George Washington Maher (December 25, 1864 – September 12, 1926) was an American
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
during the first quarter of the 20th century. He is considered part of the
Prairie School-style and was known for blending traditional architecture with the
Arts & Crafts-style.
According to architectural historian
H. Allen Brooks, "His influence on the Midwest was profound and prolonged and, in its time, was certainly as great as was
Frank Lloyd">/nowiki>Frank Lloyd/nowiki> Wright's. Compared with the conventional architecture of the day, his work showed considerable freedom and originality, and his interiors were notable for their open and flowing...space".
Maher was elected 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 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 ...
in 1916.
Biography
George Maher was born in Mill Creek, West Virginia
Mill Creek is a town in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States, along the Tygart Valley River. The population was 563 at the 2020 census.
The town takes its name from nearby Mill Creek.
Geography
Mill Creek is located at (38.731748, -7 ...
, but, as a small boy, moved with his parents, Pennsylvania-born Sarah Landis and Virginia-born chemist Theophile Maher whose father had immigrated from France, to New Albany, Indiana, where he attended public schools. While in his teens the family moved to Chicago
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, although the exact date isn't known.
The 1880 federal census records the Maher family as still living in New Albany. In 1883 a city directory shows George Maher living in the Chicago area and working for the Chicago
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architectural firm of Augustus Bauer and Henry Hill. In 1887 he joined the office of architect Joseph L. Silsbee, in Chicago's Lakeside Building, as a draftsman
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 ...
where he worked with Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
and George Grant Elmslie
George Grant Elmslie (February 20, 1869 – April 23, 1952) was a Scottish-born American Prairie School architect whose work is mostly found in the Midwestern United States. He worked with Louis Sullivan and later with William Gray Purcell as ...
. In late 1888 Maher started his own practice and then in late 1889 formed a partnership with Cecil S. Corwin which lasted for only a brief time before he resumed his own practice. Maher married Elizabeth Brooks in 1893 and moved to Kenilworth, Illinois
Kenilworth is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, north of downtown Chicago. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 2,514. It is the newest of the nine suburban North Shore communities bordering Lake Michigan, and is one o ...
.
Career
He designed his own home in Kenilworth, built there in 1893. It was one of about 40 homes he designed in the area. Along with the homes he also designed the entrance to the village as well as a number of other public embellishments. In addition to Kenilworth, one of the largest concentrations of his work is alon
Hutchinson Street
on Chicago's North Side lakefront.
From the start of his career, Maher wrote about his views on architecture and was active in organizations interested in exploring new ideas in architecture and design. In 1887 Inland Architect published a paper he had written titled "Originality in American Architecture," one of the first of many he would write. In 1895 an interest in the English Arts and Crafts Movement led him to become one of the founding members of The Chicago Arts and Crafts Society. During his career, he was involved as a leading figure in the meetings and exhibitions of the Chicago Architectural Club, a group that was at the center of activity of the Prairie movement in Chicago.
Early work
Maher's early work during the 1890s reflected the influence of Silsbee and H.H. Richardson as well as Louis Sullivan
Louis Henry Sullivan (September 3, 1856 – April 14, 1924) was an American architect, and has been called a "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism". He was an influential architect of the Chicago School, a mentor to Frank Lloy ...
and others of the Chicago School.
In 1893 Maher met J.L. Cochran who was developing the community of Edgewater which would ultimately become part of Chicago. During the next several years Maher designed a series of houses for Cochran which helped establish Maher's career and reputation.
Commissioned in 1897, one of Maher's most important designs is the John Farson House in Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census estimate. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated ...
, also known as Pleasant Home. In this house, Maher synthesized his own version of what would ultimately come to be called the Prairie School style of architecture. One of the earliest Prairie style buildings, its design concept proved to be extremely influential in its time and was widely copied throughout the Midwest.
Residential and university work
Over the years Maher designed numerous houses for clients ranging from middle class businessmen to wealthy society figures. The success of the Farson house led to a number of large commissions. Among his clients was James A. Patten for whom he built a large mansion in 1901. Patten was also responsible for getting Maher the commission to design the original Patten Gymnasium
Patten Gymnasium is the name of two multi-purpose gymnasiums (one past and one present) in Evanston, Illinois, United States, on the campus of Northwestern University. The original building, designed by George Washington Maher, opened in 1910 and ...
at Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
where Maher also designed the Swift Hall of Engineering. Also in 1901, Maher was hired to remodel the Nickerson House
The Samuel M. Nickerson House, located at 40 East Erie Street in the Near North Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, is a Chicago Landmark. It was designed by Edward J. Burling of the firm of Burling and Whitehouse and built for Samuel an ...
which currently houses th
Driehaus Museum
These were followed by the design of a large estate for Harry Rubens that was built in Glencoe, Illinois in 1903. Jens Jensen Jens Jensen may refer to:
* Jens Jensen (footballer) (1890–1957), Danish football (soccer) player who played one game for the Denmark national football team
* Jens Jensen (landscape architect) (1860–1951), Danish-born landscape architect in Chi ...
designed the landscaping for the Rubens estate. Other projects include the P.J. King House from 1901, the Rath House The Rath House is an architecturally significant house located at 2703 West Logan Boulevard in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United Stat ...
in 1907, and the Colvin House in 1909, all of which have been designated Chicago Landmarks
Chicago Landmark is a designation by the Mayor and the City Council of Chicago for historic sites in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Listed sites are selected after meeting a combination of criteria, including historical, economic, archit ...
by the city.
By the time of the Farson House commission, Maher was one of the first of the Prairie Style architects to have developed a personal style. By 1897, with almost a full decade behind him, his career was well established. With Wright's Prairie houses still several years in the future, Maher's version of the Prairie style came at a time when Louis Sullivan's work was still the dominant influence for the developing group of architects. While many of the others worked directly for Wright or Sullivan, Maher never did which may be part of the reason his design work would follow a more independent path throughout his career.
Around 1904 Maher's designs started to show more of his interest in ideas derived from contemporary European design, especially the English Arts and Crafts movement and the Vienna Secession
The Vienna Secession (german: Wiener Secession; also known as ''the Union of Austrian Artists'', or ''Vereinigung Bildender Künstler Österreichs'') is an art movement, closely related to Art Nouveau, that was formed in 1897 by a group of Austr ...
. Assimilating these influences into concepts of his own, he created designs that set his work apart at a time when Wright's work was becoming increasingly influential among his contemporaries. Among these projects was the Corbin House in 1904 followed by houses such as the Erwin House (1905), the Lackner House (1905) and the Schultz House (1907).
Motif-Rhythm theory
As part of his design philosophy Maher developed what he called Motif-Rhythm theory in an attempt to produce a design unity throughout the building and its interior. This involved using a decorative element, often a local flower, a geometric shape, or a combination of the two which would be repeated throughout the design. Maher wrote that "there must be evolved certain leading forms that will influence the detail of the design; these forms crystallize during the progress of the planning and become the motifs that bind the design together." At ''Rockledge'', the summer house he designed in 1911 for Ernest and Grace King in Homer, Minnesota, Maher was also commissioned to design the interior furnishings for the house allowing him to use the Motif-Rhythm theory to the fullest extent possible. Ultimately the house fell into disuse but before the house was demolished the furniture, clocks, lamps, rugs, even the tableware that Maher had designed were sold with many pieces ending up in various museum collections as examples of Arts and Crafts design.
Commercial and institutional buildings
While Maher is known for his residential work, he also designed commercial and institutional buildings. His client James Patten was responsible for getting Maher the commission to design the most well known of these, the original Patten Gymnasium (1908–09) at Northwestern University where Maher also designed the Swift Hall of Engineering (1908). Other notable projects were several buildings for the J. R. Watkins Medical Company (1911) including their administrative headquarters in Winona, Minnesota. These were followed by the Winona Saving Bank which was designed and built in 1914–16.
The momentum of the Prairie School movement began to rapidly decline in the mid teens as clients' tastes and interests changed, forcing many of its followers to turn in other directions. For some, including Maher, it meant increasing pressure to design in the eclectic styles then in vogue.
Organizations
Throughout his career Maher was involved in organizations seeking to improve the architecture profession. In addition to the Chicago Architectural Club, he was active in the state chapter of the American Institute of Architects serving as state chapter president in 1918. Just as Maher had worked for Silsbee whose office had produced a number of architects that went on to have distinguished careers, Maher's office also produced several notable architects including his son Phillip Brooks Maher and Robert Seyfarth
Robert Seyfarth ( ) was an American architect based in Chicago, Illinois. He spent the formative years of his professional career working for the noted Prairie School architect George Washington Maher. A member of the influential Chicago Architec ...
.
After his World War I, his son joined the office as a partner and the firm became known as "George W. Maher & Son". In the early 1920s Maher designed multiple buildings and landscapes throughout the Chicago area
The Chicago metropolitan area, also colloquially referred to as Chicagoland, is a metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States. Encompassing 10,286 sq mi (28,120 km2), the metropolitan area includes the city of Chicago, its suburbs and hi ...
and in Gary, Indiana where the firm produced a number of projects. His final work was commissioned by the Gary Heat, Light, and Water Company of Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the sou ...
. They requested him to design a new warehouse. This design embodied the last set of drawings to hold his name and architectural registration.
Death
By the time of his death he had designed over 270 projects; from houses to parks to public buildings. He committed suicide on September 12, 1926, after several years of declining health, including hospitalization for depression in 1924–25. He was 61 when he committed suicide.
Work
*Frank G. Ely House, Kenilworth, Illinois
Kenilworth is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, north of downtown Chicago. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 2,514. It is the newest of the nine suburban North Shore communities bordering Lake Michigan, and is one o ...
(1910)
* Edward C. Elliott House, Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
(1910)
*Patten Gymnasium
Patten Gymnasium is the name of two multi-purpose gymnasiums (one past and one present) in Evanston, Illinois, United States, on the campus of Northwestern University. The original building, designed by George Washington Maher, opened in 1910 and ...
, Evanston, Illinois (1910)
* Albert B. Towers House, Chicago, Illinois (1894)
*Old Fresno Water Tower
The Old Fresno Water Tower is a historic water tower in Fresno, California. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed by George Washington Maher, the tower was completed in late 1894. It ceased operation in 1963 and has ser ...
, Fresno, California (1894)
* Liederkranz Hall in Blue Island, Illinois
Blue Island is a city in Cook County, Illinois, located approximately south of Chicago's Loop. Blue Island is adjacent to the city of Chicago and shares its northern boundary with that city's Morgan Park neighborhood. The population was 22,55 ...
(1897) (destroyed by fire, 1918)
* John Farson House, also called ''Pleasant Home'', Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census estimate. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated ...
(1897)
*Church of Divine Humanity, Chicago, IL, 1898
* William Weber House, Blue Island, Illinois (1899)
* Henry Klein House, Blue Island, IL (1899)
* William and Helen Coffeen House, Hinsdale, Illinois (1900)
* Patrick J. King House, Chicago, Illinois (1901)
502 Saint Davids Avenue
Saint Davids, Pennsylvania (1896)
* James A. Patten House, Evanston, Illinois
Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, ...
(1901) (demolished)
Frederick Taylor Gates House
Montclair, New Jersey (1902)
* Harry Rubens Estate stables, Glencoe, Illinois (1903) (demolished)
* Harry Rubens Estate, Glencoe, Illinois (1903) (demolished)
Stephen Henry Velie, Jr. House
Kansas City, Missouri (1904) (demolished)
* Edmund Blinn House, Pasadena, California (1905)
* Charles R. Erwin House, Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census estimate. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated ...
(1905)
* Francis Lackner House, Kenilworth, Illinois
Kenilworth is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, north of downtown Chicago. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 2,514. It is the newest of the nine suburban North Shore communities bordering Lake Michigan, and is one o ...
(1905)
* The Murdock House, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie ( ') is the only city in, and county seat of, Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. With a population of 13,337 at the 2020 census, it is the second-most populated city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette. It i ...
(1906)
* Hiram C. and Irene Stewart House, Wausau, Wisconsin
Wausau ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. The Wisconsin River divides the city into east and west. The city's suburbs include Schofield, Weston, Mosinee, Maine, Rib Mountain, Kronenwetter, an ...
(1906)
* Henry Schultz House, Winnetka, Illinois
Winnetka () is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located north of downtown Chicago. The population was 12,316 as of 2019. The village is one of the wealthiest places in the nation in terms of household income. It was the second- ...
(1907)
* The John Rath House, Chicago, Illinois (1907)
* Emil Rudolph House, Highland Park, Illinois (1907)
* The Ernest J. Magerstadt House, Chicago, Illinois (1908)
* The Martin Baldwin House, Glen Ridge, New Jersey (1908)
* Edward Colvin House, Chicago, Illinois (1909)
* Administration building for the J.R. Watkins Medical Company, Winona, Minnesota
Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, Minnesota, Winona County, in the U.S. state, state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf (Winona, Minnesota ...
(1911)
* Claude Seymour House, Chicago, Illinois (1913)
* Winona Savings Bank Building
The Winona Savings Bank Building, now the Winona National Bank Historic Downtown Building, is an Egyptian Revival bank building in Winona, Minnesota, United States. It was designed by Chicago-based architect George W. Maher and constructed from ...
, Winona, Minnesota (1914)
* Gary Bathing Beach Aquatorium
Gary Bathing Beach Aquatorium, formerly known as Lakefront Park Bathhouse and also known as Chanute Aquatorium, is located at One Marquette Drive at Miller Beach in Marquette Park, Gary, Indiana. The aquatorium was designed by George Washington ...
, Gary, Indiana (1921)
Gallery
File:Gilman House.jpg, Gilman House in Chicago, Illinois, 1888, demolished
File:Liederkranz Hall Blue Island.JPG, Liederkranz Hall
The Liederkranz of New York City is an organization devoted to cultural and social exchange as well as the sponsorship of musical events. Its activities are dedicated to the support, development and preservation of culture in New York City. Its obj ...
in Blue Island, Illinois
Blue Island is a city in Cook County, Illinois, located approximately south of Chicago's Loop. Blue Island is adjacent to the city of Chicago and shares its northern boundary with that city's Morgan Park neighborhood. The population was 22,55 ...
, 1897, destroyed by fire
File:Farson Pleasant Home.jpg, The John Farson House, also called Pleasant Home, Oak Park Illinois, 1897.
File:Oak Park Il Pleasant Home6.jpg, John Farson House, Oak Park, Illinois, 1897.
File:Sanders School.png, Sanders School, Blue Island, Illinois, 1900
File:William Coffeen House.jpg, William and Helen Coffeen House in Hinsdale, Illinois
Hinsdale is a village in Cook and DuPage counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Hinsdale is a western suburb of Chicago. The population was 17,395 at the 2020 census, most of whom lived in DuPage County. The town's ZIP code is 60521. The town ...
, 1900.
File:WLA lacma Fireplace Surround from the Patrick J King House Chicago.jpg, Fireplace mantle from the Patrick J. King House, Chicago, Illinois, 1901.
File:King-Nash (Patrick J. King) House.jpg, Patrick J. King House, Chicago, Illinois, 1901.
File:James Patten Residence.jpg, James A. Patten House, Evanston, Illinois, 1901, demolished.
File:Harry Rubens Estate stables.jpg, Harry Rubens Estate stables, Glencoe, Illinois, 1903, demolished.
File:Harry Rubens Estate Main House.jpg, Harry Rubens Estate, Glencoe, Illinois, 1903. demolished
File:Oak Park Il Erwin House2.jpg, Charles R. Erwin House, Oak Park, Illinois, 1905
File:Francis Lackner House.jpg, Francis Lackner House, Kenilworth, Illinois, 1905.
File:Hiram Stewart House.jpg, Hiram C. and Irene Stewart House, Wausau, Wisconsin, 1906.
File:Henry Schultz House.jpg, Henry Schultz House, Winnetka, Illinois, 1907.
File:Rath House.jpg, John Rath House, Chicago, Illinois, 1907.
File:Emil Rudolph House.jpg, Emil Rudolph House, Highland Park, Illinois, 1907.
File:Magerstadt House HABS.jpg, Ernest J. Magerstadt House, Chicago, Illinois, 1908.
File:Colvin House.jpg, Edward Colvin House, Chicago, Illinois. 1909
File:Watkins.JPG, Administration building for the J.R. Watkins Medical Company, Winona, Minnesota, 1911.
File:Seymour House.jpg, Claude Seymour House, Chicago Illinois, 1913.
File:WinonaSavingsBank.JPG, Winona Savings Bank, Winona, Minnesota, 1914.
File:Martin Baldwin House, Glen Ridge, NJ.jpg, Martin Baldwin House, Glen Ridge, NJ 1908
File:305 Kenilworth Ave.jpg, Frank G. Ely House, Kenilworth, Illinois, 1910
See also
* Edmund Blinn House
*Watkins Incorporated
Watkins Incorporated is a manufacturer of health remedies, baking products, and other household items. Founded in 1868, Watkins Incorporated is based in Winona, Minnesota, United States, which utilizes an omni-channel marketing strategy which i ...
References
Further reading
* Brooks, H. Allen, ''The Prairie School'', W.W. Norton, New York 2006;
* Brooks, H. Allen (editor), ''Prairie School Architecture: Studies from "The Western Architect"'', University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Buffalo 1975;
* Brooks, H. Allen, ''The Prairie School: Frank Lloyd Wright and his Midwest Contemporaries'', University of Toronto Press, Toronto 1972;
* Cummings, Kathleen Ann, "Pleasant Home 1897: A History of the John Farson House, George Washington Maher, Architect"; 2002
*''Guide to Frank Lloyd Wright and Prairie School Architecture in Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census estimate. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated ...
'', by Paul E. Sprague
External links
"George Washington Maher"
''House Beautiful'', November 1908 "Houses designed by George Maher"
Minneapolis Institute of Arts ''"Unified Vision"''
Marathon County Historical Society -- The Woodson House
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maher, George W.
Prairie School architecture
20th-century American architects
1864 births
1926 deaths
Architects from West Virginia
Fellows of the American Institute of Architects
Artists from Chicago
People from New Albany, Indiana
People from Randolph County, West Virginia
Suicides in Michigan
People from Kenilworth, Illinois
People from Allegan County, Michigan
Chicago school architects
1926 suicides
21st-century American architects