Paul Haugen papers

Paul Haugen, an architect and landscape painter, began his architectural career as an apprentice in Fargo, North Dakota. After moving to Minneapolis, he worked as a draftsman for Purcell, Feick & Elmslie, and Kees and Colburn before creating a partnership with Oscar Newstrom. Haugen and Newstrom split after five years because of a lack of commissions during World War I. At various times in his career, Haugen was associated with several architectural firms, such as H.L. Stevens, a Chicago hotel builder; Magney & Tusler; Haxby & Bissell; William Channing Whitney and Ellerbe & Co. in the Twin Cities. Through his work with Purcell, Feick & Elmslie, he was influenced by the Prairie School style of architecture and ornamentation. While on his own for a brief span of time around 1913, he designed several residences and a school south of Minneapolis in this style, including a dwelling for Emil Oberhoffer, the first conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra.

After 16 years as a consultant in the Architectural and Engineering Department of the 3M Companies in St. Paul and a 50-year architectural career, Haugen retired in 1958 and continued his hobby of oil and watercolor painting of landscape scenes. He died in Minneapolis in 1976.