Mendelssohn, Fisher and Lawrie was a significant

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

firm in early

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

. Fisher & Lawrie continued. A number of their works 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 ...

History

Louis Mendelssohn was born in

Berlin, Germany Berlin ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the highest population within its city limits of any city in the European Union. The city is also one of the states of ...

in 1842, and studied in New York City, United States before forming the partnership of Dufrene and Mendelssohn in Omaha in 1881. The pair were responsible for designing the 1884

Christian Specht Building The Christian Specht Building is located at 1110 Douglas Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. It is the only existing building with a cast-iron facade known in Nebraska today, and one of the few ever built in the state. The building was deemed an ...

Downtown Omaha Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east ...

. The following year Mendelssohn left Dufrene to partner with George Fisher, with whom he operated a firm until 1886. Fisher was born in Michigan in 1856, and graduated from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

in 1880 with a degree in

civil engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

. Eventually, Harry Lawrie, born in

Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

in ''est'' 1858, who had nine years of experience in Glasgow and

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

before immigrating to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

in 1883, moved to Omaha and joined the firm in 1887. During Omaha's building boom in the 1880s and 90s the firm designed several significant buildings. Mendelssohn left in 1893, leaving Fisher and Lawrie to continue until 1913. Fisher died in 1931, and Lawrie died in 1935.

Notable designs

* John A. Horbach Building - Built in 1894, it was named an Omaha Landmark in 1979, and was added to the NRHP. ;Works by Durfene & Mendelssohn *

, built 1884, at 1110 Douglas St.

(Durfene & Mendelssohn), NRHP-listed - Built in 1884, it was added to the NRHP in 1977. ;Works by Mendelssohn & Lawrie * G. C. Moses Block, built in 1887, at 1234-1244 S 13th St.

(Mendelssohn & Lawrie), NRHP-listed * Bemis Omaha Bag Company Building, built in 1887, at 614-624 S. 11th St. and 1102-1118 Jones St.

(Mendelssohn & Lawrie), NRHP-listed, named an Omaha Landmark in 1978. ;Works by Mendelssohn, Fisher & Lawrie * Old University Library, 11th and R Sts.

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...

(Mendelssohn, Fisher & Lawrie), NRHP-listed, Old Library - Located on the

University of Nebraska-Lincoln A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

, it was built in 1895 and added to the NRHP in 1975. * Broatch Building - Built in 1880 and 1887, it was named an Omaha Landmark in 1983, and was added to the NRHP as a contributing building in the Old Market Historic District (Article says Mendelssohn, Fisher & Lawrie) * Mason School - Built in 1888, it was added to the NRHP in 1986. (Article states Mendelssohn, Fisher & Lawrie; NRIS2010a version states Hadden, Rocheford & Gould; Et al., however Hadden, Rocheford, & Gould were the general contractors.) * Minne Lusa Pumping Station - Built between 1888 and 1889, this classically styled building was built at the Florence Water Works. It was a massive building of Warrensburg sandstone with a central tower rising four stories over the arched entrance. The building housed the high service pump and huge boilers that filtered water flowed to the city water mains. It was demolished in the 1960s. (Mendelssohn, Fisher and Lawrie) * Hicks Terrace, built in 1890, at 3005-3011 Pacific Street and 1102 South 30th Avenue in South Omaha, Nebraska. Named an Omaha Landmark in 1981. (Mendelssohn, Fisher & Lawrie) * Knutsford Hotel, built in 1891 in Salt Lake City, Utah, this 132-foot-by-132-foot upscale hotel with 250 rooms was built completely of granite at a cost of $750,000. It was eventually converted to a department store before being demolished. * McCornick Building (1890-93), 10 W. 100 South,

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Salt ...

, NRHP-listed ;Works by Fisher & Lawrie (1893–1913) * Alfred H. and Sarah Frahm House, 220 S. 15th St.

Fort Calhoun, Nebraska Fort Calhoun is a city in Washington County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,108 at the 2020 census. The city includes Fort Atkinson, the first fort built west of the Missouri River. History Fort Calhoun was platted in 1855. ...

(Fisher and Lawrie), NRHP-listed * Heber Hord House, 1505 Sixteenth St.

Central City, Nebraska Central City is a city in and the county seat of Merrick County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Grand Island metropolitan area. The population was 3,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Early inhabitants The in ...

(Fisher & Lawrie), NRHP-listed * Kennedy Building, built 1910, 1517 Jackson St.

(Fisher & Lawrie), NRHP-listed * Morton-James Public Library, 923 1st Corso

Nebraska City, Nebraska Nebraska City is a city in and the county seat of Otoe County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 7,222. The Nebraska State Legislature has credited Nebraska City as being the oldest incorporated city in th ...

(Fisher & Lawrie), NRHP-listed * Sacred Heart Catholic Church - Built in 1902, it was added to the NRHP in 1983. (Fisher & Lawrie), NRHP-listed * Saunders County Courthouse, Chestnut between 4th and 5th Sts.

Wahoo, Nebraska Wahoo (; from Dakota language, Dakota meaning "Euonymus atropurpureus, arrow wood") is a city and the county seat of Saunders County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,818 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Wah ...

(Fisher & Lawrie), NRHP-listed * Schuyler Carnegie Library, 1003 B St. Schuyler, Nebraska (Fisher & Lawrie), NRHP-listed * Montgomery County Jail, 100 W. Coolbaugh St.

Red Oak, Iowa Red Oak is a city in, and the county seat of, Montgomery County, Iowa, United States, located along the East Nishnabotna River. The population was 5,596 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 6,197 population in 2000. History Red Oak derives ...

(Fischer & Lawrie), NRHP-listed ;Works by Lawrie and others * City National Bank Building and Creighton Orpheum Theater, 16th and Harney Sts.

(Lawrie, Harry), NRHP-listed * Dauphin County Courthouse, Jct. of Front and Market Sts.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg ( ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,099 as of 2020, Harrisburg is the ninth-most populous city in Pennsylvania. It is the larger of the two pr ...

(Lawrie and Green), NRHP-listed * Paul Gering House, 423 N. 6th St. Plattsmouth, Nebraska (Lawrie, Harry & W.E. Stockham), NRHP-listed * Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Memorial Hall, 908 1st Corso

(Lawrie, Harry), NRHP-listed * Highspire High School, 221 Penn St.

Highspire, Pennsylvania Highspire is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,741 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, an increase over the figure of 2,399 tabulated i ...

(Lawrie & Green), NRHP-listed * Kirschbraun and Sons Creamery, Inc., 901 Dodge St.

(Lawrie, Harry), NRHP-listed * Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, 2300 North Cameron Street Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (Lawrie & Green) * Thos. D. Murphy Co. Factory and Power Plant, 110 S. 2nd St.

(Lawrie, Harry), NRHP-listed * Troy Public High School, 250 High St. Troy, Pennsylvania (Lawrie and Lappley), NRHP-listed * World Theater, 1506 Douglas Street,

(Lawrie, Harry, Supervising Architect of C. Howard Crane design), Razed 1980

References

{{reflist Companies based in Omaha, Nebraska Defunct architecture firms based in Nebraska Architecture in Omaha, Nebraska University of Michigan alumni

History

Notable designs

See also

References