Henry Ford Hoit (4 August 1872 – 30 May 1951) was a well-known

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 ...

, architect in the early 20th century. He and his partners designed many of Kansas City's most iconic commercial and residential buildings including the

Kansas City Power and Light Building The Kansas City Power and Light Building (also called the KCP&L Building and the Power and Light Building) is a landmark skyscraper located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri. It was constructed by Kansas City Power and Light in 1931 as a way to p ...

and the R.A. Long residence.

Professional life

Henry Ford Hoit was born in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, on August 4, 1872. He graduated from the Chicago Manual Training School in 1892. Hoit went on to complete a special course in architecture at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

, graduating in 1898. While there, he became a member of the

Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as ''DKE'' or ''Deke'', is one of the oldest fraternities in the United States, with fifty-six active chapters and five active colonies across North America. It was founded at Yale College in 1844 by fifteen ...

fraternity. In 1887 he was presented an award from the

Boston Society of Architects One of the oldest and largest chapters of the AIA, the Boston Society of Architects (BSA) is a nonprofit membership organization committed to architecture, design and the built environment. History On June 20, 1867, approximately 50 architects co ...

for the best work in the field. Hoit worked for various firms in Boston until 1901 when he received a letter from a fraternity brother, William H. Cutler. Cutler was a draftsman at the Kansas City firm of

Van Brunt & Howe Henry Van Brunt FAIA (September 5, 1832 – April 8, 1903) was a 19th-century American architect and architectural writer. Life and work Van Brunt was born in Boston in 1832 to Gershom Jacques Van Brunt and Elizabeth Price Bradlee. Van Brunt ...

. The letter stated: Hoit accepted and went to Kansas City to make his fortune. The building that Hoit was asked to design was the Palace of Varied Industries at the

Louisiana Purchase Exposition The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...

. The building covered about 14.5 acres of the exposition which took place on what is now

Forest Park A forest park is a park whose main theme is its forest of trees. Forest parks are found both in the mountains and in the urban environment. Examples Chile * Forest Park, Santiago China *Gongqing Forest Park, Shanghai * Mufushan National Fores ...

and

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

. By the time the fair opened,

Henry Van Brunt Henry Van Brunt FAIA (September 5, 1832 – April 8, 1903) was a 19th-century American architect and architectural writer. Life and work Van Brunt was born in Boston in 1832 to Gershom Jacques Van Brunt and Elizabeth Price Bradlee. Van Brunt ...

had retired and returned to

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Frank M. Howe Frank M. Howe (20 July 1849 – 4 January 1909) was an architect in Kansas City, Missouri, and Boston, Massachusetts. He was a partner with Henry Van Brunt in the prominent firm of Van Brunt and Howe. He later partnered with Henry F. Hoit as How ...

took on Hoit and Cutler as partners, forming Howe, Hoit & Cutler. Cutler died in 1907 and Howe died in 1909. The firm operated under Hoit's name until he partnered with Edwin M. Price and Alfred E. Barnes to establish Hoit, Price and Barnes on January 1, 1919. Apparently his work made quite an impression on lumber magnate Robert A. Long of the

Long-Bell Lumber Company In 1887, Robert A. Long and Victor Bell formed the Long-Bell Lumber Company in Columbus, Kansas. The Long-Bell Lumber Company branched out using balanced vertical integration to control all aspects of lumber from the sawmills to the retail lumber ...

. Long hired Howe, Hoit & Cutler to design the Independence Boulevard Christian Church that opened in 1905 and the

R.A. Long Building The R.A. Long building is a historic skyscraper in Kansas City, Missouri located on the northwest corner of the intersection of 10th Street and Grand Avenue. In 1906, R.A. Long's Long-Bell Lumber Company had outgrown the office space in the Kei ...

which opened in 1907. Hoit went on to design Long's personal residence, Corinthian Hall which is now the

Kansas City Museum The Kansas City Museum is located in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. In 1910, the site was built by lumber baron and civic leader Robert A. Long as his private family estate, with the four-story historic Beaux-Arts style mansion named Corin ...

. He also designed

Longview Farm Longview Farm in Lee's Summit, Missouri, United States was built by Robert A. Long. In planning the farm Long turned to Henry F. Hoit of Hoit, Price and Barnes, as he had designed Corinthian Hall and the R.A. Long Building. George Kessler wa ...

. These opened in 1908 and 1914. Long wasn't the only tycoon impressed with Hoit. He designed both commercial buildings and personal residences for many wealthy Kansas Citians including Mack. B. Nelson, J. W. Perry, C. C. Peters, C. A. Braley, and Robert Keith. He also designed the Cosden Building in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

, as well as residences for Tulsa oil barons J. S. Cosden and J. H. Markham. While Hoit had been designing skyscrapers since he did the 16 story

in 1907, he really "made it big" when his firm designed the original 14 stories of the Southwestern Bell Telephone Building. That's because

Hoit, Price & Barnes Hoit, Price & Barnes was a prominent Kansas City architectural firm in the early 20th century. It designed several skyscrapers and mansions including three of the current ten tallest buildings in Kansas City; the Kansas City Power and Light Bui ...

(HPB) also designed the additional 14 stories in 1929, making the 28-story building the tallest in Kansas City. Meanwhile, HPB designed the

Kansas City Athletic Club The Kansas City Athletic Club is an athletic club and gentlemen's club in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Notable members have included President Harry S. Truman and others. Founding The club was founded in 1887 by Arthur E. Stillwell as the Fa ...

Building (22 stories) in 1923, and floors 8-15 of the Dierks Building in 1926. Then in 1931, HPB not only designed the 32-story Fidelity National Bank Building but they also designed the 34-story

. That was the tallest building in the state of Missouri until 1976. Hoit, Price & Barnes also designed the mechanical systems for Municipal Auditorium, a project that took several years to complete, opening in 1935. The firm continued on a variety of projects until Hoit retired and the firm was dissolved in 1941. Hoit was also known for his community involvement. In 1907, he was a member of the board to review Kansas City building laws. He was a member of the board of appeals from 1908–1910. He was also a member of the board of the Thomas H. Swope settlement in 1910. In 1938, Hoit became a

Fellow of the American Institute of Architects Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) is a postnominal title or membership, designating an individual who has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Fellowship is bestowed by the institute on AIA-member ...

(FAIA), an honor that recognized his professional leadership and accomplishments. There are many buildings 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 ...

that were designed by Hoit and his partners. These include the Baker-Vawter Building, the Charles A. Braley House, Christian Church Hospital, the Continental Hotel, the Cosden Building, the O.H. Dean Building, the Fidelity National Bank & Trust Building, Independence Boulevard Christian Church, the Kansas City Power and Light Building, the R.A. Long Building and the R.A. Long Residence.

Personal life

Hoit was the son of Chicago merchant Jeremiah Parsons and Elizabeth (Starrett) Hoit. His family descended from John Hoyt, an English settler of

Salisbury, Massachusetts Salisbury is a small coastal beach town and summer tourist destination in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The community is a popular summer resort beach town situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of Boston on the New Hampshire border. ...

. While still in Boston, Hoit met Florence Eleanor Stinchfield, a mezzo-soprano who was studying music in Boston. She also studied under

Luigi Vannuccini Luigi Vannuccini (4 December 1828 – 14 August 1911) was an Italian conductor, composer and teacher of bel canto Life Born in Foiano della Chiana, Vannuccini began his musical studies with his father Ernesto, who had been singing teacher in Flo ...

Florence, Italy Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

and in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

as well. She was born on August 24, 1873, in

Lewiston, Maine Lewiston (; ; officially the City of Lewiston, Maine) is List of cities in Maine, the second largest city in Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County, Maine, Androscoggin County. The city lies halfway between Augusta, Maine, August ...

. Her parents were Oliver Dorrance and Lizzie R. (Symonds) Stinchfield. Oliver D. Stinchfield was a piano tuner as well as a self-described "musician, writer, artist, photographer, and humorist entertainer." They were married on

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

in 1900. Shortly after arriving in Kansas City, the Hoit's had their only child, Imogene Elizabeth, born April 16, 1902. With the success that he was achieving as a partner at Howe, Hoit & Cutler, Hoit decided to build a home in the Valentine Neighborhood of Kansas City. Contrary to the huge neoclassical mansions that Hoit was to design, his house was a 3,000-square-foot craftsman style home at 3771 Washington Street. It has brick on the first level and cedar shingle siding on the upper levels. It was completed in 1907. The Hoits moved to the Country Club District in 1930 to a 6-year-old house at 838 W. 58th Street. Henry F. Hoit died on May 30, 1951, at the age of 78.

Gallery

Image:VariedIndustries.jpg, Palace of Varied Industries
1904 St. Louis World's Fair Image:R.A._Long_Building.jpg,

Image:Kansas City Museum of History and Science.jpg, R.A. Long Residence (Corinthian Hall) Image:Longview mansion-750077.jpg, Longview Farm Image:Sunsethillhouse2.jpg, Mack B. Nelson House Image:O.H. Dean Building.jpg, O. H. Dean Building Image:OakTower Kansas City Missouri.jpg, Bell Telephone Building Image:BakerVawter.jpg, Baker-Vawter Building Image:Mark_Twain_Tower_Kansas_City_MOv.jpg,

Image:Dierks Building.jpg, Dierks Building Image:Kansas City Power and Light Building 1931.jpg, Kansas City Power & Light Building Image:909 Walnut Kansas City MO.jpg, Fidelity National Bank Image:Municipal Auditorium Kansas City Missouri.jpg, Municipal Auditorium

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoit, Henry F. 1872 births 1951 deaths Architects from Chicago 19th-century American architects Architects from Missouri MIT School of Architecture and Planning alumni Fellows of the American Institute of Architects 20th-century American architects