Proudfoot & Bird
Proudfoot & Bird et al. was an American architectural firm or partnership that designed many buildings in the U.S. Midwest. Partners included Willis Thomas Proudfoot (1860–1928) (who also went by W.T. or Willis T., and, confusingly, by William T.) and George Washington Bird (1854–1953) and Harry Dustan Rawson (1872–1934). At times it was known as Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson, Proudfoot, Rawson & Souers, Proudfoot, Rawson, Souers & Thomas, Monheim, Bird & Proudfoot, Proudfoot, Rawson Brooks & Borg, Brooks - Borg Architects - Engineers, Brooks Borg and Skiles Architects Engineers, and finally BBS Architects|Engineers.[1][2][3]
A large number of their buildings which survive are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.[4] Many or all of these were listed as part of one 1988 study and multiple property submission.[4][5] In 1988 there were 25 known surviving Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson buildings in Des Moines alone.[5]:10 Their work was also part of the architecture event in the art competition at the 1928 Summer Olympics.[6]
List of works
Their works include:[4]
- Abraham Lincoln High School, 2600 SW 9th St., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson)
- Alumni Hall, Iowa State University campus, Ames, Iowa (Proudfoot & Bird)
- August H. Bergman House, 629 First Ave. E., Newton, Iowa (Proudfoot & Bird)
- Best-Cannon House, 1146 S. 900 East, Salt Lake City, Utah (Monheim, Bird & Proudfoot)
- Bethel College Administration Building, Bethel College campus, North Newton, Kansas (Proudfoot, Willis T.)
- Des Moines Building, 405 6th Ave., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Rawson, Souers & Thomas)
- Carnegie Library, Drake University campus, Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot & Bird)
- D.S. Chamberlain Building, 1312 Locust St., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- Champlin Memorial Masonic Temple, 602 Story St., Boone, Iowa (Proudfoot & Bird)
- One or more buildings in the Chautauqua Park Historic District, 106 Park Ave., Sac City, Iowa (Proudfoot & Bird)[7]
- Christian Petersen Courtyard Sculptures, and Dairy Industry Building, Union Dr. and Wallace Rd., Iowa State University campus, Ames, Iowa (Proudfoot, Rawson & Souers)
- Davis Administration Building, 2100 W. University Ave., Friends University campus, Wichita, Kansas (Proudfoot & Bird)
- Dallas County Courthouse, Town Sq., Adel, Iowa (Proudfoot, W. T.)
- Empress Theatre - Des Moines, aka RKO Orpheum Theatre and Galaxy Theatre
- Fairmount Cottage, 1717 Fairmount Ave., Wichita, Kansas (Proudfoot & Bird)
- First United Methodist Church, 10th and Pleasant Sts., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot & Bird)
- First National Bank, 8th and Story Sts., Boone, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- Fish and Game Pavilion and Aquarium, Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Rawson & Souers)
- Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, 1110 35th St., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, William T.)
- Greene County Courthouse, E. Lincoln Way and Chestnut Sts., Jefferson, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- Grinnell Herald Building, 813 5th Ave., Grinnell, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- One or more buildings in the Grinnell Historic Commercial District, Roughly bounded by Main, Broad, and Commercial Sts. and 5th Ave., Grinnell, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)[8]
- Hallett Flat-Rawson & Co. Apartment Building, 1301-1307 Locust St., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson)
- Hawkeye Insurance Company Building, 209 Fourth St., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- John H. Herman House, 711 S. Story St., Boone, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- Herring Motor Car Company Building, 110 W. 10th St., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- Hillside Cottage, 303 Circle Dr., Wichita, Kansas (Proudfoot, Willis T.)
- Hotel Fort Des Moines, 10th and Walnut Sts., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- Hotel Ottumwa, 107 E. 2nd St., Ottumwa, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- Hubbell Building, 904 Walnut St., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- Iowa-Des Moines National Bank Building, 520 Walnut St., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Rawson, Souers & Thomas)
- Jasper County Courthouse, 1st Ave. between W. 1st St. & W. 2nd Sts., Newton, Iowa (Proudfoot & Bird)
- Lake City Community Memorial Building, 118 E. Washington St., Lake City, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- Masonic Temple of Des Moines, 1011 Locust St., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson), a Beaux Arts style work
- McCormick School, 855 S. Martinson, Wichita, Kansas (Proudfoot & Bird)
- Norman Apartment Building, 3103 University Ave., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot & Bird)
- Northwestern Hotel, 321 E. Walnut, Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- One or more buildings in the Penn College Historic District, 201 Trueblood Ave., Oskaloosa, Iowa (Simmons, A.T., and Proudfoot)
- One or more buildings in the Pentacrest, bounded by Clinton, Madison, Jefferson, and Washington Sts., Iowa City, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- Pocahontas County Courthouse, Court Sq., Pocahontas, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- Polk County Courthouse, 6th and Mulberry Sts., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot & Bird)
- Riverside Cottage, 901 Spaulding Ave., Wichita, Kansas (Proudfoot & Willis)
- Salt Lake City and County Building, 451 Washington Sq., Salt Lake City, Utah (Proudfoot, Bird & Monheim)
- Science Hall, Simpson College Campus, Indianola, Iowa (Proudfoot, William T.; Proudfoot & Bird)
- Seven Oaks, 707 Audubon St., Sac City, Iowa (Proudfoot and Bird)
- David W. Smouse Opportunity School, 2820 Center St., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Rawson, Souers, & Thomas)
- St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 712 Farnham St., Harlan, Iowa (Proudfoot & Bird)
- Teachout Building, 500-502 E. Locust St., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson)
- Theodore Roosevelt High School, 4419 Center St., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson)
- Trinity United Methodist Church, 1548 8th St., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson)
- Warfield, Pratt and Howell Company Warehouse, 100 West Court Ave., Des Moines, Iowa (Proudfoot & Bird)
- Wichita City Hall, 204 S. Main St., Wichita, Kansas (Proudfoot & Bird)
- University of Iowa's General Hospital, 220 Hawkins Drive. Iowa City, IA (Proudfoot, Rawson, Souers, & Thomas)
Other buildings associated with the firm:
- Cathedral Church of Saint Paul, Des Moines
- Carnegie libraries in Iowa
- Memorial Union and Beardshear Hall[9] at Iowa State University, Ames
- United States Post Office and Courthouse, Dubuque, Iowa
- Des Moines City Hall
- Seven Oaks, Sac City, Iowa[10]
In 1945, the firm changed its name to Brooks Borg, and in 1966 the name was changed to Brooks Borg and Skiles.[2] In 2017, the firm's name was changed to BBS Architects | Engineers.[3]
See "Architectural Legacy of Proudfoot & Bird in Iowa MPS" and other MPS documents cited in articles.
References
- Barbara Beving Long (November 23, 1988). "Architectural Legacy of Proudfoot & Bird in Iowa MPS".
- "Brooks Borg Skiles". Iowa Architectural Foundation. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
- "Our Firm | BBS Architects Engineers". www.bbsae.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- Barbara Beving Long and Ralph J. Christian (November 23, 1988). "Architectural Legacy of Proudfoot & Bird in Iowa MPS".
- "Proudfoot, Rawson & Souers". Olympedia. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- Bruce Perry. "Chautauqua Park Historic District" (PDF). City of Sac City. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-10. Retrieved 2016-08-23.
- W.C. Page. "Grinnell Historic Commercial District". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-04-16.
- http://www.museums.iastate.edu/AOCFactSheetsPDF/Beardshear%20Hall.pdf
- Bruce Becker; Tancy Becker. "Seven Oaks". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-08-24. with photos