Ira L. Rush (1890-1949) 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 ...

in practice in

Minot, North Dakota Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 20 ...

from 1915 until his death in 1949.

Life and career

Ira Leon Rush was born June 14, 1890 in

Bushnell, Illinois Bushnell is a city in McDonough County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,970 at the 2020 census. Geography Bushnell is located at (40.551667, -90.507921). According to the 2010 census, Bushnell has a total area of , of which (or ...

to John T. Rush and Ida Mae (Aten) Rush. He was raised in

Minot Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Minot Air Force Base, Air Force base approximately north of ...

, where he attended the local schools, graduating from

Minot High School Minot High School (MHS) is the public high school in Minot, North Dakota, divided between two main campuses: Magic City (grades 11-12) and Central (grades 9-10). MHS also includes an alternative campus: Souris River Campus. Athletics The boys' ...

in 1909. He worked as an architectural

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 ...

until enrolling in the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

in 1910, but left the university after a year to return to work. In 1912 he resumed his education at the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...

, graduating in 1915 with a BS in architectural engineering. He then returned to Minot where he opened his own office as an architect."Ira Leon Rush" in
The Semi-Centennial Alumni Record of the University of Illinois
', ed. Franklin W. Scott (Urbana: University of Illinois, 1918): 595."Rush, Ira Leon" in
Who's Who in the Central States
' (Washington: Mayflower Publishing Company, 1929): 843. Rush practiced architecture in Minot for over thirty years, and won several design competitions for courthouses.

Personal life and death

Rush was married in 1917 to Eula Margaret Brooks of

Urbana, Illinois Urbana ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Urbana had a population of 38,336. As of the 2010 United States Census, Urbana is the List of municipalities in Illinois, 38th-most pop ...

. They had two children: Dorothy, born in 1918, and Ira Leon Jr., born in 1919. Rush died in the early morning of May 9, 1949 in an auto accident near

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, east of Minot.

Legacy

In 1950 Ira L. Rush Jr. graduated from the

and returned to Minot, where he operated his father's architectural office under his own name into the 1970s. A number of his works survive and are 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 ...

Notable works include

* All Saints' Episcopal Church, 301 Main St S,

(1920–21) * Adams County Courthouse, 600 Adams Ave,

Hettinger, North Dakota Hettinger ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Adams County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 1,074 at the 2020 census. North Dakota State University operates a livestock research station near Hettinger, which often partners ...

(1928–29, NRHP 1985) *

Burleigh County Courthouse The Burleigh County Courthouse in Bismarck, North Dakota was designed in the Art Deco style by architect Ira Rush. It was built in 1931 and was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It is a three-story courthouse wit ...

, E Thayer Ave,

Bismarck, North Dakota Bismarck () is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the state's second-most populous city, after Fargo. The city's population was 73,622 in the 2020 census, while its metropolitan popula ...

(1930–31, NRHP 1985) * Dickinson City Hall (former), 25 2nd Ave W,

Dickinson, North Dakota Dickinson is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 25,679 at the 2020 census. Dickinson is home to the Ukrainian Cultural Institute, which has a museum and holds events year round for the ...

(1930) * Klinefelter Hall,

Dickinson State University Dickinson State University (DSU) is a public university in Dickinson, North Dakota. It is part of the North Dakota University System. It was founded in 1918 as Dickinson State Normal School and granted full university status in 1987. History Di ...

(1931)Dickinson State Normal School Campus District
(1997) * Corbett Field, 1124 E Burdick Expy,

(1935–37) *

Ransom County Courthouse The Ransom County Courthouse in Lisbon, North Dakota was designed in the Art Deco style by architect Ira Rush. It was built in 1937 and was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1985. and Ira Rush designed several courtho ...

, Fifth Ave W,

Lisbon, North Dakota Lisbon is a city in and the county seat of Ransom County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 2,204 at the 2020 census. History Lisbon was founded in 1880 by Joseph L. Colton, who named the new city after Lisbon, New York, his wif ...

(1937–38, NRHP 1985) * Sheridan County Courthouse, 215 E Second St,

McClusky, North Dakota McClusky is a city in Sheridan County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Sheridan County. The population was 322 at the 2020 census. McClusky was founded in 1905. It is the closest town to the geographical center of North D ...

(1938–40, NRHP 1985) *

addition, 215 1st St SE,

(1940)Minot Commercial Historic District NRHP Registration Form
(1980)

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rush, Ira L. 20th-century American architects Architects from North Dakota People from Minot, North Dakota University of Illinois School of Architecture alumni 1890 births 1949 deaths