American architect (1865–1924)
Louis Singleton Curtiss (July 1, 1865 – June 24, 1924) was a Canadian-born American
architect . Notable as a pioneer of the
curtain wall design, he was once described as "the Frank Lloyd Wright of
Kansas City ".
[1] In his career, he designed more than 200 buildings, though not all were realized.
[2] There are approximately 30 examples of his work still extant in
Kansas City, Missouri where Curtiss spent his career, including his best known design, the
Boley Clothing Company Building . Other notable works can be found throughout the American midwest.
Curtiss was born in
Belleville, Ontario , Canada.
[3] He studied
architecture at the
University of Toronto and in
Paris before coming to
Kansas City, Missouri , in 1887.
[4] In 1889, he began an architectural partnership with Frederick C. Gunn that produced over a dozen buildings.
[4] When the partnership dissolved in 1899, Curtiss, age 34, continued as a solo architect.
[5]
Curtiss designed the
Boley Clothing Company Building in
Kansas City , which is renowned as "one of the first glass
curtain wall structures in the world."
[6] The six-story building also features
cantilever floor slabs,
cast iron structural detailing, and
terra cotta decorative elements. The
Historic American Buildings Survey described Curtiss' residence for Bernard Corrigan as "an important regional example of the
Prairie Style " and "among the earliest residential structures in Kansas City to make extensive use of
reinforced concrete ."
[7]
Curtiss designed several buildings for the
Fred Harvey Company including the 1906
El Bisonte Hotel in
Hutchinson, Kansas , the 1907 Harvey House and hotel in
Emporia, Kansas , the 1907 Harvey House and hotel in
Wellington, Kansas , the 1908 Sequoyah Harvey House Hotel in
Syracuse, Kansas ,
[8] and the 1909 El Ortiz Hotel in
Lamy, New Mexico .
[9]
Other Curtiss railroad architecture included the 1910-1912 Union Terminal in
Wichita, Kansas , the 1909-1911
Santa Fe Railroad depot in
Sweetwater, Texas , the 1909-1911
Santa Fe Railroad depot in
Lubbock, Texas , the 1909-1911
Santa Fe Railroad depot in
Snyder, Texas , the 1909-1911
Santa Fe Railroad depot in
Post, Texas , and the 1910-1911
Joplin Union Depot in
Joplin, Missouri .
[9] A number of his works are listed on the United States
National Register of Historic Places .
[10]
Curtiss died in 1924 at
his studio residence in downtown Kansas City, Missouri .
[5] He never married.
[1]
Boley Clothing Company Building , Kansas City, MO,
[9] NRHP-listed
Bernard Corrigan House , 1200 W. 55th St.
Kansas City, MO (Curtis,Louis), NRHP-listed
Glick-Orr House , 503 N. Second St.
Atchison, KS (Curtiss,Louis), NRHP-listed
Harvey House and hotel in
Emporia, Kansas ,
[9]
El Bisonte Hotel ,
Hutchinson, Kansas ,
[9]
Sequoyah House Harvey House hotel,
Syracuse, Kansas , 1908.
Norman Tromanhauser House , 3603 W. Roanoke Dr.
Kansas City, MO (Curtiss, Louis S.), NRHP-listed
Western Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers , US 73
Leavenworth, KS (Curtiss, Louis, et al.), NRHP-listed
Santa Fe depot and Harvey House and hotel in
Wellington, Kansas ,
[9]
[11]
Union Terminal in
Wichita, Kansas , which is the 1910-1912 Union Terminal in
Wichita, Kansas
Santa Fe Railroad depot in
Sweetwater, Texas 1909-1911
Santa Fe Railroad depot in
Lubbock, Texas , 1909-1911
Santa Fe Railroad depot in
Snyder, Texas , 1909-1911
Santa Fe Railroad depot in
Post, Texas , 1909-1911
Joplin Union Depot on South Main Street at West A Street in
Joplin, Missouri , from 1910-1911 (Curtiss,Louis), NRHP-listed
Argyle Building , 306 E. 12th St.
Kansas City, MO (Curtiss, Louis;
Arthur S. Keene ), NRHP-listed
Mineral Hall , 4340 Oak St.
Kansas City, MO (Curtiss,Louis S.), NRHP-listed
Standard Theatre , 300 W. 12th St.
Kansas City, MO (Curtiss,Louis S.), NRHP-listed
Louis Curtiss Studio Building , 1116-1120 McGee St.
Kansas City, MO (Curtiss,Louis), NRHP-listed
El Ortiz Hotel in
Lamy, New Mexico
[9]
St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway office building,
Kingsville, Texas , 1912
[12]
St. Louis–San Francisco Railway depot, 300 West Main Street,
Ada, Oklahoma , 1913.
One or more buildings in
East Douglas Avenue Historic District , roughly bounded by Topeka, Rock Island, 1st, and English Sts.
Wichita, KS (Curtiss, Louis S.), NRHP-listed
One or more buildings in
Excelsior Springs Hall of Waters Commercial East Historic District , roughly along portions of East and West Broadway and Main St.
Excelsior Springs, MO (Curtiss, Louis S.), NRHP-listed
One or more buildings in
Muskogee Depot and Freight District , roughly bounded by Columbus Ave., S. Main St., Elgin Ave., and S 5th St.
Muskogee, OK (Curtiss, Louis), NRHP-listed
One or more buildings in
Quality Hill historic district, roughly bounded by Broadway, 10th, 14th, and Jefferson Sts.
Kansas City, MO (Curtiss,Louis S.), NRHP-listed
One or more buildings in
Westheight Manor District , bounded roughly by 18th and 24th Sts., Oakland and State Aves.
Kansas City, KS (Curtiss,Louis), NRHP-listed
One or more buildings in
Westheight Manor Historic District (Boundary Increase), roughly bounded by State and Wood Aves., 18th and 25th Sts.
Kansas City, KS (Curtis,Louis), NRHP-listed
Boley Clothing Company Building, Kansas City, Missouri
Bernard Corrigan House, Kansas City, Missouri
Glick-Orr House, Atchison, Kansas
Norman Tromhauser House, Kansas City, Missouri
Union Depot, Joplin, Missouri
Argyle Building, Kansas City, Missouri
Mineral Hall, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri
Standard Theater, Kansas City, Missouri
Louis Curtiss Studio Building, Kansas City, Missouri
El Ortiz Hotel, Lamy, New Mexico
Jesse A. Hoel Residence, Kansas City, Kansas
Harry G. Miller Residence, Kansas City, Kansas
^
a
b Kansas City Public Library,
"The Frank Lloyd Wright of Kansas City"
^ Sandy, Wilda; Hancks, Larry K. (1991). Stalking Louis Curtiss . Kansas City, MO: Ward Parkway Press. p. 12.
ISBN
0-9629847-0-1 .
^ Sandy, Wilda; Hancks, Larry K. (1991). Stalking Louis Curtiss . Kansas City, MO: Ward Parkway Press. p. 35.
ISBN
0-9629847-0-1 .
^
a
b
Biography of Louis Curtiss (1865-1924), Architect, accessed on January 25, 2010
^
a
b Sandy, Wilda; Hancks, Larry K. (1991). Stalking Louis Curtiss . Kansas City, MO: Ward Parkway Press. p. 54.
ISBN
0-9629847-0-1 .
^ American Institute of Architects Kansas City Chapter (2000).
American Institute of Architects Guide to Kansas City Architecture & Public Art . Kansas City, Mo.: Highwater Press. p.
29 .
ISBN
9781888903065 .
^ Buerglener, Robert (August 1988).
"Bernard Corrigan House" (PDF) . Historic American Buildings Survey . Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 1.
^ Latimer, Rosa Walston (2015).
Harvey Houses of Kansas: Historic Hospitality from Topeka to Syracuse . Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press.
ISBN
978-1-62619-847-0 . Retrieved 18 March 2020 .
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g Sandy, Wilda; Hancks, Larry K. (1991). Stalking Louis Curtiss . Kansas City, MO: Ward Parkway Press.
ISBN
0-9629847-0-1 .
^
"National Register Information System" .
National Register of Historic Places .
National Park Service . July 9, 2010.
^ Latimer, Rosa Walston (2015-10-12).
Harvey Houses of Kansas: Historic Hospitality from Topeka to Syracuse . Arcadia Publishing.
ISBN
9781625853707 .
^ Photograph, "Office Building for the Frisco, Kingsville, Texas, Aug. 10, 1912", South Texas Archives, John E. Conner Museum, Kingsville
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