G. Corner Fenhagen | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 7, 1884 Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Died | August 23, 1955 (aged 70) Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Awards | Fellow, American Institute of Architects (1937) |
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Need a copy of Diana Martinez' Concrete Colonialism (out September) before this can be completed.
G. Corner Fenhagen (December 7, 1884 – August 23, 1955) was an American architect. He served as consulting architect to the Insular Government of the Philippines from 1914 to 1916 and thereafter practiced privately in Baltimore until his retirement in 1951.
Early life and architectural career
editGeorge Corner Fenhagen was born December 7, 1884, in Baltimore to Charles D. Fenhagen and Jane Fenhagen, née Corner. He was educated in the Baltimore public schools before joining the office of Wyatt & Nolting. He then entered the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) as a special student, completing his course in 1905. He then went to New York City to join the office of Pell & Corbett, who had recently been chosen architects for the new Maryland Institute (1908). In 1906 he was awarded a fellowship from Penn which enabled him to travel in Europe for a year; a major part of his time abroad was spent based at the American Academy in Rome.[1][2] After his return to the United States in December 1907 he resumed work with Pell & Corbett.[3]
In December 1910 he was appointed assistant consulting architect to the Insular Government of the Philippines.[4] He began his duties in January 1911, working under consulting architect William E. Parsons on plans for the proposed capitol building. After Parsons resigned in 1914 he succeeded him as consulting architect. His most notable work in the Philippines was the Sorsogon Provincial Capitol (1916) in Sorsogon City.[5] In late 1916 he resigned and returned to Baltimore, where in January 1917 he formed the partnership of Sill, Buckler & Fenhagen with established architect Howard Sill, whose works include Scaleby house (1911, NRHP-listed), and his associate, Riggin Buckler.[1][2] Shortly thereafter they were invited to participate in the competition to design the building of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (1921) and won. Construction on the building was delayed by World War I and did not begin until 1919.[6][7] The building, much enlarged in 1931 by Taylor & Fisher,[8] is now home to the Supreme Court of Virginia. In Maryland they designed the Epiphany Chapel and Church House (1918, NRHP-listed), designed principally by Buckler and originally intended for troops stationed at Camp Meade, now Fort Meade.[9]
In 1921 Sill withdrew and the firm continued as Buckler & Fenhagen.[1] In 1924 another competition led to the firm's best-known work, the Baltimore City College (1928, NRHP-listed), a Collegiate Gothic building colloquially known as the "castle on the hill."[10] Their other works included Peabody Court (1929), now the Hotel Revival,[11] and the Samuel Ready School (1938) in Baltimore,[12] the former Wiley H. Bates High School (1932, NRHP-listed) in Annapolis,[13] the Municipal Building (1937) in Pocomoke City[14] and the Berkeley Springs High School (1939) in West Virginia.[15]
In 1947 the firm was renamed Buckler, Fenhagen, Meyer & Ayers to reflect the partnership of Julius Mayer and Richard W. Ayers.[2] In 1949 another competition led to their being commissioned to design Shriver Hall (1954) at Johns Hopkins University. Delays and disagreements meant that the building was not begun until 1952, after Fenhagen's retirement, on a different site.[16][17]
As of 2025 Fenhagen's former firm is still active in Baltimore under the name Ayers Saint Gross.
Personal life and death
editFenhagen was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects. He served as president of its Baltimore chapter and as a regional director. He was also a council member of the Maryland Historical Society and served on the Maryland board of architectural registration.[1][2]
Fenhagen was married three times and widowed twice. He had four children: two sons with his first wife, another with his second and a daughter with his third. In 1951 a stroke forced Fenhagen to retire. He died August 23, 1955, at home in Baltimore at the age of 70.[1][2]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 "Fenhagen, George Corner" in Who's Who in America 26 (Chicago: A. N. Marquis Company, 1946): 744.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "G. C. Fenhagen, 70, architect, dies," Baltimore Sun, August 24, 1955.
- ↑ "Mr. Fenhagen home from abroad," Baltimore Sun, December 25, 1907.
- ↑ "Berth for Baltimore boy," Baltimore Sun, December 7, 1910.
- ↑ Ralph Harrington Doane, "The story of American architecture in the Philippines I" in Architectural Review 8, no. 2 (February 1919): 25-32.
- ↑ "Baltimore firm is to design new bank," Richmond Times-Dispatch, May 4, 1917.
- ↑ "New Federal Reserve Bank of fifth district," Baltimore Sun, May 18, 1919.
- ↑ "Reserve Bank to erect $1,000,000 structure; will enlarge building at 9th, Franklin," Richmond Times-Dispatch, February 14, 1930.
- ↑ Peter E. Kurtze, NRHP Nomination: Epiphany Chapel and Church House, National Park Service, 2001.
- ↑ "Baltimorean's City College design chosen; Buckler and Fenhagen named architects for new $2,000,000 school," Baltimore Sun, June 3, 1924.
- ↑ "Museum site sold for apartments," Baltimore Sun, December 20, 1928.
- ↑ "Work to be started shortly on new Samuel Ready School," Baltimore Sun, November 19, 1937.
- ↑ Michael Justin Dowling and Peter E. Kurtze, NRHP Nomination: Wiley H. Bates High School, National Park Service, 1994.
- ↑ "New city hall dedicated on last Saturday," Worcester Democrat, June 4, 1937.
- ↑ "Progress on new school," Morning Herald, December 15, 1938.
- ↑ "New J. H. U. hall plans pressed," Baltimore Sun, April 28, 1949.
- ↑ "Construction of Shriver Hall at Hopkins to start Monday," Baltimore Sun, September 9, 1952.