American architect
Frederic Joseph DeLongchamps
Born (1882-06-02 ) June 2, 1882Died February 11, 1969(1969-02-11) (aged 86) Occupation Architect Practice DeLongchamps, O'Brien and Wells Buildings
Washoe County Courthouse Reno Main Post Office
Riverside Hotel
The
Washoe County Courthouse in
Reno , designed by DeLongchamps and completed in 1911, with additions completed in 1946, 1949 and 1963 by DeLongchamps & O'Brien.
The
Minden Inn , designed by DeLongchamps and completed in 1916.
The Thompson Building of the
University of Nevada, Reno , designed by DeLongchamps and completed in 1920.
The
Humboldt County Courthouse in
Winnemucca , designed by DeLongchamps and completed in 1921.
The
Pershing County Courthouse in
Lovelock , designed by DeLongchamps and completed in 1921.
The former Ormsby County Courthouse in
Carson City , designed by DeLongchamps and completed in 1922.
The
Riverside Hotel in
Reno , designed by DeLongchamps and completed in 1927.
The
Reno Main Post Office , designed by DeLongchamps and completed in 1934.
Thunderbird Lodge on
Lake Tahoe , designed by DeLongchamps and completed in 1938.
Frederic Joseph DeLongchamps (June 2, 1882 – February 11, 1969) was an American
architect . He was one of
Nevada 's most prolific architects, yet is notable for entering the architectural profession with no extensive formal training. He has also been known as Frederick J. DeLongchamps , and was described by the latter name in an extensive review of the historic importance of his works which led to many of them being listed on the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places in the 1980s.
Born Frederic Joseph DeLonchamps in
Reno, Nevada on January 2, 1882, the son of Felix DeLongchamps and Exilda Gibeau. He was raised in Washoe County, graduating from
Reno High School in 1900, then the
University of Nevada in 1904 with a degree in
mining engineering .
DeLongchamps was employed as a
mining engineer and
draftsman in
Inyo County, California before he embarked on a career in
architecture . He spent a short time in
San Francisco where he may have apprenticed, but he returned to Nevada in 1907 and formed a partnership with
Ira W. Tesch .
From 1909 to 1938, DeLongchamps maintained his own firm and became one of Nevada's most prolific architects. He designed both private and public buildings including nine county
courthouses in Nevada and California. He was awarded the contract to design the Nevada Buildings for the
Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915) , winning a silver medal for his work. DeLongchamps was appointed Nevada State Architect in 1919 and was the only person to hold the position, which was abolished in 1926. During this time, he designed many state buildings.
In 1939,
George L. F. O'Brien joined DeLongchamps in partnership in Reno, and
Hewitt Wells added his name to the association in 1962. The architectural firm of DeLongchamps, O'Brien and Wells continued to design buildings, mainly in the Reno area, into the 1960s.
DeLongchamps died in Reno, Nevada on February 11, 1969. He was survived by his son, Galen (08 Aug 1916-22 Jul 2001). He was the father-in-law of the noted poet and artist
Joanne de Longchamps (that is how she spelled the name), who married DeLongchamps's adopted son Galen.
Russell Mills is one who worked as a draftsman for DeLongchamps and went on to have a career as an independent architect.
Many of DeLongchamps' works have been listed on the National Register.
[1]
[2]
F. J. DeLongchamps, 1909–1939
1910 –
Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad Depot (former),
[a] 325 E 4th St,
Reno, Nevada
[3]
1911 –
Washoe County Courthouse ,
[a] 117 S Virginia St,
Reno, Nevada
[4] : 70
1912 –
Lakeview station (former),
[a] 1400 Center St,
Lakeview, Oregon
[5]
1912 –
Lyon County Courthouse ,
[a] 31 S Main St,
Yerington, Nevada
[4] : 123
1913 –
Nevada State Capitol Senate and Assembly wings,
[a] 101 N Carson St,
Carson City, Nevada
[4] : 101–103
1914 – Clark County Courthouse,
[b] S 2nd St and E Carson Ave,
Las Vegas, Nevada
[4] : 213
1914 –
Joseph Giraud house ,
[a] 442 Flint St,
Reno, Nevada
[6]
1914 –
I.O.O.F. Building, Mason Valley ,
[a] 1 S Main St,
Yerington, Nevada
[4] : 124–125
1914 – Jones Center,
[c]
University of Nevada, Reno ,
Reno, Nevada
[7]
1914 –
Oats Park Grammar School ,
[a] 167 E Park St,
Fallon, Nevada
[4] : 170
1915 –
Douglas County High School ,
[a] 1479 US Hwy 395 N,
Gardnerville, Nevada
[4] : 122
1915 –
Minden Wool Warehouse ,
[a] 1615 Railroad Ave,
Minden, Nevada
[4] : 117
1915 – Nevada Building,
[b]
Panama–Pacific International Exposition ,
San Francisco
[8]
1915 –
Reno National Bank Building ,
[a] 204 N Virginia St,
Reno, Nevada
[4] : 73–74
1916 –
Douglas County Courthouse ,
[a] 1616 8th St,
Minden, Nevada
[4] : 117
1916 –
Minden Butter Manufacturing Company ,
[a] 1617 Water St,
Minden, Nevada
[4] : 118–119
1916 –
Minden Inn ,
[a] 1594 Esmeralda Ave,
Minden, Nevada
[4] : 119–120
1917 –
Mary Lee Nichols School ,
[a] 400-406 Pyramid Way,
Sparks, Nevada
[9]
1918 –
Farmers Bank of Carson Valley ,
[a] 1597 Esmeralda Ave,
Minden, Nevada
[10]
1920 – Robert L. Douglass ranch house,
[d] 1075 Dodge Ln,
Fallon, Nevada
[11]
1920 – Thompson Building,
[c]
University of Nevada, Reno ,
Reno, Nevada
[7]
1921 –
Humboldt County Courthouse ,
[a] 50 W 5th St,
Winnemucca, Nevada
[4] : 137
1921 –
Pershing County Courthouse ,
[a] 400 Main St,
Lovelock, Nevada
[4] : 133–134
1922 – Heroes Memorial Building,
[e] 100 N Carson St,
Carson City, Nevada
[4] : 105
1922 – Ormsby County Courthouse,
[e] 198 N Carson St,
Carson City, Nevada
[4] : 105
1922 –
Vachina Apartments-California Apartments ,
[a] 45 California Ave,
Reno, Nevada
[12]
1923 – Humboldt Hotel,
[b] S Bridge St and E Winnemucca Blvd,
Winnemucca, Nevada
[8]
1923 – Susanville City Hall, 66 N Lassen St,
Susanville, California
[8]
1925 –
McCarthy-Platt house remodeling,
[a] 1000 Plumas St,
Reno, Nevada
[4] : 79
1926 –
Mackay School of Mines Building additions,
[a]
[c]
University of Nevada, Reno ,
Reno, Nevada
[4] : 67
1927 – Knights of Pythias Hall, 421 Court St,
Elko, Nevada
[8]
1927 –
Riverside Hotel ,
[a] 17 S Virginia St,
Reno, Nevada
[4] : 70
1928 –
Alpine County Courthouse ,
[a] 14777 CA-89,
Markleeville, California
[13]
1929 – Webster School, 270 Laramie St,
Markleeville, California
[14]
1930 – Mackay Science Building,
[c]
University of Nevada, Reno ,
Reno, Nevada
[7]
1930 – Nevada Bell Telephone Company Building, 320 N Carson St,
Carson City, Nevada
[4] : 106
1931 –
Fallon City Hall ,
[a] 55 E Williams Ave,
Fallon, Nevada
[4] : 170
1931 –
Washoe County Library-Sparks Branch ,
[a] 814 Victorian St,
Sparks, Nevada
[4] : 85
1932 –
Immaculate Conception Church ,
[a] 590 Pyramid Way,
Sparks, Nevada
[4] : 85
1934 –
Reno Main Post Office ,
[a] 50 S Virginia St,
Reno, Nevada
[4] : 71–72
1935 –
Yerington Grammar School addition,
[a] 112 N California St,
Yerington, Nevada
[4] : 125
1937 –
Supreme Court of Nevada (former),
[e] 100 N Carson St,
Carson City, Nevada
[4] : 105
1938 –
Thunderbird Lodge ,
[a] 5000 NV-28
Incline Village, Nevada
[4] : 58–59
1939 – Robert H. Mitchell School, 1216 12th St,
Sparks, Nevada
[4] : 85
DeLongchamps & O'Brien, 1939-1962
1945 – Virginia Street Gym,
[c]
University of Nevada, Reno ,
Reno, Nevada
[7]
1952 – United States Bureau of Mines Building,
[f]
University of Nevada, Reno ,
Reno, Nevada
[8]
1959 – Nevada Industrial Commission Building, 515 E Musser St,
Carson City, Nevada
[15]
1959 – Union Federal Savings and Loan Association Building,
[b] 195 S Sierra St,
Reno, Nevada
[8]
1963 – Scrugham Engineering and Mines Building,
University of Nevada, Reno ,
Reno, Nevada
[7]
1963 –
Washoe County Courthouse addition, 117 S Virginia St,
Reno, Nevada
[4] : 70
DeLongchamps, O'Brien & Wells, 1962–1965
^
"National Register Information System" .
National Register of Historic Places .
National Park Service . July 9, 2010.
^
"Architecture of Frederick J. DeLongchamps TR" .
^
Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad Depot NRHP Registration Form (1980)
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ac Julie Nicoletta, Buildings of Nevada (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000)
^
Nevada–California–Oregon Railway Passenger Station NRHP Registration Form (1983)
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Joseph Giraud House NRHP Registration Form (1984)
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University of Nevada Reno Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1987)
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h Mella Rothwell Harmon, "The Extraordinary Career of Frederic J. DeLongchamps" in Nevada Historical Society Quarterly 49, no. 3 (Fall 2006): 183-220.
^
Mary Lee Nichols School NRHP Registration Form (2002)
^
Farmer's Bank of Carson Valley NRHP Registration Form (1986)
^
Douglass-Frey Ranch NRHP Registration Form (2015)
^
Vachina Apartments-California Apartments NRHP Registration Form (1986)
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Alpine County Courthouse NRHP Registration Form (2004)
^
Webster School , NoeHill, no date. Accessed October 13, 2023.
^ "DeLongchamps, Fred(eric) J(oseph)" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 163.
^
Washoe County Library NRHP Registration Form (2003)
International National Other