Vonnegut & Bohn was an architectural firm in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

in the United States. Founded in 1888 by Bernard Vonnegut Sr.,

FAIA Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) is a postnominal title or membership, designating an individual who has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Fellowship is bestowed by the institute on AIA-member ...

(1855–1908) and

Arthur Bohn Arthur Bohn, AIA, (1861–1948) was an American architect active from the 1880s to 1940s in Indiana. The firm went on to create many landmarks in Indianapolis and greater Indiana, and a number have been listed on the National Register of Histo ...

(b. 1861), all the partners were German Americans and were trained in both American and German architectural academies, which gave their works a distinct German influence. The firm was responsible for many public, institutional, commercial, religious and residential buildings throughout Indiana, particularly in Indianapolis.archINFORM Bernard Vonnegut
/ref> Bernard Vonnegut died in 1908. In 1910, Vonnegut's son, Kurt Vonnegut Sr. (1884–1957), returned from studying in Germany and became a principal in the firm. Later, Mueller joined as a partner and the firm was renamed Vonnegut, Bohn & Mueller Architects. Arthur Bohn retired in the 1940s. In 1946, Kurt Vonnegut Sr. merged the firm with George Caleb Wright (b. April 25, 1889) of Pierre & Wright and

Ralph Oscar Yeager Ralph Oscar Yeager, AIA, (1892 – 1960) was an American architect who worked in Indiana.archINFORM ...

(b. August 16, 1892) of

Miller & Yeager Miller & Yeager was an architectural firm in Terre Haute, Indiana in the United States. It was founded in 1925 by Ewing Miller and Ralph Oscar Yeager, AIA, (b. August 16, 1892).Terre Haute Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...

, Indiana) forming

Vonnegut, Wright & Yeager Vonnegut, Wright & Yeager was an architectural firm active in mid-twentieth-century Indiana. The firm was organized in 1946 as a partnership between the surviving partners of three Indiana firms: Kurt Vonnegut Sr. (1884–1957) of Vonnegut, ...

, which was located at 1126 Hume Mansur Building,

and 402 Opera House Building, Terre Haute, Indiana."Questionnaire for Architects’ Roster and/or Register of Architects Qualified for Federal Public Works

June 13, 1946. Kurt Vonnegut Sr. was the father of author

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...

, and is referred to, with the rest of the author's family, in many of his books.

Works by Vonnegut, Bohn & Mueller Architects

*The

Athenæum (Das Deutsche Haus) The Athenæum, originally named ''Das Deutsche Haus'' (German: "The German House"), is the most ornate and best-preserved building affiliated with the German American community of Indianapolis. Once used as a German American '' Turnverein'' and ...

, 401 E. Michigan Street, Indianapolis,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, German Renaissance Revival style, 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 ...

in 1973; (Design by Bernard Vonnegut and Arthur Bohn) * William H. Block Company Building, Indianapolis, Indiana, after 1910; (Design by Bernard Vonnegut and Arthur Bohn) * Herron Art Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana; (Design by Bernard Vonnegut) * Ayres Building, Indianapolis, Indiana; (Design by Bernard Vonnegut) *The Students Building, Indiana University at Bloomington; (Design by Bernard Vonnegut) * Delaware Street Temple, Indianapolis, Indiana; (Design by Bernard Vonnegut) *

Shortridge High School Shortridge High School is a public high school located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Shortridge is the home of the International Baccalaureate and arts and humanities programs of the Indianapolis Public Schools district.(IPS). Originall ...

, Indianapolis, Indiana; (Design by Bernard Vonnegut) *

Federal Building A federal building is a building housing local offices of various government departments and agencies in countries with a federal system, especially when the central government is referred to as the "federal government". Federal buildings in ...

Vincennes, Indiana Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the lower Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state, nearly halfway between Evansville and Terre Haute. Founded in 1732 by French fur ...

; (Design by Bernard Vonnegut) *

Indiana Bell Building Indiana Bell Building is a historic commercial building located in downtown Evansville, Indiana. It was designed by the architectural firm Vonnegut, Bohn, & Mueller and built in 1929 for Indiana Bell. It is a seven-story, Art Deco style limes ...

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...

, NRHP listed * Indiana Bell Telephone Building, Indianapolis, Indiana; (Design by Kurt Vonnegut Sr.)"Biographical on Kurt Vonnegut, Sr."
Lake Maxinkuckee Its Intrigue History & Genealogy; Culver, Marshall, Indiana * All Souls Unitarian Church, 1453 N. Alabama Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, first building; (Design by Kurt Vonnegut) *

Anderson Bank Building The Anderson Bank Building is a historic bank building located at Anderson, Indiana Anderson, named after Chief William Anderson, is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anders ...

Anderson, Indiana Anderson, named after Chief William Anderson, is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison County. Anderson ...

; (Design by Kurt Vonnegut ) * Hook's Drug Stores, buildings prior to World War II; (Design by Kurt Vonnegut ) * Kurt Vonnegut Sr. Residence, Indianapolis 4th Ward Washington Township, Marion County, Indiana, c. 1929; (Design by Kurt Vonnegut Sr.) * Kurt Vonnegut Sr. Residence, William's Creek, Indiana, 1941; (Design by Kurt Vonnegut) * Chemico Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1944; (Designed by Kurt Vonnegut Sr. and George Caleb Wright) * Evansville Telephone Building, Sycamore Street, Evansville, Indiana, 1922; (Designed by Kurt Vonnegut, Arthur Bohn, and O.N. Mueller) * Merchant's Building, Capitol Avenue and Georgia Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1914; (Designed by Kurt Vonnegut and Arthur Bohn) * Office building for United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1908; (Designed by Bernard Vonnegut and Arthur Bohn) * Vonnegut Hardware Company, 120 East Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1948; (Designed by Kurt Vonnegut, George Caleb Wright, and Ralph Oscar Yeager) * Meridian Service Company, Automobile Service Plant, 2421 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1926; (Designed by Kurt Vonnegut, Arthur Bohn, and O.N. Mueller)

References

External links

Photo of AthenæumPhoto of Herron Art InstituteVonnegut and Bohn Architectural Records
Drawings and Documents Archive, Ball State University Libraries. {{DEFAULTSORT:Vonnegut and Bohn Architecture firms based in Indianapolis Art Deco architects Beaux Arts architects Design companies established in 1888 Defunct companies based in Indianapolis Vonnegut family 1888 establishments in Indiana Design companies disestablished in 1946 1946 disestablishments in Indiana 1946 mergers and acquisitions