John Fanz Staub (September 12, 1892 – April 13, 1981) was a residential

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 ...

who designed numerous traditionally-styled homes and mansions, mostly in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, from the 1920s to 1960s.

Early life

John F. Staub was born on September 12, 1892 in

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Tennessee, Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Di ...

to Frederick and Anna Cornelia (Fanz) Staub. Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Staub attended high school in Knoxville. He earned a master's degree in architecture from 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 ...

(MIT) in 1916.

Career

After graduating from MIT, Staub worked for

Harrie T. Lindeberg Harrie Thomas Lindeberg (1879 – January 10, 1959) was an American architect, best known for designing country houses in the United States. Among academic eclectic architects Lindeberg found a niche as "the American Edwin Lutyens, Lutyens" by wo ...

, who had established an architectural practice specializing in country houses in New York. After serving for two years in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, he returned to architecture. Lindeberg dispatched him in 1921 to Texas in order to supervise three commissioned houses in the Shadyside neighborhood of

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

. Two years later he left Lindeberg to establish his own practice in Houston. In 1924, Staub founded a regional chapter 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 the 1920s, he specialized in designing single-family houses according to popular European styles, though he later shifted to a preference for

Georgian Revival Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Georg ...

. His first solo commission was the River Oaks Country Club in 1924. He continued his solo practice until 1942, when he cofounded the partnership of Staub and Rather, and worked with Staub, Rather and Howse from 1952 until 1963. Throughout his career, he contributed to the design of 31 houses in

River Oaks River Oaks is a residential community located in the center of Houston, Texas, United States. Located within the 610 Loop and between Downtown and Uptown, the community spans .Archive Established in the 1920s by brothers Will Hogg and Michael ...

, though he also designed homes in Broadacres. He also performed residential architecture in

Beaumont, Texas Beaumont is a coastal city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat, seat of government of Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur, Texas, Port Arthur Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, metropo ...

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

Fort Worth Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

, and

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

. Staub's firms designed buildings for the campuses of the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...

, and

Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...

. He also designed the parish house at the Palmer Memorial Church.

Personal life

Staub married Madeleine Louise Delabarre on October 4, 1919. They had three children.

Death

Staub died on April 13, 1981. He is buried at Glenwood Cemetery.

Architectural works

* Hopecote, for Albert G. Hope,

(1924, NRHP 2012) *

River Oaks Country Club River Oaks Country Club is a country club in the River Oaks neighborhood in Houston, Texas. The club has hosted the River Oaks International Tennis Tournament since 1931. It is located at 1600 River Oaks Boulevard, Houston TX 77019. History Rive ...

(1924, demolished) * House for John W. Parker,

(1925–26, NRHP 1979) *

Heights High School Heights High School, formerly John H. Reagan High School, is a senior high school located in the Houston Heights in Houston, Texas. It serves students in grades nine through twelve and is a part of the Houston Independent School District. Height ...

(1926–27) *

Bayou Bend Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, located in the River Oaks community in Houston, Texas, United States, is a facility of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) that houses a collection of decorative art, paintings and furniture. Bayou Bend is th ...

for

Ima Hogg Ima Hogg (July 10, 1882 – August 19, 1975), known as "The First Lady of Texas", was an American society leader, philanthropist, mental health advocate, patron and collector of the arts, and one of the most respected women in Texas during th ...

(1927–28, NRHP 1979) * Remodeling of the

Forum of Civics River Oaks Garden Club Forum of Civics is a building at 2503 Westheimer Road in Houston, Texas, United States listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the "Forum of Civics." The building is located south of the River Oaks neighborhoo ...

(1927, NRHP 1988) * Parish house, Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church,

(1930) * House for John S. Mellinger,

(1931, NRHP 2012) * Remodeling of house for Joseph Verlinde Vandenberge,

Victoria, Texas Victoria is a small city in South Texas and county seat of Victoria County, Texas. The population was 65,534 as of the 2020 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 as of the 2000 censu ...

(1932, NRHP 1986) *

Texas Memorial Museum The Texas Memorial Museum, located on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin in Austin, Texas, USA, was created during preparations for the Texas Centennial Exposition held in 1936. The museum's focus is on natural history, including pale ...

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

(1936–38) * Lamar High School,

(1937) * House for Andrew Jackson Wray,

(1939, NRHP 1993) * House for Hugo N. Dixon,

(1940) * M. D. Anderson Hall,

(1947)Stephen Fox, ''Rice University: An Architectural Tour'' (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2001) * Abercrombie Engineering Laboratory,

(1948, demolished 2021) *

Fondren Library Fondren Library is the main library of Rice University in Houston, Texas. The library is named for Walter W. Fondren, a co-founder of the Humble Oil & Refining Company, whose family donated $1 million in 1946 for construction of the library. Th ...

(1949) * Huff House,

(1949) * Wiess College,

(1949, demolished 2003) * M. D. Anderson Library,

(1950, altered)Stephen James,
M.D. Anderson Library: The Forgotten Master Plan
" lib.uh.edu, University of Houston Libraries, December 15, 2014. Accessed May 28, 2021. *

Batts Hall Batts Hall (abbreviated BAT) is a building on the South Mall of the University of Texas at Austin campus in Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with p ...

, Benedict Hall and Mezes Hall,

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

(1951) * Rayzor Hall,

(1962)

Gallery of architectural works

Notes

References

External links

* Staub, John and David Courtwright
John Staub Oral History
Houston Oral History Project, March 20, 1975.
Interview with John Staub
William R. Jenkins Architecture and Art Library, University of Houston Digital Library. {{DEFAULTSORT:Staub, John 1892 births 1981 deaths 20th-century American architects Architects from Tennessee MIT School of Architecture and Planning alumni Architects from Houston