Frederick G. Kees (April 9, 1852 – March 16, 1927) was an American architect notable for his work in

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

and partnerships with Franklin B. Long and

Serenus Colburn Serenus Milo Colburn (1871-1927) was an architect who worked in Minneapolis, Minnesota during the Golden Age of Flour Producing. Born in Ansonia, Connecticut on October 12, 1871, Colburn eventually came to work as head draftsman under William Chan ...

Life and career

Kees was born in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

on April 9, 1852. He joined the firm of E. G. Lind as an apprentice in 1865 and worked at the firm until 1878. He moved to

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

in 1878 and briefly worked with Leroy Buffington. He also partnered with Burnham W. Fisk for a few years under the name "Kees and Fisk". In 1885, Kees partnered with Franklin B. Long to form the architectural firm

Long and Kees Long and Kees was an architecture firm based in Minneapolis, Minnesota active for a twelve-year period starting in 1885 and ending in 1897. Named for its two proprietors, Franklin B. Long (1842–1912) and Frederick Kees (1852-1927), the firm ...

. After designing more than 13 buildings (including the

Minneapolis City Hall Minneapolis City Hall and Hennepin County Courthouse (also known as the Municipal Building), designed by Long and Kees in 1888, is the main building used by the city government of Minneapolis, as well as by Hennepin County, in the U.S. state of Mi ...

), Kees ended the partnership. He then went on to partner with

to create the firm Kees and Colburn which survived until 1925, the year of Colburn's death. Kees died two years later, on March 16, 1927. Kees is considered to be one of Minneapolis’ foremost architects by the Minneapolis Heritage and Preservation Commission.

Notable and historically significant works by Fredrick G. Kees

Through the firm of Kees and Fisk: *

Comstock House The Comstock House is a historic house museum in Moorhead, Minnesota, United States. It was built for Solomon Comstock and his family from 1882 to 1883 in a mix of Queen Anne and Eastlake style. Comstock (1842–1933) was one of Moorhead's ...

Moorhead, Minnesota Moorhead () is a city in and county seat of Clay County, Minnesota, United States, on the banks of the Red River of the North. Located in the Red River Valley, an extremely fertile and active agricultural region, Moorhead is also home to several ...

* First Baptist Church, Minneapolis * Syndicate Block (later J.C. Penney), Minneapolis * Grand Opera House, Minneapolis. * James Clark residence, Minneapolis. Through the firm of Long and Kees: *

, Minneapolis * The

Masonic Temple A Masonic Temple or Masonic Hall is, within Freemasonry, the room or edifice where a Masonic Lodge meets. Masonic Temple may also refer to an abstract spiritual goal and the conceptual ritualistic space of a meeting. Development and history In ...

(currently the

Hennepin Center for the Arts The Hennepin Center for the Arts (HCA) is an art center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It occupies a building on Hennepin Avenue constructed in 1888 as a Masonic Temple. The building was designed by Long and Kees in the Richardsonian ...

), Minneapolis * The Flour Exchange Building, Minneapolis Through the firm of Kees and Colburn: *

Psi Upsilon Psi Upsilon (), commonly known as Psi U, is a North American fraternity,''Psi Upsilon Tablet'' founded at Union College on November 24, 1833. The fraternity reports 50 chapters at colleges and universities throughout North America, some of which ...

fraternity, Mu Chapterhouse, Minneapolis *

Minneapolis Grain Exchange The Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) is a commodities and futures exchange of grain products. It was formed in 1881 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States as a regional cash marketplace to promote fair trade and to prevent trade abuses in whea ...

building (originally Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce), Minneapolis * Northern Implement Company building, Minneapolis * Advance Thresher/Emerson-Newton Implement Company building, Minneapolis. * Chamber of Commerce Building, Minneapolis * Grain and Lumber Exchange Building,

Winona, Minnesota Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf. The city is named after legendary figure Winona, who ...

* Great Northern Implement Company, Minneapolis * Jacob Leuthold Jr. House,

Kasson, Minnesota Kasson ( ) is a city in Dodge County, Minnesota, Dodge County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 6,851 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The city is located west of Rochester, Minnesota, Rochester along U.S. Route 14 i ...

* Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged, Minneapolis

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kees, Frederick 1852 births 1927 deaths 19th-century American architects Architects from Baltimore Architects from Minneapolis 20th-century American architects