Difference between revisions of "Jeremiah O'Rourke (1833-1915), Architect"

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Jeremiah O'Rourke, ca. 1915

Jeremiah O'Rourke was born in 1833 in Dublin, Ireland. He was educated in the Government Schools of Design in Dublin and immigrated to the U.S. in 1850, settling in Newark, New Jersey. O'Rourke and his wife Elizabeth Cecilia (nee Dunn) had two daughters and three sons. His sons all had careers in construction or engineering and one, Joseph B., practiced with his father. O'Rourke was best known as an ecclesiastic architect but also served briefly--less than 18 months--as the Supervising Architect of the Treasury. He is not known to have designed any Nebraska projects during his tenure but was involved in the hotly contested selection of the principal material for the Omaha Post Office, and in the early planning for the South Omaha Post Office.[2][3][b] He died in Newark in 1915.[1][4]

This page is a contribution to the publication, Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. See the format and contents page for more information on the compilation and page organization.

Educational & Professional Associations

1849, graduated from Government Schools of Design, Dublin, Ireland.[1][5]

1856-1915, architect, Newark, New Jersey.[1][5]

1886-1915, fellow, American Institute of Architects.[[#References{1][5]]

1893-1894 Supervising Architect of the Treasury, Washington, D.C.[1]

c. 1900-1915, principal in Jeremiah O'Rourke & Sons, Newark, New Jersey.[5]

Selected Buildings & Projects

Completion of U.S. Post Office (1893-1894), Fremont, Nebraska.[9][10][a]

Re-advertised for cut stone for Omaha Post Office (1893).[2][6-8][a][b]

Programmatic study and advocacy for funding South Omaha Post Office (1895).[3]

Notes

a. O'Rourke's first Annual Report as Supervising Architect covered the last half-year of his predecessor Edbrooke's tenure and the first third of his own 18-months of service. Reporting on the three active Nebraska projects, O'Rourke noted that the Beatrice Post Office was nearly ready for occupancy "during the next few weeks," that at the Fremont Post Office the "masonry...is practically complete and roof covering in place," while at the Omaha federal building the "masonry of basement and area walls is complete and first tier of beams all practically in position..."[9] O'Rourke's second report, at the completion of his service in September 1894, he noted that the Beatrice Post Office was "completed and occupied," there was "every indication that the...[Fremont Post Office]...will be ready for occupation during the next few weeks...," and at Omaha the masonry "been carried to the top of second story and iron work of third story floor is being placed in position."[10]

b. Among those seeking the contract to supply stone for the Omaha Post Office was Kearney architect and entrepreneur G. W. Frank, Jr., who visited O'Rourke's Washington office in 1893 "to place samples of the stone" from "some very fine sandstone and granite quarries at Rawlins [sic], Wyo." in which Frank had an interest.[6] Apparently Frank's stone was not chosen; instead Colorado or Minnesota granite was favored.[7][8]

c. An Omaha newspaper reported O'Rourke had examined the South Omaha post office question in some detail: "He...figures on a two-story building with basement, in size 90x67 feet, which would give about 6,000 square feet of first floor area, and sufficient room on the second floor for other offices and for storage purposes...Such a building, Mr. O'Rourke says, would cost about $120,000."[3]

References

1. "Architect of National Note Passes Away," Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey) (April 23, 1915), 1, 11.

2. "Granite May Not Be Used. Supervising Architect O'Rourke Talks of Changing Omaha's Building Plans," Omaha (Nebraska) Evening Bee (May 24, 1893), 4.

3. "South Omaha World-Herald...Authentic information has been received from Washington...," Omaha (Nebraska) World-Herald (March 8, 1895), 7.

4. Ancestry.com. U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current, s.v. "Jeremiah O'Rourke," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

5. "Jeremiah O'Rourke" (obituary), Journal of the American Institute of Architects (June 1916), 234; accessed July 27, 2024 on-line at https://aiahistoricaldirectory.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AHDAA/pages/35302627/ahd1033454?preview=/35302627/2202370529/obits1916journalJune.pdf

6. "Mr. Frank Would Furnish Stone for Omaha's Building," Evening World-Herald (Omaha, Nebraska) (September 21, 1893), 5.

7. "Omaha's Postoffice. Contract for the New Building of Granite Will Be Let This Week," Omaha (Nebraska) Evening Bee (October 2, 1893), 1.

8. "As to Omaha's Postoffice...Material from Minnesota Will Be Utilized in the Event More Favorable Terms Cannot Be Made Elsewhere," Omaha (Nebraska) Evening Bee (November 1, 1893), 7.

9. Jeremiah O'Rourke, Annual Report by the Supervising Architect to the Secretary of the Treasury for the Year ending September 30, 1893, (Washington, D.C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1893); 15 (Beatrice), 33 (Fremont), 53 (Omaha).

10. Jeremiah O'Rourke, Annual Report by the Supervising Architect to the Secretary of the Treasury for the Year ending September 30, 1894, (Washington, D.C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1894); 12 (Beatrice), 29 (Fremont), 47 (Omaha).

Page Citation

E. F. Zimmer, “Jeremiah O'Rourke (1833-1915), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, November 20, 2024. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, November 22, 2024.

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