William J. Brinkmann (12 August 1871 – 24 February 1911, Chicago), sometimes spelled Brinkman, was an

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 ...

known for his work designing

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

area churches. A son of

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immigrants, he was born and raised in Chicago and received his architectural training at the firm of

Burnham and Root Burnham and Root was one of Chicago's most famous architectural companies of the nineteenth century. It was established by Daniel Hudson Burnham and John Wellborn Root. During their eighteen years of partnership, Burnham and Root designed and ...

,"Heavenly City: The Architectural Tradition of Catholic Chicago by McNamara, Denis, (2005 Liturgy Training Publications) p.24 where he eventually supervised the construction of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Masonic Temple A Masonic Temple or Masonic Hall is, within Freemasonry, the room or edifice where a Masonic Lodge meets. Masonic Temple may also refer to an abstract spiritual goal and the conceptual ritualistic space of a meeting. Development and history In ...

, a

skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...

that was the world's tallest building at the time of its completion in 1892. After a tour of

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to further his architectural knowledge, Brinkmann settled in

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where for a few years he designed homes for political and industrial notables such as

Ulysses S. Grant Jr. Ulysses S. "Buck" Grant Jr. (July 22, 1852 – September 25, 1929) was an American attorney and entrepreneur. He was the second son of President Ulysses S. Grant. Early life and education Grant was born in Bethel, Ohio, on July 22, 1852. He gra ...

"Heavenly City: The Architectural Tradition of Catholic Chicago by McNamara, Denis, (2005 Liturgy Training Publications) p.70 His contemporaries described him as a "staunch Catholic." After returning to Chicago, Brinkmann made a name for himself designing churches, including St. Josaphat's, St. Michael's in the

South Chicago South Chicago, formerly known as Ainsworth, is one of the 77 community areas of Chicago, Illinois. This chevron-shaped community is one of Chicago's 16 lakefront neighborhoods near the southern rim of Lake Michigan 10 miles south of downtown. ...

neighborhood of Chicago near the Indiana border, St. Mary's in

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, and, most notably, the

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...

and

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for the Archbishops of Chicago in Mount Carmel Cemetery. He was one of the three architects involved in the design of

Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica is a Catholic basilica on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, which also houses the National Shrine of Saint Peregrine. Located at 3121 West Jackson Boulevard, within the Archdiocese of Chicago, it is, along with St ...

. He also designed exhibits for his former employer,

Daniel Burnham Daniel Hudson Burnham (September 4, 1846 – June 1, 1912) was an American architect and urban designer. A proponent of the '' Beaux-Arts'' movement, he may have been, "the most successful power broker the American architectural profession has ...

, for the

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in 1893, as well as some of the earliest large

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buildings in

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and Chicago. Brinkmann's death was unexpected, gruesome and mysterious: his mangled, decapitated body was found on train tracks near 73rd street in February 1911. The intrigue surrounding his death fed front-page newspaper accounts for several days, positing theories that Brinkmann had perhaps committed suicide after several years of illness, yet contradictory evidence prevented an inquest form finding a clear reason for his death or a finding of murder. His funeral was held at St. Leo's Church on 78th Street, a church he had himself designed in 1905. His death remains unsolved to this day.

References

Encyclopedia Chicago entry
1874 births 1911 deaths Architects from Chicago Architects of Roman Catholic churches Defunct architecture firms based in Chicago {{Chicago-stub