William Max Haussmann Sr. (1906–1988) originally from

Rockledge, Pennsylvania Rockledge is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,638 as of the 2020 census. Rockledge is surrounded by Abington Township, and Philadelphia, and shares a ZIP Code with Jenkintown. Geography Accordin ...

, was an American architect who specialized in historical restoration and preservation for the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

. His 32-year federal career had a number of highlights, as it ranged from restoration work for the Sesquicentennial Celebration of 1931 in Yorktown, Virginia, to the restoration/reconstruction project of Ford's Theatre in the 1960s. He was a member of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

(AIA).

Personal life

Haussmann was the third of three children born to German immigrants: Carl Christian Haussmann from

Oberboihingen Oberboihingen is a municipality in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. Geography It is located 20 km southeast of Stuttgart on the railway line between Stuttgart and Tübingen. Curiosities At the station ...

Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Würt ...

, and Martha Louise (Kaiser), from

Apolda Apolda () is a town in central Thuringia, Germany, the capital of the Weimarer Land district. It is situated in the center of the triangle Weimar–Jena–Naumburg near the river Ilm, c. east by north from Weimar. Apolda station lies on the Hall ...

Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and larg ...

. He was a lifelong Episcopalian; he was raised in th
Memorial Church of the Holy Nativity
Episcopal Church, Rockledge, Pennsylvania. As a child, he met his future wife, Hannah "Marie" Vroom, whose family also attended this church; they married there in June 1933. They raised two children in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

.No Author Cited,
Obituary of William M. Haussmann, Sr.
', Washington Post, December 23, 1988. Retrieved December 1, 2015.Evison, Herbert, and Haussmann, William, ''Oral History Interview of William M. Haussmann,'' Interviewed by S. Herbert Evison, August 22, 1972, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Tape 143 and 144.

Career

After earning a degree in architecture from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

in 1928, Haussmann worked for several architecture firms. In 1931, Haussmann took a job with the

(NPS) of the

United States Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...

. He remained with NPS for 32 years, specializing in historical restoration and preservation. When he retired in 1963, he was the Chief of the National Capital Parks Office of Design and Construction in Washington, D.C. After retirement, he continued private architecture work.

Architectural projects

Government projects

* Yorktown, Virginia Sesquicentennial Projects (1931), to include Moore House, Yorktown, VA
Swan Tavern
Yorktown Sesquicentennial VIP and Special Guest Medallion-Shaped Badges (designer), and celebratory area arches and pylons (designer). * McKinley Park Hotel, Seattle, WA * Arlington House (Custis Lee Mansion), Arlington National Cemetery, VA * Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C. (chief design architect for the restoration) * Peterson House, Washington, D.C. (supervised execution of restoration drawings) * Old Stone House, M Street NW, Georgetown, D.C. (supervised execution of restoration drawings) *

Great Falls Tavern Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

, MD (supervised execution of restoration drawings) *

Germantown White House The Germantown White House (also known as the Deshler–Morris House) is a historic mansion in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the oldest surviving presidential residence, having twice housed Founding Father George Was ...

(formerly Deshler-Morris House), Germantown near Philadelphia, PA
Harry T. Thompson Boat Center
Washington, D.C. (architect)

Washington, D. C. (architect)
Watergate Concert Barges
ref name="oralhistory" />

Bridges and overpasses

Many of the bridges were influenced by the designs of

Gilmore Clarke Gilmore David Clarke (July 12, 1892 – August 8, 1982''New York Times'', August 10, 1982, p. B19: Gilmore D. Clarke, 90, is dead; designed major public works'.) was an American civil engineer and landscape architect who designed many park ...

, who designed many of the bridges on the George Washington Memorial Parkway between Rosslyn and Mount Vernon.) The Bureau of Roads was responsible for the engineering aspects, while the NPS provided the architectural design. Many of the bridges are concrete, some with rock facing.) * Baltimore-Washington Parkway bridge and overpass design *

Suitland Parkway The Suitland Parkway is a parkway in Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland, administered and maintained by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), National Capital Parks-East. The road has partial controlled access with a combin ...

bridge and overpass design *

Colonial Parkway Colonial Parkway is a scenic parkway linking the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. It is part of the National Park Service's Colonial National Historical Park. Virginia's official state cla ...

bridge and overpass design * George Washington Memorial Parkway bridges and overpasses, to include the Spout Run Bridge, Pimmit Run Bridge, and Donaldson Run Bridge.
Spout Run Arch Bridge, George Washington Memorial Parkway (1957-1959)
', Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Spout Run Arch Bridge, George Washington Memorial Parkway, HAER No. VA-79. Offered as one example of many bridges. Retrieved on December 1, 2015. * National Capital Parks Headquarters, Ohio Dr SW, D.C. (architect) * Educational buildings and comfort stations for National Parks (architect); various locations. *

Carter Barron Amphitheatre The Carter Barron Amphitheatre is a 4,200-seat outdoor performance venue in Washington, D.C., United States. Located in Rock Creek Park, the amphitheatre opened in 1950, in honor of the 150th anniversary of Washington, D.C. as the United States' ca ...

, Rock Creek Park, D.C. (architect) 4,200 seats, opened in 195
Carter Barron History - Rock Creek Park (U.S. National Park Service)
ref name="oralhistory" /> * Netherlands Carillon Tower, Arlington, VA (NPS project manager) **For his work associated with the Carillon Tower, Mr. Haussmann was awarded the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

, Knight (5th Class), on behalf of the Queen of the Netherlands, April 20, 1955. **Note: Mr. Haussmann traveled to Europe in August 1952 in association with the "Bells for America" committee.

Private architecture projects

Trinity Episcopal Church
main sanctuary, Arlington, VA (1957). He was a longtime parishioner, vestryman, and member of the choir at this church. * Other church projects for St. Andrew's (Arlington, VA) and St. Christopher's (Springfield, VA). * Private family houses, including his own; several were located on his street: South 5th Street, Arlington, VA. (His house was constructed in 1935.) * Park designs for Run Park, Accotink Park, and Burke Lake Park, Northern VA.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haussmann, William M. Sr. 20th-century American architects People from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania National Park Service personnel 1906 births 1988 deaths