Edmond J. Eckel (June 22, 1845 – December 12, 1934) was an architect in practice in

St. Joseph, Missouri St. Joseph is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri. Small parts of St. Joseph extend into Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includ ...

, from 1872 until his death in 1934. In 1880 he was the founder of

Eckel & Mann Eckel may refer to: Surname * Bruce Eckel (author of ''Thinking in Java'' and ''Thinking in C++'') * Horst Eckel Horst Eckel (8 February 1932 – 3 December 2021) was a German footballer. He was part of the West Germany national team that won ...

, later

Eckel & Aldrich Edmond J. Eckel (June 22, 1845 – December 12, 1934) 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, w ...

and Brunner & Brunner, which was the oldest

architectural firm In the United States, an architectural firm or architecture firm is a business that employs one or more licensed architects and practices the profession of architecture; while in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and other countri ...

in Missouri prior to its eventual dissolution in 1999.

Life and career

Edmond Jacques Eckel was born June 22, 1845, in

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, to Jacques Eckel, a manufacturer, and Louise Elizabeth Caroline (Schweighaeuser) Eckel. He was educated at what is now the

Jean Sturm Gymnasium The Jean Sturm Gymnasium (french: Gymnase Jean-Sturm, german: Gymnasium Jean Sturm) is a private Protestant school in Strasbourg, teaching children from the third year of secondary education through to the Baccalaureat. History The school, w ...

and studied architecture under the city architect of Strasbourg."Eckel, Edmond Jacques" in
The National Cyclopedia of American Biography
' 41 (New York: James T. White & Company, 1956): 324-325. In 1863 he moved to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

to continue his education and studied in the Beaux-Arts ateliers of Alexis Paccard and

Léon Vaudoyer Léon Vaudoyer () (7 June 1803 – 9 February 1872) was a French architect. Biography Vaudoyer was born in Paris, the son of architect Antoine Vaudoyer. He was one of the "romantic" Beaux-Arts architects influenced by Saint-Simon and August ...

. He was admitted to the second, or junior, class of the Ecole de Beaux-Arts in 1866 but left without graduating in 1868. Eckel then immigrated to the United States and lived first in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

. In 1869 he decided to move on to

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, but a railroad layover in

St. Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers ...

, about fifty miles north of Kansas City, prompted him to stay and settle. He worked as a

drafter A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman or drafting technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings or plans for m ...

for local architects Patrick F. Meagher and Stigers & Boettner before briefly opening his own office in 1872. He returned to Stigers & Boettner in 1874 as a junior partner and in 1877, upon the retirement of the senior partner, a full partner in Boettner & Eckel.Toni M. Prawl, "Eckel, Edmond Jacques (1845–1934)" in
Dictionary of Missouri Biography
', ed. Lawrence O. Christensen, William E. Foley, Gary R. Kremer and Kenneth H. Winn (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1999): 372-373. In 1880 Boettner and Eckel dissolved their partnership, and Eckel formed a new firm, Eckel & Mann, with George R. Mann, a former employee of Boettner & Eckel. Circa 1888 they were joined by

Harvey Ellis Harvey Ellis (October 17, 1852, Rochester, New York – January 2, 1904, Syracuse, New York) was an architect, perspective renderer, painter and furniture designer. He worked in Rochester, New York; Utica, New York; St. Paul, Minnesota; Minnea ...

, an itinerant designer from

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

. Ellis excerted a large influence on his employers and has been credited with the design of the

German-American Bank Building The German-American Bank Building is a historic bank building located at St. Joseph, Missouri. It was built in 1889, and is a six-story, rectangular brick building designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style with added Beaux-Arts detailin ...

(1889) and had a part in the firm's competition-winning design for the

St. Louis City Hall The St. Louis City Hall was designed by architects Eckel and Mann, the winners of a national competition. Construction began in July 1890 and completed in 1904. Its profile and stylistic characteristics evoke the French Renaissance Hôtel de Vi ...

. Mann and Ellis moved to

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

to manage the project, and Eckel and Mann dissolved their partnership in 1892. Eckel briefly formed the partnership of Eckel & van Brunt with John van Brunt, an architect from Kansas City, but this was dissolved within a few months. Eckel then worked as a sole practitioner until 1908, when he formed the partnership of Eckel & Boschen with Walter Boschen, a young architect from

. This was dissolved in 1910 and Eckel formed another partnership, Eckel & Aldrich, with George R. Eckel, his son, and Will S. Aldrich, a former employee of

McKim, Mead & White McKim, Mead & White was an American architectural firm that came to define architectural practice, urbanism, and the ideals of the American Renaissance in fin de siècle New York. The firm's founding partners Charles Follen McKim (1847–1909), Wil ...

. In 1920 Eckel stepped down as the firm's senior partner, but he remained involved in the firm's projects until his death in 1934. Eckel joined the Western Association of Architects (WAA) in 1885 as a fellow. When the WAA was merged into the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

(AIA) in 1889, Eckel became a

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of the AIA. In 1912 he was a founder of the short-lived St. Joseph Society of Architects and served as its first president.

Personal life

Eckel was married in 1875 to Minnie Louise Schroers in St. Joseph. They had four children: Edmond George Eckel, Minnie Albertine (Eckel) Agnew, Elvie Emilie (Eckel) Forgrave and George Robert Eckel. His home, built in St. Joseph in 1885, was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1980 but has been demolished. He was a member of the Masons, the Elks, the Benton Club and the St. Joseph Country Club. Eckel died December 12, 1934, in St. Joseph at the age of 89.

Legacy

During his career Eckel was the leading architect in St. Joseph and was well-known throughout the state and the region. During a career spanning over sixty years, Eckel was responsible for major works in the electic styles of the

Gilded Age In United States history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1877 to 1900, which was sandwiched between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and Weste ...

. He embraced the revival of

Neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

brought on by the

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordi ...

of 1893 and was thereafter responsible for a number of works informed by his Beaux-Arts education, including the Livestock Exchange Building (1899), the

St. Joseph Public Library St. Joseph Public Library, also known as Free Public Library, Public Museum, Public Library, and Board of Education Building, is a historic library building located at St. Joseph, Missouri. This library has over 9,000 books. It was designed by th ...

(1902) and the St. Joseph City Hall (1927), among others. In 1912 Eckel & Aldrich were the only Missouri architects invited to participate in the second competition to design the

Missouri State Capitol The Missouri State Capitol is the home of the Missouri General Assembly and the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Missouri. Located in Jefferson City at 201 West Capitol Avenue, it is the third capitol to be built in the city. ( ...

, and in 1927 were again the only Missourians invited to participate in a similar competition for the

Milwaukee County Courthouse The Milwaukee County Courthouse is a high-rise municipal building located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Completed in 1931, it is the third county courthouse built in the city and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The two ...

. Eckel's firm outlived his death by over sixty years. Eckel & Aldrich continued under the leadership of Aldrich and the younger Eckel until their deaths in 1947 and 1959, respectively. In 1960 the firm was reorganized as Brunner & Brunner by their associate, Otto Brunner (1896–1974), and his son William A. Brunner (1930–2014). When Brunner & Brunner was dissolved in 1999 it was the oldest

in practice in

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. The firm's assets were acquired by River Bluff Architects, who in 2008 donated Eckel and Brunner's papers to the St. Joseph Museums, where several of Eckel's drawings are exhibited. River Bluff Architects suspended practice and was administratively dissolved by the State of Missouri in 2022.Missouri corporation records A number of Eckel's and the firms' works are listed on the United States

, with various spelling errors.

Architectural works

Stigers, Boettner & Company, 1874–1877

* Christ Episcopal Church, 207 N 7th St,

(1877)St. Joseph's Commerce and Banking Historic District NRHP Registration Form
(2001)

Boettner & Eckel, 1877–1880

* William Wyeth house, 1100 Charles St,

(1879)Museum Hill Historic District NRHP Registration Form
(1991)

Eckel & Mann, 1880–1892

* Wholesale Row, 210, 216, 218 and 224 N 4th St,

(1880, 1884, 1880 and 1882, NRHP 1977) * Adam N. Schuster house, 703 Hall St,

(1881)Hall Street Historic District NRHP Registration Form
(1979) * Atchison County Courthouse, 400 S Washington St,

Rock Port, Missouri Rock Port is a city in, and the county seat of, Atchison County, Missouri, Atchison County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,278 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Rock Port was laid out in 1851. The city, whic ...

(1882–83) * Nodaway County Courthouse,

Maryville, Missouri Maryville is a city and county seat of Nodaway County, Missouri, United States. Located in the "Missouri Point" region, As of the 2020 census, the city population was 10,633. Maryville is home to Northwest Missouri State University and Northwes ...

(1882–83, NRHP 1979) * James P. Hamilton house, 1218 Main St,

Bethany, Missouri Bethany is a city in, and the county seat of, Harrison County, Missouri, United States, approximately midway between Kansas City and Des Moines on Interstate 35. The population was 2,915 at the 2020 census. History The settlement of Harrison Co ...

(1882, NRHP 1985) * Ringgold County Courthouse, 109 W Madison St,

Mount Ayr, Iowa Mount Ayr is a city in Ringgold County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,988 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Ringgold County. Mount Ayr is a rural community in southwestern Iowa, 22 miles west of Interstate 35 o ...

(1883, demolished) *

Gentry County Courthouse The Gentry County Courthouse is a historic courthouse located at Albany, Gentry County, Missouri. It was designed by the architectural firm Eckel & Mann and built in 1884-1885 by Rufus K. Allen. It is a two-story, High Victorian or Ruskinian Goth ...

Albany, Missouri Albany is a city and county seat of Gentry County, Missouri, United States. With an annual growth rate of -0.30%. The population was 1,679 at the 2020 census. History Albany was originally called Athens, and under the latter name was platted in ...

(1884–85) * DeKalb County Courthouse,

Maysville, Missouri Maysville is a city in DeKalb County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,095 at the 2020 census. Maysville is the county seat of DeKalb County. Maysville is part of the St. Joseph, MO– KS Metropolitan Statistical Area. History ...

(1885, demolished 1938)DeKalb County Courthouse NRHP Registration Form
(1998) * Edmond Jacques Eckel House, 515 N 4th St,

(1885, NRHP 1980, demolished) * Nathan P. and Elmarine Ogden house, 809 Hall St,

(1885) * Pottawattamie County Courthouse, 227 S 6th St,

Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha–Council Bluffs ...

(1885–88, demolished) * C. D. Smith building, 313 S 3rd St,

(1888) * Virginia Flats, 520-528 N 10th St,

(1888, NRHP 1992) *

, 108 S 7th St,

(1889, NRHP 1978) * James W. Hingston house, 537 N 8th St,

(1888) * Samuel Nave house, 2121 Clay St,

(1889–91)Kemper Addition Historic District NRHP Registration Form
(2002) * Central Police Station, 701 Messanie St,

(1890–91, NRHP 2009) * Alfred T. Smith house, 802 Hall St,

(1890) *

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

(1890–1904) * Herschel Bartlett house, 537 N 8th St,

(1891)

Eckel & van Brunt, 1892

John D. Richardson Dry Goods Company John D. Richardson Dry Goods Company, also known as the American Electric Company, is a historic commercial building located at St. Joseph, Missouri. It was designed by architect Edmond Jacques Eckel (1845–1934) and built in 1892. It is a seven- ...

(1892, NRHP 1982)Central-North Commercial Historic District NRHP Registration Form
(1990)

Edmond J. Eckel, 1892–1910

* George Hoagland building, 107 S 6th St,

(1892) * Henry Krug Jr. house, 1105 Krug Park Pl,

(1892)Krug Park Place Historic District NRHP Registration Form
(2002) * Telephone Building, 116 S 7th St,

(1895) * First Baptist Church, 1225 Francis St,

(1896) * Livestock Exchange Building, 601 Illinois Ave,

(1898–99, NRHP 2004) * J. G. Schneider house, 1125 Krug Park Pl,

(1899) * David L. Bartlett Jr. house, 1923 Clay St,

(1900) *

City Hose Company No. 9 City Hose Company No. 9, also known as City Fire Station No. 9 , is a historic fire station located at St. Joseph, Missouri. It was designed by the architect Edmond Jacques Eckel (1845–1934) and built in 1901. It is a picturesque two-story, br ...

, 2217 Frederick Ave,

(1901, NRHP 1985) *

Samuel and Pauline Peery house Samuel and Pauline Peery House is a historic home located at Albany, Gentry County, Missouri. It was designed by the architect Edmond Jacques Eckel and built in 1901. It is a -story, Queen Anne style frame dwelling. It has a hipped roof with h ...

, 1105 N Hundley St,

(1901, NRHP 2005) *

(1901–02, NRHP 1982) * Miller-Porter-Lacy House alterations,

(1902, NRHP 1982) * St. Joseph Public Library-Carnegie Branch,

(1902, NRHP 1999) * Carnegie Library of Albany,

(1905–06, NRHP 1990)Albany Carnegie Public Library NRHP Registration Form
(1990) * Carnegie Library,

William Jewell College William Jewell College is a private liberal arts college in Liberty, Missouri. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and endowed with $10,000 by William Jewell. It was associated with the Missouri Baptist Conventi ...

Liberty, Missouri Liberty is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Missouri, United States and is a suburb of Kansas City, located in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 30,167. Liberty is home to Willi ...

(1908, demolished) * Queen of the Apostles Roman Catholic Church, 501 S 10th St,

(1908)

Eckel & Boschen, 1908–1910

* Robidoux School, 201 S 10th St,

(1908–09, NRHP 1983) * Neely Elementary School alterations,

(1909)

Eckel & Aldrich, 1910–1959

Dr. Jacob Geiger House-Maud Wyeth Painter House Dr. Jacob Geiger House-Maud Wyeth Painter House, also known as the United Missouri Bank, is a historic home located at St. Joseph, Missouri. It was designed by the architecture firm of Eckel & Aldrich and built in 1911–1912. It is a -story, ...

(1911–12, NRHP 1986) * Benton Calkins house, 1150 Krug Park Pl,

(1915) * United Building, 602 Felix St,

(1917–18) * L. B. Stivers house, 1109 Magnolia Ave,

(1921) *

Biscuit Company Lofts The Biscuit Company Lofts is a 7-story building in Los Angeles, California. Built in 1925 as a factory, the building was converted to live/work lofts in 2006. History Conceived as the west coast headquarters for the National Biscuit Company, thi ...

, 1855 Industrial St,

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

(1925) * St. Joseph City Hall,

(1926–27) *

Corby–Forsee Building Corby–Forsee Building, also known as the Corby Building, is a historic commercial building located at St. Joseph, Missouri. It was designed by the architectural firm Eames & Young and built in 1910. It is a 12-story, reinforced concrete building ...

addition,

(1927, NRHP 1980) * DeKalb County Courthouse,

(1938–39, NRHP 1998) * Fire Station No. 5 (former), 1204 S 11th St,

(1939)Patee Town Historic District NRHP Registration Form
(2002)

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eckel, Edmund Jacques Architects from Strasbourg Architects from Missouri 19th-century American architects 20th-century American architects People from St. Joseph, Missouri École des Beaux-Arts alumni Fellows of the American Institute of Architects 1845 births 1934 deaths