Ellerbe Architects papers
Scope and Content Note
The collection contains tracings, drawings, and specifications for 45 buildings dated from 1914 to 1959, including medical facilities, hotels, commercial structures, banks, schools, and private residences in Minnesota and surrounding states. These include working drawings for the Mayo Clinic (1914 building and Plummer Building); the Chateau Dodge Theater (Rochester, MN) (1927); St. Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Court House (1931-32); First National Bank (Mankato, MN) (1912-13); Dakota Western University Science Hall, Gymnasium, and Power House (Mitchell, SD) (1911-15); Blackhawk Hotel (Davenport, IA) (1951); Nicollet Hotel remodeling (Minneapolis) (1936-38); Dr. E. Starr Judd residence (Rochester, MN) (1929); and several other private residences.
Dates
- Creation: 1914-1959
Language of Materials
English
Restrictions on Access
Available for use in Manuscripts Division reading room.
Biographical and Historical Notes
Olin Round joined Ellerbe as a partner in 1911 and remained in the firm, renamed Ellerbe & Round, until 1914. Round was born about 1867 and educated at the Art Institute of Chicago. He is known to have set up an architectural practice in 1909 after working as chief draftsman for Mark Fitzpatrick of St. Paul for an unknown number of years. After joining Ellerbe in partnership, Ellerbe and Round gained national distinction by designing the original building for the Mayo Clinic (1912–13), the first group practice clinic in the United States. After this partnership dissolved, Round was briefly in business with Service A. Wager (1914–15) and then set up a private office in St. Paul. He died in St. Paul on August 10, 1927.
Ellerbe established his own firm after his partnership with Round, and it swiftly became one of the largest in St. Paul. Premature death cut short a long career. He died in St. Paul on July 21, 1921.
Control of the Ellerbe firm was taken over by Franklin's son, Thomas Ellerbe. He was born in St. Paul in 1892. His education included one quarter at the University of Minnesota, sculpting classes at St. Paul Art School (now the Minnesota Museum of American Art), and military engineering courses. He entered his father's firm following military duty before and during World War I with the Minnesota National Guard. After his father's death, Ellerbe led his company in an expansion that resulted in the creation of the largest architectural practice in Minnesota. The firm specialized in the design of medical facilities, educational, industrial, and commercial structures. Among them are: the Plummer Building of the Mayo Clinic (1922–28); St. Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Court House (1931–32); Cardozo Building (St. Paul) (1931); College of St. Thomas (St. Paul) (1928–46); the Northwest Airlines hanger at Holman Field (St. Paul) (1942–43); Cleveland (OH) Clinic and Hospital (1922); Mayo Clinic Diagnostic Building (1953–69); and Sacred Heart Church (St. Paul) (1949). The firm also completed a number of buildings for the University of Notre Dame (South Bend, IN) and for State Farm Insurance Company.
Thomas Ellerbe retired in 1966 and died in St. Paul on November 5, 1987. The firm was renamed Ellerbe Becket in 1988 after a merger with Becket Architects of Los Angeles, CA, and has its headquarters in Bloomington, MN.
Extent
40.5 Cubic Feet
Abstract
The collection contains tracings, drawings, and specifications for 45 buildings, including the working drawings for the Mayo Clinic 1914 building and Mayo's Plummer Building, the St. Paul City Hall & Courthouse, the Chateau Dodge Theater in Rochester, MN, the Blackhawk Hotel of Davenport, Iowa, and several private residences.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into two major series:
- Mayo-related buildings
- Non-Mayo-related buildings
Acquisition
Donated to the Archives in 1973.
Accruals
Additions received on an irregular basis.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and the finding aid written by Manuscripts Division staff, 1975.
Subject
- Ellerbe, Franklin (Person)
- Ellerbe, Thomas Farr (Person)
- Round, Olin (Person)
- Ellerbe Architects, Inc. -- Archives (Organization)
- Ellerbe & Company -- Archives (Organization)
- Title
- Ellerbe Architects Papers, 1914-1959
- Date
- June 2004
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
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Collecting Area Details
Contact The Northwest Architectural Archives Collecting Area
