![KingStreetStation2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/KingStreetStation2.jpg)
Reed and Stem (present-day WASA Studio) is an American
architectural and engineering firm. The firm was founded in
St. Paul, Minnesota in 1891 as a partnership between Charles A. Reed (1858–1911) and Allen H. Stem (1856–1931), the successful partnership captured a wide range of commissions. The firm was reformed as Wank Adams Slavin Associates in 1961, and adopted the name WASA Studio in 2004.
History
One early work was
Medical Hall on the campus of 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 ...
. They were, however, most widely known for their work on
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
s over the course of two decades. Through Reed's relationship, by marriage, to the president of the
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Mid ...
, they gained a high-profile commission for the
construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...
of New York's
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...
with the architecture firm of
Warren and Wetmore
Warren and Wetmore was an architecture firm in New York City which was a partnership between Whitney Warren (1864–1943) and Charles Delevan Wetmore (June 10, 1866 – May 8, 1941), that had one of the most extensive practices of its time and w ...
, and the newly hired
Alfred T. Fellheimer as lead architect. In addition, Reed and Stem undertook many significant projects for the
Great Northern Railway and the
Northern Pacific Railway. After Reed's death, Stem continued to practice with Fellheimer until his retirement in 1920.
![Michigan Central Train Station Exterior 2008 (HIE Film)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Michigan_Central_Train_Station_Exterior_2008_%28HIE_Film%29.jpg)
The firm moved from Minnesota to New York after being selected to design Grand Central Terminal.
[Katy Stech]
Manhattan Architecture Firm WASA Studio Files for Bankruptcy
''Wall Street Journal'' (July 28, 2015).
The Reed and Stem papers held by the Northwest Architectural Archives, in the Elmer L. Andersen Library, at the University of Minnesota constitute only a small portion of their output. Eight unique commissions are listed, and represent a sample of the firm's experience in non-railroad related commission work, namely residences and commercial buildings.
The firm was reformed as ''
Wank
Wank may refer to:
* WANK (computer worm), a computer worm that attacked DEC VAX/VMS systems through DECnet in 1989
* WXTY, a radio station (99.9 FM) licensed to serve Lafayette, Florida, United States, which held the call sign WANK from 2010 to 2 ...
Adams Slavin Associates'' in 1961, and adopted the name ''WASA Studio'' in 2004.
[Christopher DeSantis]
New York Firm WASA Studio Files for Bankruptcy
''Contract Magazine'' (July 31, 2015). The firm's office is located on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
.
In 2015, the firm—which had millions of dollars in debt and was facing several lawsuits from previous former clients—filed for
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...
and was granted
chapter 11 protection from creditors.
Major commissions
The firm "has worked on more than 100 train stations ... along with college campus buildings and corporate parks."
*
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...
,
New York, New York
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
, 1913, NRHP-listed
*
King Street Station
King Street Station is a train station in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is served by Amtrak's '' Cascades'', ''Coast Starlight'', and ''Empire Builder'', as well as Sounder commuter trains run by Sound Transit. The station also anchor ...
,
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
, 1906
*
Livingston Depot,
Livingston, Montana
Livingston is a city and county seat of Park County, Montana, United States. It is in southwestern Montana, on the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone National Park. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,040.
History
T ...
, 1902
*
Crane Ordway Building, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1904
*
The Saint Paul Hotel, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1910
*
Michigan Central Station
Michigan Central Station (also known as Michigan Central Depot or MCS) is the historic former main intercity passenger rail station in Detroit, Michigan. Built for the Michigan Central Railroad, it replaced the original depot in downtown Detroit ...
,
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
, 1913
*
Tacoma Union Station,
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, Olympia, and northwest of Mount ...
, 1911
*
Wulling Hall (Medical Hall),
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 ...
,
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, 1892
*Northern Pacific Depot,
Ellensburg, Washington
Ellensburg is a city in and the county seat of Kittitas County, Washington, United States. It is located just east of the Cascade Range near the junction of Interstate 90 and Interstate 82. The population was 18,666 at the 2020 census. and was ...
, 1910
*
Grand Central Palace
The Grand Central Palace was an exhibition hall in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The name refers to two structures, both located on Lexington Avenue near Grand Central Terminal.
The original structure was a six-story structure built in 1893 ...
, New York City, 1913 with
Warren and Wetmore
Warren and Wetmore was an architecture firm in New York City which was a partnership between Whitney Warren (1864–1943) and Charles Delevan Wetmore (June 10, 1866 – May 8, 1941), that had one of the most extensive practices of its time and w ...
, demolished 1964
*Saint Paul Athletic Club, St. Paul
*
Cincinnati Union Terminal
Cincinnati Union Terminal is an intercity train station and museum center in the Queensgate, Cincinnati, Queensgate neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Commonly abbreviated as CUT, or by its Amtrak station code, CIN, the Railroad terminal, termina ...
*
Jerome Robbins Theater
Work with the Northern Pacific Railway
During the tenure of President
Howard Elliott (1903–1912), the Northern Pacific Railway Company engaged in the upgrading of numerous depots across its system, from Minnesota to Washington. Many of these depots bear common architectural stamps, and are likely to be Reed and Stem designs. There is also the possibility the designs for smaller stations were drawn up by the Northern Pacific's Engineering Department, based on the design elements of Reed and Stem. In addition to the major works, such as the Tacoma Union Station and the former Montana Division Headquarters at Livingston, Montana, these lesser structures like Ellensburg, Washington, probably include:
![NPStaplesMNdepot1909](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/NPStaplesMNdepot1909.jpg)
*
Aitkin, Minnesota
Aitkin ( ) is a city in Aitkin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,168 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Aitkin County.
History
Before the establishment of City of Aitkin, a transient community of Lexington was lo ...
, 1916
*
Beach, North Dakota
Beach is a city in and the county seat of Golden Valley County in the State of North Dakota. The population was 981 at the 2020 census. Beach was incorporated in 1909. The mayor of Beach has been Henry Gerving since 2018.
History
Beach was first ...
*
Belgrade, Montana
Belgrade is a city in Gallatin County, Montana, United States. The population was 10,460 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city in Montana that is not a county seat.
Belgrade and surrounding areas are experiencing significant population gro ...
*
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Met ...
, 1909
*
Butte, Montana
Butte ( ) is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers , and, according to the ...
, 1906
*
Centralia, Washington
Centralia () is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. It is located along Interstate 5 near the midpoint between Seattle and Portland, Oregon. The city had a population of 18,183 at the 2020 census. Centralia is twinned with Ch ...
, 1912
*
Chehalis, Washington
Chehalis ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lewis County, Washington. The population was 7,439 at the time of the 2020 census.
Incorporated in 1883, Chehalis was primarily a logging and railroad town, with a shift towards farming in the m ...
, 1912
*
Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
Detroit Lakes is a city in the State of Minnesota and the county seat of Becker County. The population was 9,869 at the 2020 census. Its unofficial population during summer months is much higher, estimated by citizens to peak at 13,000 midsum ...
, 1908
*
Fergus Falls, Minnesota
Fergus Falls is a city in and the county seat of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,119 at the 2020 census.
History
The falls from which the city gets part of its name were discovered by Joe Whitford (a Scottis ...
*
Garrison, Montana
Garrison is a census-designated place (CDP) in Powell County, Montana, United States. The population was 112 at the 2000 census.
The traditional Salish name for the area that was later named Garrison Junction is ''snx̣ʷq̓pusaqs''. Groups wo ...
, demolished 2000
*
Helena, Montana, 1904
*
Missoula, Montana
Missoula ( ; fla, label=Salish language, Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula Cou ...
, 1901, Renaissance Revival style
*
Ritzville, Washington
Ritzville () is a city in Adams County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,673 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Adams County. The city is part of the Othello, WA Micropolitan Area, which comprises all of Adams County, ...
, 1910
*
Sandpoint, Idaho
Sandpoint (Kutenai language: kamanqukuⱡ) is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Bonner County, Idaho. Its population was 8,639 at the 2020 census.
Sandpoint's major economic contributors include forest products, light manufacturing, ...
, 1916
*
Staples, Minnesota
Staples is a city in Todd and Wadena counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 2,989 at the 2020 census.
History
Staples developed around a sawmill. The settlement was originally called Staples Mill, and under the latter nam ...
, 1909
*
Toppenish, Washington
Toppenish () is a city in Yakima County, Washington. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 8,854. It is located within the Yakama Indian Reservation, established in 1855.
Toppenish calls itself the city of Murals, as it has more than 7 ...
, 1911 The Northern Pacific's Toppenish depot is now the Northern Pacific Railway Museum
* Trident, Montana, 1909, moved to
Three Forks, Montana
Three Forks is a city in Gallatin County, Montana, United States and is located within the watershed valley system of both the Missouri and Mississippi rivers drainage basins — and is historically considered the birthplace or start of the M ...
, July 27, 2011, for rehabilitation into a museum)
*
Wallace, Idaho
Wallace, Idaho is a city in and the county seat of Shoshone County, Idaho, in the Silver Valley mining district of the Idaho Panhandle. Founded in 1884, Wallace sits alongside the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River (and Interstate 90), app ...
, 1902
*
Yakima, Washington
Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's 11th-largest city by population. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The uninc ...
, : The Northern Pacific built at least three depots in Yakima. The first when they began construction across
Stampede Pass
Stampede Pass (elevation ) is a mountain pass in the northwest United States, through the Cascade Range in Washington. Southeast of Seattle and east of Tacoma, its importance to transportation lies almost entirely with railroading, as no paved r ...
c. 1884, the second, larger wood structure in 1901 was alleged to have a clock tower, and the final depot in a style similar to that in nearby Ellensburg, Washington, c. 1912. The last was likely the Reed and Stem design. Another noted architect --
Cass Gilbert
Cass Gilbert (November 24, 1859 – May 17, 1934) was an American architect. An early proponent of skyscrapers, his works include the Woolworth Building, the United States Supreme Court building, the state capitols of Minnesota, Arkansas and ...
, designed the 1901 depot. This structure was later relocated to another part of town, and converted into an apartment building. As of 2010, it was still standing in Yakima, minus the clock tower. Because the Northern Pacific never installed clocks in a tower, instead they used their large Monad trademark (the ying-yang), adopted by the road in 1896. In addition to the 1901 depot at Yakima, Gilbert also designed the Northern Pacific's depots at
Little Falls, Minnesota,
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 ...
, and
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo ( /ˈfɑɹɡoʊ/) is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 125,990, making it the most populous city in the state and the 219th-most populous city in ...
.
Several of their works 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 ...
. These are (with attribution):
*One or more works in
Commercial District
A commercial district or commercial zone is any part of a city or town in which the primary land use is Commerce, commercial activities (Retailing, shops, offices, Theater (structure), theaters, restaurants and so on), as opposed to a residential ...
, Roughly bounded by Park, C, Clark, 3rd, and Callendar Sts.
Livingston, Montana
Livingston is a city and county seat of Park County, Montana, United States. It is in southwestern Montana, on the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone National Park. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,040.
History
T ...
(Reed & Stem), NRHP-listed
[
*]Fort Yellowstone
Fort Yellowstone was a U.S. Army fort, established in 1891 at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone was designated in 1872 but the Interior Department was unable to effectively manage the park. Administration was transfer ...
, Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming; Norris, Wyoming; Gardiner, Montana, near Buffalo Lake, Idaho Mammoth Hot Springs, WY (Reed and Stem, Reamer, Robert), NRHP-listed[
*]Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...
, 71–105 E. 42nd St. New York, New York
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
(Reed & Stem), NRHP-listed[
* Grand Central Terminal (Boundary Increase: Park Avenue Viaduct), 71-105 E. 42nd St., Park Ave. between E. 40th and E. 42nd Sts. ]New York, New York
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
(Reed & Stern), NRHP-listed[
*One or more works in Helena Railroad Depot Historic District, Roughly bounded by Railroad/Helena Aves., Gallatin St., N. Sanders St. and N. Harris St. Helena, Montana (Reed, Charles A.), NRHP-listed][
*]King Street Station
King Street Station is a train station in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is served by Amtrak's '' Cascades'', ''Coast Starlight'', and ''Empire Builder'', as well as Sounder commuter trains run by Sound Transit. The station also anchor ...
, 3rd St., S. and S. King St. Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
(Reed & Stem), NRHP-listed[
* Morris Park Station, under Espalanade at Bogart and Colden Ave. and Hone Ave. ]Bronx, New York
The Bronx () is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state, state of New York (state), New York. It is south of Westchester County, New York, Westchester County; north and east of the ...
(Reed & Stem), NRHP-listed[
* Northern Pacific Railroad Depot, Railroad and Higgins Ave. ]Missoula, Montana
Missoula ( ; fla, label=Salish language, Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula Cou ...
(Stem & Reed), NRHP-listed[
* Northern Pacific Railway Depot, 410 E. Main 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 ...
(Reed & Stem), NRHP-listed[
* Northern Pacific Railway Passenger Depot, 606 W. Third St. ]Ellensburg, Washington
Ellensburg is a city in and the county seat of Kittitas County, Washington, United States. It is located just east of the Cascade Range near the junction of Interstate 90 and Interstate 82. The population was 18,666 at the 2020 census. and was ...
(Reed & Stem), NRHP-listed[
* Forest Lodge Library, 13450 Cty Hwy M ]Cable, Wisconsin
Cable is a town in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 825 at the 2010 U.S. census. The census-designated place of Cable and the unincorporated communities of Leonards and Radspur are located in the town.
Geography
Acc ...
(Stem, Allen H.), NRHP-listed[
* New York, Westchester and Boston Railroad Administration Building, 481 Morris Park Ave. ]New York, New York
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
(Stem, Allen H.), NRHP-listed[
]
References
Sources
* Cone, Rufus L., and Dick, James C. Electronic mail, June 14, 2011. Dr. Cone is author of several articles on the history of the Northern Pacific Railway for the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association's quarterly ''The Mainstreeter.'' James C. Dick is volunteer archivist for the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association Archives in St. Paul, Minn.
Malby, Andy. ''Moving Day.'' Belgrade, Montana ''News.''
Accessed August 15, 2011. (Covers moving of Trident, Mont., depot to Three Forks, Mont., for use as a museum.)
Accessed June 15, 2011.
''Cass Gilbert Society Northern Pacific Railway Depot - Yakima.''
Accessed June 14, 2011.
Accessed June 15, 2011.
''NP Railroad Depot Museum.''
Accessed June 14, 2011.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed And Stem
*
Architecture firms based in Minnesota
American railway architects