George Croll Nimmons (June 8, 1865 - June 17, 1947) was an American architect. Nimmons was best known for his commercial work, which was primarily for

Sears, Roebuck and Company Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began ...

, but he also designed several houses, including a Kenwood mansion for Sears' President,

Julius Rosenwald Julius Rosenwald (August 12, 1862 – January 6, 1932) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He is best known as a part-owner and leader of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and for establishing the Rosenwald Fund, which donated millions in ...

Early life

A native of

Wooster, Ohio Wooster ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Wayne County. Located in northeastern Ohio, the city lies approximately south-southwest of Cleveland, southwest of Akron and west of Canton. The population was 27,232 at ...

, Nimmons attended the Academy there and later studied architecture in Europe. He was also a student at the School of the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

Career

In 1887 Nimmons was hired by the famous architectural firm of

Burnham and Root Burnham and Root was one of Chicago's most famous architectural companies of the nineteenth century. It was established by Daniel Hudson Burnham and John Wellborn Root. During their eighteen years of partnership, Burnham and Root designed and b ...

where he served as a draftsman for 10 years. He partnered with William K. Fellows (1870-1948) in the late 1890s in the firm Nimmons & Fellows. During their partnership, Nimmons and Fellows designed a number of large commercial buildings in Chicago. In 1904 they were awarded what was very likely the largest single commission in the history of Chicago building up to that date. Sears, Roebuck and Co. selected them to design their warehouse, distribution and administrative center on West Arthington Avenue at Homan. It was said to be the largest mercantile establishment in the world at the time and was built in exactly 12 months, an amazing feat of construction. Nimmons and Fellows also designed branch buildings for Sears in several midwestern cities. Another result of the Nimmons and Fellows collaboration is the Dixon Building at 411 S. Wells. In 1910, Fellows formed a new firm with Dwight L. Perkins and John Hamilton. Nimmons' experience with warehouse design and construction brought him the commission for a large office and storage building for Reid, Murdoch and Co., built between 1912 and 1913 along the north bank of the Chicago River between Clark and LaSalle. The building is noteworthy because it conformed to Burnham's Civic Plan and was the first attempt to make the riverside of a building attractive in Chicago. Until recently, this structure was leased to the city for municipal offices. Practicing on his own from 1910 to 1917 Nimmons also designed the Kimball Piano Company Building during this phase of his career. Working as the head of his own firm, George C. Nimmons and Co. (1917–33), Nimmons designed the American Furniture Mart at 680 N. Lake Shore Drive in 1923. In the final phase of his career, he was senior partner of Nimmons, Carr & Wright. Nimmons' numerous articles in leading architectural magazines expounded on his concept of industrial design and its impact on employees.

Selected buildings

Sears, Roebuck and Company Administration Building
(Nimmons & Fellows, 1905), (George C. Nimmons & Co., 1914)
Homan Square Power House
(Nimmons & Fellows, 1905) Source: *Washburne Trade School (Nimmons & Fellows, 1909) * Reid, Murdoch & Co. Building (1913) * Landmark Center Boston (1928) * Ponce City Market (originally Sears distribution center and retail store), Atlanta (1926) * Franklin Building, Chicago, (Printer's Row, 1916) with mural and painted tiles by Oskar Gross. * American Furniture Mart, Chicago

Death

With his wife, Justine V. née Wheeler, Nimmons had two daughters, Marie and Nancy. They resided in Chicago. Nimmons died at his home in Chicago on June 17, 1947. He was buried in

Oak Woods Cemetery Oak Woods Cemetery is a large lawn cemetery in Chicago, Illinois. Located at 1035 E. 67th Street, in the Greater Grand Crossing area of Chicago's South Side. Established on February 12, 1853, it covers . Oak Woods is the final resting place ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nimmons, George C. 1865 births 1947 deaths People from Wooster, Ohio Architects from Chicago 20th-century American architects