Adolf Ludwig Cluss (July 14, 1825 – July 24, 1905) also known as Adolph Cluss was a German-born American immigrant who became one of the most important, influential and prolific

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 ...

s in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, in the late 19th century, responsible for the design of numerous schools and other notable public buildings in the capital. Today, several of his buildings are still standing. He was also a City Engineer and a Building Inspector for the Board of Public Works. Red brick was Cluss' favorite building material; that, and his early communist sympathies, led some to dub him the "Red Architect", though he was a man who in later life became a confirmed Republican.

Life

He was born on July 24, 1825, in

Heilbronn Heilbronn () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn (district), Heilbronn District. From the late Middle Ages on, it developed into an important trading centre. At the begi ...

in the Kingdom of

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 Province of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern, two other histo ...

in Southwest

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. He was the fifth child of Johann Heinrich Abraham Cluss (1792–1857) and Anna Christine Neuz (1796–1827). His father was a master builder, and young Cluss set out as an itinerant carpenter when he left Heilbronn at age nineteen. In his travels, he met and became a friend of

Karl Marx Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...

and a supporter of

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

principles at a time of political and revolutionary ferment in Germany. He joined the Communist League and became a member of the

Mainz Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...

Worker Council. The failure of the German revolutionary movement in 1848 led him to leave Germany when he was twenty-three, along with other '' Forty-Eighters'' who emigrated to the United States at that time. In the United States, he continued his political activity into the 1850s, maintaining an extensive correspondence with Marx and

Engels Friedrich Engels ( ;"Engels"
''

Early life in America

Adolf-cluss-in-front-of-the-national-museum

Adolf Cluss immigrated to the United-States in 1848 at the age of 23. He crossed the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

on board the Zürich, a small sailing ship from

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He spent the first six months in New York City where he perfected his English. He looked for work in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

and finally settled in Washington, D.C., in the 1849. In the summer of 1849, he started working for the United States Coast Survey as a technical draftsman surveying the Maryland and Virginia coastlines. The following year, he worked at the

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is a ceremonial and administrative center for the United States Navy, located in the federal national capital city of Washington, D.C. (federal District of Columbia). It is the oldest shore establishment / base of ...

designing various project for the Ordnance Department. He did not like this position or his life in the city and considered going back to Europe. He considered becoming a bookseller in 1852, requesting funds from his father who did not provide the funds. In 1855, he became a US citizenRed Architect' Adolf Cluss: A Study in Sturdy'' - Benjamin Forgey - Washington Post - September 17, 2005 and transferred to the US Treasury Department as a technical draftsman.Adolf-Cluss.org - Career and Profession - http://www.adolf-cluss.org/index.php?lang=en&content=w&topSub=washington&sub=3.3 He became an abolitionist sometime after that time. He briefly returned to Europe in 1859 to receive his share of the inheritance this father had left him when he died in 1857 and returned to Philadelphia. He attempted to become a brewer with a friend but the business soon failed and he was back to his old position in the Ordnance Department at the Washington Navy Yard working closely with Admiral John A. Dahlgren.

Private Practice

Adolf Cluss started his private practice in 1862. While America was torn apart in the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

and while still working at the Navy Yard, Cluss started an architectural office with another German immigrant Josef Wildrich von Kammerhueber. He continued to work full-time at the Navy Yard until the following year and part-time as an architect. His partner was working full-time from Cluss' house on 2nd Street, NW. In 1864, their breakthrough was the Wallach School. Adolf Cluss was 39 years old. Cluss and Kammerhueber were also civil engineers as many architects at the time. In 1864, the City of Washington requested Cluss and Kammerhueber to write a report on the Washington City Canal and the sewer system. This report led to the Canal being finally covered over in 1871 which had become an open sewer on the

National Mall The National Mall is a Landscape architecture, landscaped park near the Downtown, Washington, D.C., downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institu ...

.Adolf-Cluss.org - Engineer in Washington DC - http://www.adolf-cluss.org/index.php?lang=en&content=h&topSub=adolf&sub=1.4 The partnership ended in 1868. He became an active member of the American Institute of Architects in 1867.''Noted Architect, Adolf Cluss, Dead'' - The Washington times - 25 July 1905 - page 4

Board of Public Works

Cluss maintained his solo private practice but became a Building Inspector for the Board of Public Works in Washington, DC. The Board was the most powerful entity in the city. Cluss wrote building regulations and was a major proponent of the use of building permits and inspections. On October 18, 1872, he was appointed by President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

as a member of the Board of Public Works and City Engineer. This came at the recommendation of Governor Cooke, Alexander "Boss" Shepherd and his predecessor Alfred B. Mullett.''Change in the Board of Public Works'' - Evening Star October 19, 1872 - page 1 Cluss had become a member of the local Republican party by then and had led a volunteer committee of local Republicans coordinating parts of the President's inauguration after having been re-elected that same year. He also volunteered in President James A. Garfield's inauguration committee in 1880. The Board had been working to improve the city by paving and grading roads, adding sewers and planting trees but there was a cost associated with this. The expenditures by the Board of Public Works led the city to be on the brink of bankruptcy. Adolf Cluss testified before a Joint Committee in May 1874. His appointment was revoked by the President on May 25, 1874.Testimony of Adolf cluss – Report of the House Committee on Immigration and Naturalization under Joint Resolution of Senate and House of January 29, 1892 – Page 581 Congress to pass legislation on June 30, 1874, abolishing the territorial government and replacing it with the three-member Board of Commissioners.

Return to private practice

In 1877, he partnered with architect Frederick Daniel with an office at 701 15th Street, NWBoyd's Directory - 1877 - page 200 but the partnership came to an end in 1878. The following year, he started working with architect Paul Schulze. The partnership came to an end in 1889 when Cluss retired from his private practice having built almost 90 buildings including at least eleven schools, as well as markets, government buildings, museums, residences and churches. Cluss' schoolhouse designs were particularly innovative and influential, though only two of his red-brick school masterpieces remain, Franklin School and Sumner School in downtown Washington. The Franklin School was completed in 1869 earning the Washington public school system a Medal for Progress. He designed four major buildings on the

, including the still-standing Smithsonian

Arts and Industries Building The Arts and Industries Building is the second oldest (after The Castle) of the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Initially named the National Museum, it was built to provide the Smithsonian with its first proper faci ...

. He built six houses of worship including Calvary Baptist Church which still stands. Two of the city's largest food markets, Center Market (1872) and Eastern Market (1873), were built to his design. The first was torn down in 1931 to be replaced by the

National Archives Building The National Archives Building, known informally as Archives I, is the headquarters of the United States National Archives and Records Administration. It is located north of the National Mall at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue (Washington, D.C.), Penn ...

. The second is still standing having survived a fire in 2007. His flagship store for Lansburgh's opened in 1882. Cluss was also active as a builder of mansions for the Washington elite, such as Stewart's Castle on

Dupont Circle Dupont Circle is a historic roundabout park and Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Washington, D.C., located in Northwest (Washington, D.C.), Northwest D.C. The Dupont Circle neighborhood is bounded approximately by 16th St ...

. In 1880, he was hired to create what became Washington's first luxury apartment building, Portland Flats, an ornate, six-floor, 39-unit creation on the south side of Thomas Circle. Almost all of Cluss' residential creations have been demolished—Portland Flats, for instance, was torn down in 1962 to make way for an office building. In 1877, he was commissioned to oversee the reconstruction of the Old Patent Office Building (today the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

) in Washington, D.C.

American Institute of Architects involvement

Adolf Cluss was an active member of the

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

. He became a fellow of the Institute in 1876. He also attended several conventions over the years: * 21st Annual Convention of the American Institute of Architects – October 19 to October 21, 1887, in Chicago, IL. * 22nd Annual Convention of the American Institute of Architects – October 17 to October 19, 1888, in Buffalo, New York, during which he presented a paper: ''Mortars and Concretes of Antiquity and Modern Times''. He attended the conversation with some of his daughters as reported by the transcript of the convention. * 24nd Annual Convention of the American Institute of Architects – October 22, 1890, in Washington, DC. * 25th Annual Convention of the American Institute of Architects – October 28, 1891, in Boston, MA * 32nd Annual Convention of the American Institute of Architects – November 1, 1898, in Washington, D.C. Presented a communication on Acoustics.The Inland architect and news record. v.31-32 1898-1899 Feb-Jan. - November 1898 - page 38 He was one of the founding members of the Washington, D.C., chapter in 1887. He attended Annual Meetings of the Washington Chapter including the January 7, 1898, meeting. In 1889, he was elected for one year as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Architects.

Inspector of Federal Buildings

He became an Inspector of Federal Buildings in the Office of the Supervising Architect under the

United States Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the Treasury, national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current United States federal executive departments, U.S. government departments. ...

in 1889Testimony of Adolf Cluss - Report of the House Committee on Immigration and Naturalization under Joint Resolution of Senate and House of January 29, 1892 - Page 581 after closing his private office in June of that year.Adolf-Cluss.org - Inspector of Public Buildings, Office of Supervising Architect, U.S. Treasury Department - http://www.adolf-cluss.org/index.php?lang=en&topSub=adolf&content=w&sub=1.6 He inspected the

Ellis Island Ellis Island is an island in New York Harbor, within the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. Owned by the U.S. government, Ellis Island was once the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United State ...

buildings in February 1892 and wrote a report on July 15, 1892, a few months after the first Immigration Station opened. He testified in front of the House Committee on Immigration and Naturalization on how the humidity was a concern in the building only a few months after it was built. He also inspected many other buildings around the country including the Post Office designed by Alfred B. Mullet in Chicago. On September 1, 1894, a few months after the death of his wife and after the victory by the Democrats, he was asked for his resignation by

Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

John G. Carlisle John Griffin Carlisle (September 5, 1834July 31, 1910) was an American attorney and Democratic Party politician from Kentucky. He represented Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives from 1877 to 1890, serving as the 31st Speake ...

. He had solicited letters of support from several prominent people but was replaced by a Democrat.

Personal life

On February 8, 1859, he married Rosa Schmidt (1835–1894) at Zion Lutheran Church in Baltimore, Maryland.The Cluss and Schmidt Families in Germany and America - https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jbrowne&id=I00084Adolf-Cluss.org - Family Stories - http://www.adolf-cluss.org/index.php?lang=en&content=w&topSub=washington&sub=3.1 They lived in a row house at 413 2nd Street, NW between D Street, NW and E Street, NW for thirty-five years. They raised seven children in that house. * Lillian Cluss: She was born on January 2, 1860. She had married William Daw and lived above the Daw's pharmacy at 23rd and H Street NW. She died on February 16, 1935. * Anita T. Cluss: She was born on September in 6, 1861. She was a harpist at St. John's Church and in the Georgetown Orchestra. She died on November 25, 1917. * Adolph S. Cluss: He was born on January 29, 1863. He worked as a clerk for his father. He died in 1886 at the age of 23 of typhoid fever. * Carl Louis Cluss: He was born on August 14, 1865. He worked as pharmacist. He died 1894 (6 months after his mother) of typhoid fever at the age of 29. * Flora Maude Cluss: she was born in December 1870. She married Henry S. Lathrop (of New York) on January 21, 1901, and then moved to New York. She died around 1953. * Robert Cluss: He was born on November 4, 1873. He died in April 1893 at the age of 19 of tuberculosis. * Richard Basil Cluss: He was born on September 30, 1875. His wife died on April 10, 1894 a year after her son Robert of a lengthy respiratory illness. Following the death of Robert, Carl and Rosa Schmidt, Flora and Anita moved to their sister Lillian's house. As published in the Evening Star on March 18, 1897, Cluss was on the Delinquent District of Columbia Real Estate Tax List owing $8.41 as of July 1, 1896. In the spring and summer of 1898, Cluss traveled to Germany, Italy and Central Europe and visited his older sister's (Caroline De Millas née Cluss) family in Heidelberg, Germany. Adolf Cluss died on July 24, 1905, in Washington, D.C., at the age of 80 years. He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery (Plot: Van Ness, Lot 161 East).

Interviews and publications

* November 13, 1872: ''Our Modes of Building'' – Evening Star. Opinion of Architect Cluss on mansard roofs and the risque of fire following the Great Boston fire of 1872. * May 1875: ''Modern Street – Pavements'' – Popular Science Monthly. * October 1876: ''Architecture and Architects at the Capital of the United States from its Foundation until 1875'' – The American Architect and Building News (Supplement) presented at the Tenth Annual Convention of the American Institute of Architects on October 11, 1876, in Philadelphia, PA. * October 1888: ''Mortars and Concretes of Antiquity and Modern Times'' – The Inland Architect and News Record (October 1888), Building Budget (October 1888) and Building (November 10, 1888). Presented but not read at the 22nd Annual Convention of the American Institute of Architects in Buffalo, NY from October 17 to October 19, 1888. * November 1898: Professor W. C. Sabine of Harvard University presented a paper title ''Acoustics'' followed by a communication by Adolf Cluss at the 32nd Annual Convention of the American Institute of Architects in Washington, DC.

Legacy

Today, several buildings designed and built by Adolf Cluss still stand in the Washington, D.C., area: * Calvary Baptist Church * Eastern Market * Franklin School * Sumner School * Metropolitan Hook & Ladder Company Fire Engine House – 438 Massachusetts Avenue, NW * Smithsonian Institution, Arts and Industries Building * Masonic Temple * Alexandria City Hall In 2005, after a ceremonial resolution by the DC Council, DC Mayor Anthony A. Williams made a proclamation that 2005 would be "Adolf Cluss Year" from July 2005 to June 2006. Joint exhibitions would be presented in Washington, D.C., at the Charles Sumner School Museum and at the Stadtarchiv in his birthplace of Heilbronn, Germany. Both exhibits closed but a website remains
Adolf-Cluss.org
A small street in Washington, D.C., was named in his honor: Adolf Cluss Court. It connects C St SE to D St SE between 12th Street SE and 13th St SE. A bridge is named in his honor in his birthplace of Heilbronn, Germany over the

Neckar The Neckar () is a river in Germany, mainly flowing through the southwestern States of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg, with a short section through Hesse. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the Rhine. Rising in the Schwarzwald-Baar ...

river, at .

Buildings

A descriptive list of Cluss's known buildings and an interactive map showing their locations can be found here.Cluss-Buildings - the Red Brick City around 1900
at www.adolf-cluss.org While Adolf Cluss designed and built close to 90 different buildings in his career, only a few survive to this day. In green are the buildings still standing today.

Churches

Markets

Schools

Federal buildings

Military commissions

Local governments

Hospitals and homes

Museums

Commercial and office buildings

Hotels and boarding houses

Halls

Residential

Others

Construction oversight

Adolf Cluss took some projects as a builder (general contractor) designed by other architects.

Notes

External links

Adolf Cluss, An International Exhibition Project

''Goethe Institute newsletter'', June 2009
CLUSS
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cluss, Adolf 1825 births 1905 deaths American communists German-American Forty-Eighters 19th-century German architects German communists Architects from Washington, D.C. People of Washington, D.C., in the American Civil War 19th-century American architects People from Heilbronn Washington, D.C., Republicans Burials at Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.) Washington, D.C., government officials Washington, D.C., in the American Civil War Fellows of the American Institute of Architects