John Monteith Gardner (1886-1974), Architect
Practiced as John M. Gardner.
John Monteith Gardner was born in 1886 in Tecumseh, Nebraska, to Elizabeth and William H. Gardner.[1] John's father was superintendent of various Nebraska school districts and consequently the family lived in several communities.[2] John attended University of Nebraska and married Allie Furlong in 1912 (a fellow graduate of Auburn High School and U. of NE). They had one daughter, Alice J. [3][10] Gardner's single known Nebraska design was for Fremont High School in 1912, a community that his father had previously served as school superintendent.[4] Gardner subsequently practiced in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with Charles Dieman and then for many years in Denver, Colorado, (where Dieman may have rejoined him in practice in the early 1920s). John Gardner died in Houston in 1974 and was interred in Denver.[1]
This page is a contribution to the publication, Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. See the Format and contents of Nebraska architect entries page for more information on the compilation and page organization.
Contents
[hide]Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings
Lincoln, Nebraska, 1910; Fremont, Nebraska, 1912
Educational & Professional Associations
1904: graduate of Auburn (Nebraska) High School.[3
1907: attended University of Nebraska (member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity).[3]
c. 1908: attended University of Pennsylvania.[3]
1912: junior partner, A. H. Dyer & Co., Fremont, Nebraska.[3][5][b]
1914-1917: architect with Charles Dieman & Co., Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
1918: architect employed by contractor J. W. Hopp of Davenport, Iowa.[8][9][d]
1919-1920: draftsman for Gates Rubber Company, Denver, Colorado.[10][11]
1921-1922: principal, Gardner & Parry (Richard O.), architects and engineers, Denver, Colorado.[11]
1923-1924: principal, John M. Gardner & Co., architects and engineers, Denver, Colorado.[11]
1925-1951: architect/architectural engineer, Denver, Colorado.[11-14]
Buildings & Projects
Fremont High School (1911-1912), Fremont, Nebraska.[4][5]][a]
"$6,000 home" (1914), on Mt. Vernon Avenue, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.[7]
Notes
a. A February 1912 section of the Fremont Tribune summarized 1911 improvements and 1912 proposals for that city. Prominently featured was a rendering for a new high school, with explanation that a bond issue was anticipated shortly. "While the situation is still in this semi-definite form, an elaborate draft of plans and specifications for a High school of magnificent capacity and appointment has been prepared...It was designed by John M. Gardner of the A. H. Dyer Co., architect, who is a son of Former Superintendent W. H. Gardner."[5]
b. In November, 1912, Gardner advertised in a Fremont newspaper "I wish to announce that I am starting up in business and am prepared to furnish plans and specifications on any kind of construction work. JOHN M. GARDNER, Architect." This announcement implies that Gardner's association with Fremont architect Dyer had ended.[6]
c. The house Gardner was building was identified as "a $6,000 home in Vernon Heights on Mt. Vernon Avenue between Knollwood and Vernon Drives..."[7]
d. Gardner's draft registration of 1918 gave his residence (and that of his wife Allie) as University Place (now Lincoln), Nebraska. His listed occupation was "Architect" and his employer was J. W. Hopp Const[ruction] Co. of Davenport, Iowa. The 1918 Davenport city directory listed both "genl contr" Hopp and Garner as residents.[]
References
1. Ancestry.com. U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current, s.v. "John Monteith Gardner," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
2. "Prominent Tecumseh Couple Wed 55 Years," (Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal (June 25, 1933), 27.
3. "Pretty Home Wedding Took Place Wednesday—Miss Allie Furling [sic] and Mr. John Gardner Married,” Nemaha County Herald (November 1, 1912), 1.
4. Tom Kaspar, comp. Inventory of architectural records in the archives of Davis Fenton Stange Darling, Architects, Lincoln, Nebraska. 1996. Nebraska State Historical Society, RG3748, Box 16. The title block of the documents state: Designed by J. M. Gardner; traced by J. M. Gardner; checked by A. H. Dyer.
5. "Advance Design for Fremont's Proposed $100,000 High School," Fremont (Nebraska) Tribune (February 10, 1912), 21 (with perspective signed "A. H. Dyer Co. Architects").
6. Announcement of "starting up business" by J. M. Gardner, Fremont (Nebraska) Tribune (November 15, 1912), 5.
7. "Vernon Heights New Items...John M. Gardner, of Chas. A. Dieman and Co., Architects, is building...," The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) (September 10, 1914), 12.
8. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, s.v. "John Monteith Gardner," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
9. Davenport, Iowa, city directory, 1918.
10. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census, s.v. "John M. Gardner" (Denver), [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
11. Denver, Colorado, city directories, 1919-1920, 1921-1922, 1923-1924, 1951.
12. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census, s.v. "John M. Gardner" (Denver), [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.
13. Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census, s.v. "John M. Gardner" (Denver), [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
14. Ancestry.com. 1950 United States Federal Census, s.v. "John M. Gardner" (Denver), [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022.
Page Citation
E. F. Zimmer, “John Monteith Gardner (1886-1974), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, February 17, 2025. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, April 10, 2025.
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