Leonard Asheim (1877–1961) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

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Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

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 ...

from

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

. He was especially noted as an architect of schools. Born in Germany, Asheim later came to the United States, locating in

Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, southwest of Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. According to the 2020 US Census, in 20 ...

. He worked for Joseph A. Jackson for three years, before going to Boston, where he took evening classes 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 ...

, while working days for architects in that city.''American Architects Directory''
. 1955. Asheim first opened his office in Waterbury in 1898.Questionnaire, Asheim and Wilkins
. 1946. He quickly began to specialize in school buildings, a part of his practice that continued after his move to

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnoc ...

in 1909. In 1945 he went to

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

, leaving his office in the care of loyal assistant Oliver Wilkins. At this time, Asheim moved to a consulting position. In the 1950s he also went to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, but soon returned to Bridgeport. At his death in 1961, he was the oldest architect in the city.

Architectural work

* 1902 - Mulcahy School, Fairmount & Lounsbury Sts, Waterbury, Connecticut ** Demolished * 1909 - Davis School, 26 Davis St,

Oakville, Connecticut Oakville is a census-designated place (CDP) and neighborhood section of Watertown, in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,047 as of the 2010 census. It is the most populous community in Watertown, with more than tw ...

** Demolished in 2012 * 1910 - Leonard Asheim House, 2345 North Ave, Bridgeport, Connecticut * 1910 - Sheridan School, 280 Tesiny Ave, Bridgeport, Connecticut * 1911 - Park Avenue Temple, 1100 Park Ave, Bridgeport, Connecticut * 1912 - Whittier School, 86 Whittier St, Bridgeport, Connecticut * 1916 - Mrs. Bernard Blumberg House, 56 Lyon Ter, Bridgeport, Connecticut * 1916 - Maplewood Junior High School, 240 Linwood Ave, Bridgeport, Connecticut * 1917 - Fairfield Avenue Fire/Police Station, 2676 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport, Connecticut * 1917 - Welfare Building, Washington & Madison Aves, Bridgeport, Connecticut ** Demolished in the 1990s * 1919 - West Side Bank Building, 1460 State St, Bridgeport, Connecticut * 1921 - Temple Israel, 100 Willow St, Waterbury, Connecticut ** Demolished * 1922 - Newfield Branch Library, 755 Central Ave, Bridgeport, Connecticut * 1922 - West End Branch Library, 1705 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport, Connecticut * 1926 - Achavath Achim Synagogue, 725 Hancock Ave, Bridgeport, Connecticut. 1995. * 1928 - Central Fire Station, 72 New Haven Ave,

Milford, Connecticut Milford is a coastal city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located between New Haven and Bridgeport. The population was 50,558 at the 2020 United States Census. The city includes the village of Devon and the borough of Woodmont. ...

* 1932 - Ferdinand Frassinelli House, 33 Eames Blvd, Bridgeport, Connecticut * 1936 - Milford Courthouse, 14 W River St, Milford, Connecticut * 1938 - Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport, Connecticut''Bridgemen's Magazine'' 1938: 593. * 1939 - Orcutt Boys' Club, 102 Park St, Bridgeport, Connecticut

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Asheim, Leonard 1877 births 1961 deaths Architects from Bridgeport, Connecticut Architects from Waterbury, Connecticut 20th-century American architects Emigrants from the German Empire to the United States