Purcell & Elmslie (P&E) was the most widely known iteration of a progressive American

architectural practice In the United States, an architectural firm or architecture firm is a business that employs one or more licensed architects and practices the profession of architecture; while in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and other countri ...

. P&E was the second most commissioned firm of the

Prairie School Prairie School is a late 19th and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...

, after

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

. 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 a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

-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 Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city, and the eighth-largest Australian city b ...

, and prepared plans for a large institutional church, or Y.M.C.A., in

Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. The two principals of the firm,

William Gray Purcell William Gray Purcell (July 2, 1880April 11, 1965) was an American architect of the Prairie School in the Midwestern United States. He partnered with George Grant Elmslie, and briefly with George Feick, Jr., George Feick. The firm of Purcell & Elms ...

(1880–1965) and

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

(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. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

. George Feick Jr. who was son of

George Feick George Feick (January 23, 1849 - November 11, 1932) was a German-American builder in Sandusky and Oberlin, Ohio. His works include the Wyoming State Capitol, multiple buildings at Oberlin College, and numerous office buildings, churches, school ...

, an Ohio contractor, was the original partner with Purcell. Purcell and Feick had been students together at

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

. 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 Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

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 Na ...

(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 Erie County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, Sandusky is located roughly midway between Toledo ( west) and Cleveland ( east). At the 2020 census, the city had a p ...

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

Eau Claire, WI Eau Claire ( ; lit. "clear water") is a city in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the seat of Eau Claire County. It is the seventh-most populous city in Wisconsin, with a population of 69,421 at the 2020 ...

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

Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

( 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 Purcell & Elmslie (P&E) was the most widely known iteration of a progressive American architectural practice. P&E was the second most commissioned firm of the Prairie School, after Frank Lloyd Wright. The firm in all iterations was active from 19 ...

), 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 Bismarck (; from 1872 to 1873: Edwinton) is the capital city of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the seat of Burleigh County. It is the state's second-most populous city, after Fargo. The population was 73,622 at the 2020 census, and was ...

(Purcell, Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed, specifically the

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 Winona ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, Minnesota, United States. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf. The population was 25,948 at the 2020 census. Hi ...

(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 The Ezra Abbott House is a historic house in Owatonna, Minnesota, United States. Built in 1913, it was designed by architects Purcell, Feick & Elmslie in Prairie School style patterned onto American Foursquare massing. The house was listed o ...

, 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 The College Hills Historic District is a residential historic district in Shorewood Hills, Wisconsin that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. It includes architect-designed homes by Purcell and Elmslie and other ...

, roughly bounded by Colombia Rd., Amherst Dr., Bowdoin Rd., Corporate Limit, University Bay, and Harvard Dr. Shorewood Hills, WI (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 Rhinelander is a city in Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 8,285 at the 2020 census. History The area that eventually became the city of Rhinelander was originally called Pelican Rapids by early s ...

(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.

(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 (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 1,127 at the 2020 cen ...

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