Louis Singleton Curtiss (July 1, 1865 – June 24, 1924) was a Canadian-born 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 ...

. Notable as a pioneer of the curtain wall design, he was once described as "the Frank Lloyd Wright of

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

".Kansas City Public Library
"The Frank Lloyd Wright of Kansas City"
/ref> In his career, he designed more than 200 buildings, though not all were realized. There are approximately 30 examples of his work still extant in

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 ...

where Curtiss spent his career, including his best known design, the Boley Clothing Company Building. Other notable works can be found throughout the American midwest.

Life and career

Curtiss was born in

Belleville, Ontario Belleville is a city in Ontario, Canada situated on the eastern end of Lake Ontario, located at the mouth of the Moira River and on the Bay of Quinte. Belleville is between Ottawa and Toronto, along the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. Its population ...

, Canada. He studied

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

and in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

before coming to

, in 1887.Biography of Louis Curtiss (1865-1924), Architect, accessed on January 25, 2010
/ref> In 1889, he began an architectural partnership with Frederick C. Gunn that produced over a dozen buildings. When the partnership dissolved in 1899, Curtiss, age 34, continued as a solo architect. Curtiss designed the Boley Clothing Company Building in

, which is renowned as "one of the first glass curtain wall structures in the world." The six-story building also features

cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a canti ...

floor slabs,

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...

structural detailing, and

terra cotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...

decorative elements. The

Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...

described Curtiss' residence for Bernard Corrigan as "an important regional example of the

Prairie Style Prairie School is a late 19th- and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hip roof, hipped roofs with broad Overhang (architecture), ove ...

" and "among the earliest residential structures in Kansas City to make extensive use of

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...

." Curtiss designed several buildings for the

Fred Harvey Company The Fred Harvey Company was the owner of the Harvey House chain of restaurants, hotels and other hospitality industry businesses alongside railroads in the Western United States. It was founded in 1876 by Fred Harvey to cater to the growing n ...

including the 1906

El Bisonte Hotel EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American p ...

Hutchinson, Kansas Hutchinson is the largest city and county seat in Reno County, Kansas, United States, and located on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch". As of the 2020 cen ...

, the 1907 Harvey House and hotel in

Emporia, Kansas Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 24,139. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 335 ...

, the 1907 Harvey House and hotel in

Wellington, Kansas Wellington is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,715. History 19th century Wellington was platted in 1871 and named for the Duke of Wellington. It w ...

, the 1908 Sequoyah Harvey House Hotel in

Syracuse, Kansas Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,826. History Syracuse began its existence as a stop on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Th ...

, and the 1909 El Ortiz Hotel in

Lamy, New Mexico Lamy is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States, south of the city of Santa Fe. The community was named for Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy, and lies within the ''Bishop John Lamy Spanish Land Grant'', which ...

. Other Curtiss railroad architecture included the 1910-1912 Union Terminal in

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...

, the 1909-1911

Santa Fe Railroad The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and S ...

depot in

Sweetwater, Texas Sweetwater is a municipality in and the seat of Nolan County, Texas, United States. It is 123 miles southeast of Lubbock and 40 miles west of Abilene, Texas. Its population was 10,906 at the 2010 census. History The town's name "Sweetwater" is t ...

, the 1909-1911

depot in

Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...

, the 1909-1911

depot in

Snyder, Texas Snyder is a town in, and the county seat of Scurry County, Texas, United States. The population was 11,202 at the 2010 census. The city is located in the lower part of the Southwestern Tablelands ecological region. History Snyder is named for ...

, the 1909-1911

depot in

Post, Texas Post is a city in and the county seat of Garza County, Texas, United States. Its population was 5,376 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. History Post is located on the edge of the caprock escarpment of the Llano Estacado, the southeas ...

, and the 1910-1911

Joplin Union Depot The Joplin Union Depot is a historic train station, railroad station located at Joplin, Missouri, Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri. The station was served by a number of railroads, two of which were the Kansas City Southern Railway and the Missouri- ...

Joplin, Missouri Joplin is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, Jasper and Newton County, Missouri, Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. J ...

. A number of his works are listed on the United States

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 ...

. Curtiss died in 1924 at his studio residence in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. He never married.

Works

* Boley Clothing Company Building, Kansas City, MO, NRHP-listed *

Bernard Corrigan House The Bernard Corrigan House is a historic residence at 1200 West 55th Street in the Country Club District, Kansas City, Missouri. The building is an important regional example of the Prairie Style, and it was one of the earliest residential struc ...

, 1200 W. 55th St.

Kansas City, MO 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 ...

(Curtis,Louis), NRHP-listed * Glick-Orr House, 503 N. Second St.

Atchison, KS Atchison is a city and county seat of Atchison County, Kansas, United States, along the Missouri River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 10,885. The city is named in honor of US Senator David Rice Atchison from Missouri a ...

(Curtiss,Louis), NRHP-listed *

Harvey House The Fred Harvey Company was the owner of the Harvey House chain of restaurants, hotels and other hospitality industry businesses alongside railroads in the Western United States. It was founded in 1876 by Fred Harvey to cater to the growing n ...

and hotel in

, *

, *Sequoyah House Harvey House hotel,

, 1908. * Norman Tromanhauser House, 3603 W. Roanoke Dr.

(Curtiss, Louis S.), NRHP-listed *

Western Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers The Western Branch of the National Home for Disabled Soldiers was established in 1885 in Leavenworth, Kansas to house aging veterans of the American Civil War. The campus (formerly ) is near Fort Leavenworth, and is directly adjacent to Leavenwo ...

, US 73 Leavenworth, KS (Curtiss, Louis, et al.), NRHP-listed *Santa Fe depot and Harvey House and hotel in

, * Union Terminal in

, which is the 1910-1912 Union Terminal in

depot in

1909-1911 *

depot in

, 1909-1911 *

depot in

, 1909-1911 *

depot in

, 1909-1911 *

on South Main Street at West A Street in

, from 1910-1911 (Curtiss,Louis), NRHP-listed * Argyle Building, 306 E. 12th St.

(Curtiss, Louis; Arthur S. Keene), NRHP-listed * Mineral Hall, 4340 Oak St.

(Curtiss,Louis S.), NRHP-listed *

Standard Theatre Standard Theatre or Standard Theater may refer to: ;in Australia *Royal Standard Theatre, in Sydney, known as "Standard Theatre", since demolished ;in Canada; * Standard Theatre (Toronto, Ontario) ;in the United States *Standard Theatre, early n ...

, 300 W. 12th St.

(Curtiss,Louis S.), NRHP-listed * Louis Curtiss Studio Building, 1116-1120 McGee St.

(Curtiss,Louis), NRHP-listed * El Ortiz Hotel in

* St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway office building,

Kingsville, Texas Kingsville is a city in the southern region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Kleberg County. Located on the U.S. Route 77 corridor between Corpus Christi and Harlingen, Kingsville is the principal city of the Kingsville Micropo ...

, 1912Photograph, "Office Building for the Frisco, Kingsville, Texas, Aug. 10, 1912", South Texas Archives, John E. Conner Museum, Kingsville *

St. Louis–San Francisco Railway The St. Louis–San Francisco Railway , commonly known as the "Frisco", was a railroad that operated in the Midwest and South Central United States from 1876 to April 17, 1980. At the end of 1970, it operated of road on of track, not includi ...

depot, 300 West Main Street,

Ada, Oklahoma Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,481 at the 2020 United States Census. The city was named for Ada Reed, the daughter of an early settler, and was incorporated in 1901. Ada is ...

, 1913. *One or more buildings in East Douglas Avenue Historic District, roughly bounded by Topeka, Rock Island, 1st, and English Sts.

Wichita, KS Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in ...

(Curtiss, Louis S.), NRHP-listed *One or more buildings in Excelsior Springs Hall of Waters Commercial East Historic District, roughly along portions of East and West Broadway and Main St. Excelsior Springs, MO (Curtiss, Louis S.), NRHP-listed *One or more buildings in

Muskogee Depot and Freight District Muskogee or Muscogee can refer to: *Muscogee, or Muscogee Creek, a Native American people of the southeastern woodlands *Muscogee (Creek) Nation, a federally recognized Muscogee tribe in Oklahoma * Muscogee language, a language spoken by some Musco ...

, roughly bounded by Columbus Ave., S. Main St., Elgin Ave., and S 5th St.

Muskogee, OK Muskogee () is the thirteenth-largest city in Oklahoma and the county seat of Muskogee County, Oklahoma, Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as ...

(Curtiss, Louis), NRHP-listed *One or more buildings in Quality Hill historic district, roughly bounded by Broadway, 10th, 14th, and Jefferson Sts.

(Curtiss,Louis S.), NRHP-listed *One or more buildings in Westheight Manor District, bounded roughly by 18th and 24th Sts., Oakland and State Aves.

Kansas City, KS Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of th ...

(Curtiss,Louis), NRHP-listed *One or more buildings in Westheight Manor Historic District (Boundary Increase), roughly bounded by State and Wood Aves., 18th and 25th Sts.

(Curtis,Louis), NRHP-listed

Gallery

File:Boley Clothing Co Building 1909 Kansas City MO.jpg, Boley Clothing Company Building, Kansas City, Missouri File:Bernard Corrigan House-01.jpg, Bernard Corrigan House, Kansas City, Missouri File:Glick-Orr house from E 2.JPG, Glick-Orr House, Atchison, Kansas File:Norman Tromanhauser House.jpg, Norman Tromhauser House, Kansas City, Missouri File:Joplin Union Depot.jpg, Union Depot, Joplin, Missouri File:Argylebuilding107.jpg, Argyle Building, Kansas City, Missouri File:Mineral-hall.jpg, Mineral Hall, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri File:Folly Theater burlesk.jpg, Standard Theater, Kansas City, Missouri File:Louis Curtiss Studio Building.jpg, Louis Curtiss Studio Building, Kansas City, Missouri File:El Ortiz, New Santa Fe Hotel, Lamy, N. M (NYPL b12647398-74438).tiff, El Ortiz Hotel, Lamy, New Mexico File:Jesse A. Hoel Residence.JPG, Jesse A. Hoel Residence, Kansas City, Kansas File:Harry G. Miller Residence.jpg, Harry G. Miller Residence, Kansas City, Kansas

References

External links

Louis Curtiss page at the Historic Kansas City Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Curtiss, Louis 1865 births 1924 deaths Canadian architects 19th-century American architects Prairie School architecture University of Toronto alumni Canadian emigrants to the United States American railway architects 20th-century American architects