Purcell & Elmslie (P&E) was the most widely know iteration of a progressive American architectural practice. P&E was the second most commissioned firm of the Prairie School, after

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

. The firm in all iterations was active from 1907 to 1921, with their most famous work being done between 1913 and 1921.

History

The firms consisted of three partnerships: Purcell and Feick (1907–10); Purcell, Feick, and Elmslie (1910–12), and Purcell and Elmslie (1913–21). Elmslie had joined the

Minneapolis 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 ...

-based firm in 1907, at the request of Purcell. The architects were commissioned for work in twenty-two states, participated in the competition for the National Parliament Buildings in Canberra, Australia, and prepared plans for a large institutional church, or Y.M.C.A., in

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi ...

, China. The two principals of the firm,

William Gray Purcell William Gray Purcell (July 2, 1880April 11, 1965) was a Prairie School architect in the Midwestern United States. He partnered with George Grant Elmslie, and briefly with George Feick. The firm of Purcell & Elmslie produced designs for building ...

(1880–1965) and

George Grant Elmslie George Grant Elmslie (February 20, 1869 – April 23, 1952) was a Scottish-born American Prairie School architect whose work is mostly found in the Midwestern United States. He worked with Louis Sullivan and later with William Gray Purcell as ...

(1869–1952) both eventually received Fellowships in the College 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 ...

. George Feick Jr. who was son of George Feick, an Ohio contractor, was the original partner with Purcell. Purcell and Feick had been students together at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

. They rejoined to tour in Europe together during 1906-1907 and then came to

to open their partnership. The firm had offices in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis. A number of works by each of the partnerships 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 ...

Notable commissions

* Steven House (1909), Eau Claire, Wisconsin * Dr. Ward Beebe House (1912), Saint Paul, Minnesota * Josephine Crane Bradley summer residence (Bradley Bungalow) (1912) Woods Hole, Massachusetts * Edison Shop (1912) Chicago, Illinois * Merchants National Bank (1912), Winona, Minnesota * Edna S. Purcell House (1913), Minneapolis, Minnesota *

Woodbury County Courthouse The Woodbury County Courthouse is located at 620 Douglas Street in Sioux City, the county seat of Woodbury County, Iowa, United States. It is regarded as "one of the finest Prairie School buildings in the United States" and has been declared a N ...

(1918), Sioux City, Iowa William L. Steele, Architect, Purcell & Elmslie, Associated Architects (George Grant Elmslie, designing architect) Works include (with attribution):

Works by Purcell & Feick

* Feick Building, built 1909, at 158-160 E. Market St.

Sandusky, OH Sandusky ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Erie County, Ohio, United States. Situated along the shores of Lake Erie in the northern part of the state, Sandusky is located roughly midway between Toledo ( west) and Cleveland ( east). Accor ...

(Purcell & Feick), NRHP-listed * Steven House, built 1909, at 606 Second Ave.

Eau Claire, WI Eau Claire (; ) (French for "clear water") is a city mostly located in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat, and with a small portion in Chippewa County, Wisconsin. It had a population of 69,421 in 2020, making it the state' ...

(Purcell & Feick), NRHP-listed * Stewart Memorial Presbyterian Church, built 1910, at 116 E. 32nd St.

Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...

( Purcell & Feick), NRHP-listed

Works by Purcell, Feick & Elmslie

* A. B. C. Dodd House, built 1910, at 310 3rd Ave. Charles City, IA ( Purcell,Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed *Two or three works in the NRHP-listed Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District, roughly bounded by Hannifan and N 1st Sts., Aves. C and A West Bismarck, ND (Purcell, Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed, specifically the Prairie School residences at 120 Avenue A West, at 610 Raymond Street, and at 402 Avenue B West. The Patrick E. Byrne House (120 Avenue A West) was built in 1912; the Timothy R. Atkinson House (402 Avenue B West) was built c.1910. and * Merchants National Bank, built in 1912, at 102 E. 3rd St. Winona, MN (Purcell,Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed * Dr. Oscar Owre House, built 1912, at 2625 Newton Ave., S.,

(Purcell,Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed * Merton S. Goodnow House, built 1913, at 446 S. Main St. Hutchinson, MN (Purcell,Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed * Charles and Grace Parker House, built 1913, at 4829 Colfax Ave. S.

(Purcell,Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed * Dr. John H. Adair House, built 1913, at 322 E. Vine St. Owatonna, MN (Purcell,Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed *Madison State Bank, Madison, Minnesota, built 1913, razed 1968

Works by Purcell & Elmslie

*One or more works in College Hills Historic District, roughly bounded by Colombia Rd., Amherst Dr., Bowdoin Rd., Corporate Limit, University Bay, and Harvard Dr.

Shorewood Hills, WI Shorewood Hills is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. It was established in 1927. The population was 2,169 at the 2020 census. Entirely surrounded by the city of Madison and Lake Mendota, it is part of the Madison Metropolitan S ...

(Purcell and Elmslie), NRHP-listed * Community House, First Congregational Church, 310 Broadway

(Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed * Exchange State Bank, NW corner of Main and 1st Sts. Grand Meadow, MN (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed * First National Bank (Rhinelander, Wisconsin), 8 W. Davenport St. Rhinelander, WI (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed * First National Bank of Adams, 322 Main St. Adams, MN (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed * First State Bank of LeRoy, Main St. and Broadway LeRoy, MN (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed * Dr. J. W. S. Gallagher House, 451 W. Broadway St. Winona, MN (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed * Jump River Town Hall, S of WI 73 Jump River, WI (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed * Kasson Municipal Building, 12 W. Main Kasson, MN (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed * Mrs. Richard Polson House, N of Spooner Spooner, WI (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed * William Gray Purcell House, 2328 Lake Pl.

(Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed * Windego Park Auditorium/Open Air Theater, between S. Ferry St. and Rum River Anoka, MN (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed *

, 7th and Douglas Sts.

Sioux City, IA Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, ...

(Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed

Photo gallery

File:Stewart Mem Church 2.jpg, Stewart Memorial Presbyterian Church; Minneapolis, Minnesota 1910, Purcell & Feick File:Oscar Owre.jpg, Oscar Owre House; Minneapolis, Minnesota 1911 File:Merchants National Bank Winona.jpg, Merchants National Bank (Winona, Minnesota), 1912 by Purcell and Elmslie File:Parker House 1.jpg, Parker House; Minneapolis, Minnesota 1912-13 File:Purcell and Elmslie Purcell-Cutts House MIA 9092.jpg, Edna S. Purcell House; Minneapolis, Minnesota 1913 by Purcell and Elmslie File:Hoyt House 1.jpg, E.S. Hoyt House; Red Wing, Minnesota 1913 File:McKinley Town Hall Jump River.jpg, McKinley Town Hall; Jump River, Wisconsin 1915 File:Woodbury-county-courthouse.jpg,

; Sioux City, Iowa 1916-18; with associated architect William L. Steele File:Exchange State Bank.jpg, Exchange State Bank in

Grand Meadow, Minnesota Grand Meadow is a city in Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The city is on the boundary between Grand Meadow Township and Frankford Township, and it is politically independent of both townships. The population was 1,139 at the 2010 censu ...

References

External links

Purcell and Elmslie
at Organica {{DEFAULTSORT:Purcell and Elmslie Architecture firms of the United States Design companies established in 1907 Prairie School architecture * Fellows of the American Institute of Architects Defunct architecture firms based in Minnesota Defunct architecture firms based in Pennsylvania Defunct architecture firms based in Illinois Design companies disestablished in 1921 1907 establishments in Minnesota 1921 disestablishments in Minnesota