. [1]
  4. Originally built for the defunct Garfield University, closed in 1893.
  5. 1 2 3 4 One of the four buildings designed by Proudfoot & Bird and their successors in the Pentacrest, NRHP-listed in 1978.
  6. A contributing property to the Adel Public Square Historic District, NRHP-listed in 2009.
  7. 1 2 A contributing property to the Jefferson Street Historic District, NRHP-listed in 2004.
  8. Originally built for the Elmwood United Presbyterian Church, and acquired by the Greek church in 1930.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Built with funds provided by Andrew Carnegie and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
  10. 1 2 3 A contributing property to the Drake University Campus Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1988.
  11. A contributing property to the Chautauqua Park Historic District, NRHP-listed in 2014.
  12. A contributing property to the Newton Downtown Historic District, NRHP-listed in 2014.
  13. Designed by Proudfoot & Bird in association with Hallett & Rawson, Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen and Wetherell & Gage, all of Des Moines.
  14. A contributing property to the Civic Center Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1988.
  15. A contributing property to the Iowa City Downtown Historic District, NRHP-listed in 2021.
  16. A contributing property to the East Des Moines Commercial Historic District, NRHP-listed in 2019.
  17. 1 2 A contributing property to the Grinnell Historic Commercial District, NRHP-listed in 1991.
  18. Originally owned by junior partner Harry D. Rawson and built as a companion to the Hallett Flats, designed and owned by Rawson's former partner, George E. Hallett. NRHP-listed in 2000 as part of the Hallett Flats–Rawson & Co. Apartment Building.
  19. A contributing property to the Fort Dodge Downtown Historic District, NRHP-listed in 2010.
  20. A contributing property to the Penn College Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1996.
  21. A contributing property to the Iowa State Fair and Exposition Grounds Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1987.
  22. Designed in association with architect Herbert A. Kennison of Dubuque under Acting Supervising Architect James A. Wetmore.
  23. A contributing property to the Cathedral Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1985.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masonic Temple of Des Moines</span> United States historic place

The Masonic Temple of Des Moines is a historic Beaux Arts style building located in Des Moines, Iowa. Constructed in 1913, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wapello County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Wapello County Courthouse in Ottumwa, Iowa, United States, was built in 1894. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration. It is part of the Central Park area, which includes: Ottumwa Public Library, Ottumwa City Hall, and St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Des Moines City Hall</span> Government building in Iowa, U.S.

The Des Moines City Hall is a government building in Des Moines, Iowa, built in 1909 and 1910. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 10, 1977 as the Municipal Building, and became a contributing property in the Civic Center Historic District in 1988. The building serves as the seat for the government of the city of Des Moines. Beginning April 7, 2016, City Hall offices were temporarily relocated while the building underwent renovation. The construction was necessary to install modern heating, cooling, and sprinkler systems while preserving the historic character of the building. The project was expected to take 18–24 months. During that time, City Hall was closed to the public, and City offices moved to other nearby locations. Between February 26, 2018 and April 9, 2018, city offices moved back to City Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallas County Courthouse (Iowa)</span> United States historic place

The Dallas County Courthouse in Adel, Iowa, United States was built in 1902. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and is a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. In 2009 it was included as a contributing property in the Adel Public Square Historic District. The current structure is the fourth building to house court functions and county administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocahontas County Courthouse (Iowa)</span> Historic government building in Iowa, United States

The Pocahontas County Courthouse located in Pocahontas, Iowa, United States, was built in 1923. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottumwa Public Library</span> United States historic place

Ottumwa Public Library is a public library located in downtown Ottumwa, Iowa, United States. The current building was built in 1902. It is part of the Central Park area, which is the civic center of the community. It includes the Wapello County Courthouse, Ottumwa City Hall, and St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church. The library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen</span>

Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen was an architectural firm in the U.S. state of Iowa. They designed Kromer Flats built in 1905. It designed courthouses, commercial buildings, and residences. Several are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keene & Simpson</span> American architectural firm

Keene & Simpson was an American architectural firm based in Kansas City, Missouri, and in practice from 1909 until 1980. The named partners were architects Arthur Samuel Keene FAIA (1875–1966) and Leslie Butler Simpson AIA (1885–1961). In 1955 it became Keene & Simpson & Murphy with the addition of John Thomas Murphy FAIA (1913–1999), who managed the firm until his retirement in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank E. Wetherell</span> American architect

Frank E. Wetherell was an American architect in the Midwest U.S. state of Iowa who was active from 1892 to 1931. Frank Wetherell was educated in the Oskaloosa, Iowa schools, and went on to Iowa City where he first studied civil engineering at the State University of Iowa, then changed to the field of architecture. It appears that he began his professional career in Oskaloosa in 1892, at the age of twenty-two. Following his marriage in 1894 to Amy Loosley, the couple moved to Peoria, Illinois, where Frank practiced for four years there before returning to Oskaloosa. The earliest architectural Frank Wetherell commission known in Oskaloosa is the renovation of the N.B. Weeks residence at 407 A Avenue East in 1894. Frank Wetherell founded the second oldest architectural firm in the state in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1905. He worked with Roland Harrison in partnership Wetherell & Harrison. The firm designed numerous Masonic buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hallett & Rawson</span>

Hallett & Rawson was an architectural partnership in Iowa. George E. Hallett and Harry Rawson were partners. BBS Architects | Engineers is the continuing, successor firm; its archives hold plans of the original Hallett & Rawson firm. Works by the individual architects and the firm include a number that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hallett Flats–Rawson & Co. Apartment Building</span> United States historic place

The Hallett Flats–Rawson & Co. Apartment Building at 1301–1307 Locust St. in Des Moines, Iowa is a pair of abutting buildings. The Hallett Flats building, at 1305–1307 Locust St., is a three-story building designed by architect George E. Hallett and was built in 1904. It has also been known as Hallett Apartments. The Rawson & Co. Apartment Building, a four-story building designed by Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson, was built in 1915 in such a way that the two would function as one building. It has also been known as Arlington Apartments. The combination was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. The listing included two contributing buildings and one other contributing structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmond Jacques Eckel</span> American architect

Edmond J. Eckel was an architect in practice in St. Joseph, Missouri, from 1872 until his death in 1934. In 1880 he was the founder of Eckel & Mann, later Eckel & Aldrich and Brunner & Brunner, which was the oldest architectural firm in Missouri prior to its eventual dissolution in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallace L. Dow</span> American architect

Wallace L. Dow (1844-1911), often known as W. L. Dow, was an architect of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He has been referred to as the "Builder on the Prairie" and was "considered the premier architect of South Dakota in the late 19th century."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Foster (Iowa architect)</span> American architect

William Foster was an architect in Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Monheim</span> American architect

Henry Monheim (1824—1893) was an American architect who was one of the first "Gentile" (non-Mormon) architects practicing in Salt Lake City, Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grinnell Herald Building</span> United States historic place

The Grinnell Herald Building is a historic structure located in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. The Herald was established in 1869 with the Rev. J. M. Hillyer as the first editor. Lowrie Frisbie began his 50-year tenure as its editor in the early 20th-century. In its early years the newspaper was housed in numerous buildings in the city's central business district. Its owners put up this Neoclassical brick building in 1916. It was designed by the prominent Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson. The same year the Herald's competitor, the Grinnell Register, erected their own building. The two newspapers merged in 1936 to form the Grinnell Herald-Register. They choose this building to house their operations, and it continues to do so. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Register and Tribune Building</span> United States historic place and apartment complex

The Register and Tribune Building is a historic commercial building at 715 Locust Street in Des Moines, Iowa. Built in 1918, it served as home to The Des Moines Register, one of Iowa's leading newspapers, until about 2000, when the presses were moved to another building, and 2013, when the Register's owner, the Gannett Corporation, moved out in 2013. It was designed by one of Iowa's leading architectural firms, Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson, with later additions by equally prominent firms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colonials Club House</span> Historic house in Ames, Iowa, US

The Colonials Club House, also known as the Beta Deuteron Charge House of Theta Delta Chi, is a historic building located in Ames, Iowa, United States. The building was significant in the development of the city's Fourth Ward. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John P. Eisentraut</span> American architect

John P. Eisentraut (1870-1958) was an American architect most closely associated with South Dakota. Eisentraut designed a number of buildings, including Carnegie libraries and courthouses, several of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He was one of South Dakota's leading architects during the first quarter of the twentieth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iowa City Downtown Historic District</span> Historic district in Iowa, United States

The Iowa City Downtown Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 102 resources, which included 73 contributing buildings, one contributing site, one contributing object, 21 non-contributing buildings, and seven non-contributing objects. Eight buildings that were previously listed on the National Register are also included in the district. Iowa City's central business district developed adjacent to the Iowa Old Capitol Building and the main campus of the University of Iowa. This juxtaposition gives the area its energy with the overlap of university staff and students and the local community. The district was significantly altered in the 1970s by the city's urban renewal effort that brought about the Ped Mall, which transformed two blocks of College Street from Clinton Street to Linn Street and Dubuque Street from Burlington Street to Washington Street. It is the contributing site and the large planters/retaining walls that are original to the project are counted together as the contributing object. There are also several freestanding, limestone planters, five contemporary sculptures, and a playground area are the non-contributing objects.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Barbara Beving Long (November 23, 1988). "Architectural Legacy of Proudfoot & Bird in Iowa MPS".
  2. "Personal" in Architecture and Building 24, no. 4 (January 25, 1896): 48.
  3. "Personal and General" in Improvement Bulletin 40, no. 7 (January 15, 1910): 20.
  4. "Trade Notes" in Western Contractor 24, no. 640 (April 16, 1913): 41.
  5. "Personals" in American Architect 135, no. 2563 (February 20, 1929): 18.
  6. "Brooks Borg Skiles". Iowa Architectural Foundation. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  7. "Our Firm | BBS Architects Engineers". www.bbsae.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  8. Firm History, BBS Architects | Engineers.
  9. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  10. 1 2 Barbara Beving Long and Ralph J. Christian (November 23, 1988). "Architectural Legacy of Proudfoot & Bird in Iowa MPS".
  11. 1 2 "Proudfoot, Rawson & Souers". Olympedia. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Inland Architect and Building News 4, no. 4 (November, 1884): 9.
  13. University Hall, Friends University NRHP Registration Form (1971)
  14. Hillside Cottage NRHP Registration Form (1976)
  15. Riverside Cottage NRHP Registration Form (1989)
  16. Scottish Rite Temple NRHP Registration Form (1972)
  17. Bethel College Administration Building NRHP Registration Form (1972)
  18. Fairmount Cottage NRHP Registration Form (1985)
  19. Science Hall NRHP Registration Form (1991)
  20. McCormick School NRHP Registration Form (1978)
  21. Wichita City Hall NRHP Registration Form (1971)
  22. Salt Lake City and County Building NRHP Registration Form (1970)
  23. Best-Cannon House NRHP Registration Form (1980)
  24. 1 2 3 4 Pentacrest NRHP Registration Form (1978)
  25. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church NRHP Registration Form (1978)
  26. Dallas County Courthouse NRHP Registration Form (1973)
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 David Gebhard and Gerald Mansheim, Buildings of Iowa (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993)
  28. Seven Oaks NRHP Registration Form (1996)
  29. Polk County Courthouse NRHP Registration Form (1979)
  30. 1 2 Jefferson Street Historic District NRHP Registration Form (2004)
  31. Alumni Hall NRHP Registration Form (1978)
  32. 1 2 3 Architecture, Iowa State University Memorial Union.
  33. First Methodist Episcopal Church NRHP Registration Form (1984)
  34. Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George NRHP Registration Form (1997)
  35. 1 2 3 Drake University Campus Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1988)
  36. Champlin Memorial Masonic Temple NRHP Registration Form (1990)
  37. Chautauqua Park Historic District NRHP Registration Form (2014)
  38. Norman Apartment Building NRHP Registration Form (1988)
  39. August H. Bergman House NRHP Registration Form (1989)
  40. Jasper County Courthouse NRHP Registration Form (1981)
  41. Warfield, Pratt and Howell Company Warehouse NRHP Registration Form (1985)
  42. Colonials Club House NRHP Registration Form (2012)
  43. Municipal Building NRHP Registration Form (1977)
  44. Aububon Public Library, Carnegie Libraries in Iowa Project.
  45. Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church NRHP Registration Form (1998)
  46. Colfax Public Library, Carnegie Libraries in Iowa Project.
  47. Herring Motor Car Company Building NRHP Registration Form (2004)
  48. Johnson County Savings Bank NRHP Registration Form (2017)
  49. Sac City Public Library, Carnegie Libraries in Iowa Project.
  50. Teachout Building NRHP Registration Form (1999)
  51. Hawkeye Insurance Company Building NRHP Registration Form (1986)
  52. Hubbell Building NRHP Registration Form (2004)
  53. Masonic Temple of Des Moines NRHP Registration Form (1997)
  54. Grinnell Commercial Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1991)
  55. Hallett Flats–Rawson & Co. Apartment Building NRHP Registration Form (2000)
  56. First National Bank NRHP Registration Form (1989)
  57. Fort Dodge Downtown Historic District NRHP Registration Form (2010)
  58. Grinnell Herald Building NRHP Registration Form (1991)
  59. Hotel Ottumwa NRHP Registration Form (2012)
  60. Northwestern Hotel NRHP Registration Form (1984)
  61. D. S. Chamberlain Building NRHP Registration Form (2007)
  62. Greene County Courthouse NRHP Registration Form (1978)
  63. Hotel Fort Des Moines NRHP Registration Form (1982)
  64. Corydon Public Library, Carnegie Libraries in Iowa Project.
  65. John H. Herman House NRHP Registration Form (1989)
  66. Lake City Community Memorial Building NRHP Registration Form (1990)
  67. Apperson Iowa Motor Car Company Building NRHP Registration Form (2016)
  68. Equitable Building NRHP Registration Form (2015)
  69. Abraham Lincoln High School NRHP Registration Form (2002)
  70. Theodore Roosevelt High School NRHP Registration Form (2002)
  71. Penn College Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1996)
  72. Pocahontas County Courthouse NRHP Registration Form (1981)
  73. Fish and Game Pavilion and Aquarium NRHP Registration Form (1991)
  74. Christian Petersen Courtyard Sculptures, and Dairy Industry Building NRHP Registration Form (1987)
  75. Des Moines Building NRHP Registration Form (2013)
  76. Iowa-Des Moines National Bank Building NRHP Registration Form (1979)
  77. David W. Smouse Opportunity School NRHP Registration Form (2002)
  78. Hofmann Building NRHP Registration Form (2010)
  79. St. Paul's Episcopal Church NRHP Registration Form (2010)