Vonnegut & Bohn

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Vonnegut & Bohn
Athenaeum-noon-TM.jpg
Athenæum (Das Deutsche Haus), Indianapolis, Indiana
Practice information
Partners Bernard Vonnegut Sr.
Arthur Bohn
Founded1888
Location Indianapolis, Indiana
Bernard Vonnegut Sr., FAIA, photographed in 1884 Bernard Vonnegut 1884.jpg
Bernard Vonnegut Sr., FAIA, photographed in 1884
Student Building (right), Indiana University at Bloomington StudentBuilding IUBloomington.jpg
Student Building (right), Indiana University at Bloomington

Vonnegut & Bohn was an architectural firm in Indianapolis, Indiana in the United States.

Contents

Founded in 1888 by Bernard Vonnegut Sr., FAIA (1855–1908) and Arthur Bohn (b. 1861), [1] all the partners were German Americans and were trained in both American and German architectural academies, which gave their works a distinct German influence. The firm was responsible for many public, institutional, commercial, religious and residential buildings throughout Indiana, particularly in Indianapolis. [2]

Bernard Vonnegut died in 1908. In 1910, Vonnegut's son, Kurt Vonnegut Sr. (1884–1957), returned from studying in Germany and became a principal in the firm. Later, Mueller joined as a partner and the firm was renamed Vonnegut, Bohn & Mueller Architects. Arthur Bohn retired in the 1940s. [1]

In 1946, Kurt Vonnegut Sr. merged the firm with George Caleb Wright (b. April 25, 1889) of Pierre & Wright and Ralph Oscar Yeager (b. August 16, 1892) of Miller & Yeager (of Terre Haute, Indiana) forming Vonnegut, Wright & Yeager, which was located at 1126 Hume Mansur Building, Indianapolis, Indiana and 402 Opera House Building, Terre Haute, Indiana. [3]

Kurt Vonnegut Sr. was the father of author Kurt Vonnegut Jr., and is referred to, with the rest of the author's family, in many of his books.

Works by Vonnegut, Bohn & Mueller Architects

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South Side Turnverein Hall is a historic social club and gymnasium in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood of Indianapolis, Indiana, affiliated with the city's German-American community. It was built in 1900 by prominent architects Vonnegut & Bohn, whose managing partners Bernard Vonnegut, Sr. and Arthur Bohn were members of the burgeoning German-American community in Indianapolis. The architects were also known for designing the Athenæum, another German-American social club in the city. The South Side Turnverein was an important gathering place for Indianapolis' south side German community until its decline in the 1940s. It was sold to investors in 1978 to be used as an athletic club.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Vonnegut and Bohn Architectural Renderings, 1896, 1911" (PDF). Indiana Historical Society. 2007. Retrieved 2012-11-05.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 archINFORM Bernard Vonnegut
  3. 1 2 "Questionnaire for Architects’ Roster and/or Register of Architects Qualified for Federal Public Works" Archived 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine June 13, 1946.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Biographical on Kurt Vonnegut, Sr." Archived 2011-04-11 at the Wayback Machine Lake Maxinkuckee Its Intrigue History & Genealogy; Culver, Marshall, Indiana
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Vonnegut and Bohn Architectural Records". Drawings and Documents Archives. Ball State University Libraries.