Artemas Roberts (1841-1944), Architect
Artemas Roberts was born to Soloman and Elizabeth Roberts on October 28th, 1841 in Richmond, Indiana. Artemas attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor from 1863 to 1867, with degrees in both Architecture and Engineering. In 1867, Roberts also married his first wife, Elizabeth Bellangee. After a brief period in Chicago, he moved to Lincoln, Nebraska where he began an independent architectural practice. In 1874, widower Roberts remarried Mary B. Bellangee [a]. Roberts also served two years (1876-1877) as the city engineer for the City of Lincoln.[2][3][4][9][10][15][20]
Along with his architectural practice, Roberts served as the President of the New Republic Publishing Company during the 1880’s. From 1887 to 1903, he partnered with Alfred W. Woods to form Roberts & Woods Architects. Fairview, the house of William Jennings Bryan, was the most prominent building of their partnership. A few years after his partnership with Woods ended, Roberts semi-retired and relocated to Dade City, Florida. While he was in Florida, Roberts was involved in the design and construction of several public buildings within the community and occasionally would design for his sons who remained in Nebraska. Artemas Roberts died on May 7, 1944 at the age of 102 in Dade City, Florida. His final resting place is at Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln, Nebraska.[2][3][4][9][10][15]
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.
Contents
Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings
1873-1877, 1887-1907
Educational & Professional Associations
1863-1867: Michigan University at Ann Arbor, Architecture & Engineering.[2]
1867-1868: Architect, Richmond, Indiana.[2]
1869: Architect, Chicago, Illinois.[2]
1870-1887: Architect, Lincoln, Nebraska.[2][3][4]
1871-1874: Partner, Roberts & Bellangee, Architects, Lincoln, Nebraska.
1876-1877: City Engineer, Lincoln, Nebraska.[4]
1880-1889: President of New Republic Publishing Company.[3][4]
1887-1903: Partner, Roberts & Woods, Architects, Lincoln, Nebraska.[4]
1904-1907: Architect, Lincoln, Nebraska.[4]
1907: Semi-retired to Dade City, Florida.[3]
Buildings & Projects
Dated
New foundation for University Hall (1870), University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska.[2][f]
Furniture Design, State Capitol Executive Offices, (1870) Lincoln, Nebraska.[2]
Lincoln High School (1871), 15th & N Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[2][10][23][d]
School Building (ca. 1870’s), Bennett, Nebraska.[26]
Smith Brothers’ Bank (1872), Beatrice, Nebraska.[26]
Second Building, State Normal School (ca. 1872), Peru, Nebraska.[26]
One Room School Building (1872), Kenesaw, Nebraska.[26]
William Charlton House (1873), 17705 S. 12th Street, Roca, Nebraska.[13][24] National Register narrative
Claudius Jones Residence (1873), NE corner of Columbia and Jackson, Seward, Nebraska.[15][26]
Kingman Block (1873), 10th between O & P Streets, Lincoln, Nebraska.[4][26]
School Building (1873), Harvard, Nebraska.[26]
Institution for the Blind (1875), 824 10th Ave., Nebraska City, Nebraska.[2]
Commercial Block (ca. 1875), 9th – 10th Street on O Street, Lincoln Nebraska.[26]
Capitol Block (1875), SW corner of 10th & O Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[26]
School Building (1876), Sutton, Nebraska.[26][30]
Zehrung’s Block (ca. 1880’s), 135-145 S. 10th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[26]
Artemas Roberts House (1881), Lincoln, Nebraska.[2][b]
Odd Follows Building (1881), 342 S. 11th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[26]
City Block (pre-1884), 145 S. 11th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[26]
A.M. Davis Building (1885), 1110 O Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[5] [e]
Capitol School (1886), 821 S. 16th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[8]
Lancaster County Bank (1886), 117 S. 10th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[26]
Andrew J. Sawyer Residence (1887), 1718 F Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[10][13]
Davis & Alexander Block (1887), 1203 O Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[4][23][26][31]
Hamer Building (1887), N between 11th and 12th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[33]
Herpolsheimer’s Department Store (1890), 12th & N Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[3][10][13]
Lindell Hotel (1892), 13th & M Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. (Roberts & Woods)[6]
The Haish (1893), Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, Nebraska. (Roberts & Woods)[28][29]
St. Patrick Catholic Church (1893), 6111 Morrill Ave., Lincoln, Nebraska.[7]
High School (1895), Seward, Nebraska.[26]
School of Agriculture (1896), University of Nebraska “East Campus,” near Holdrege between 37th & 38th, Lincoln, Nebraska.Roberts & Woods, Architects.[9]
Park Hill (1896), 1913 S. 41st Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.Roberts & Woods, Architects.[25]
Experimental Station (1899), University of Nebraska East Campus, Lincoln, Nebraska. Roberts & Woods, Architects.[9]
Fairview (William Jennings Bryan Residence, 1902), 4900 Sumner Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. Roberts & Woods, Architects.[2][10]
Irma Hotel (for Buffalo Bill Cody, 1902), Cody, Wyoming. (Roberts & Woods).[27]
Mrs. Alice D. Constant Residence (1902), 122 S. 27th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. (Roberts & Woods).[12]
Methodist Episcopal Church (1902), S.E. corner of 3rd and Pearl Street, Lyons, Nebraska. (Roberts & Woods).[33][36]
C.F. McCain House (1902), 26th and R Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. (Roberts & Woods).[33]
Bowers House (1902), 20th and R Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. (Roberts & Woods).[33]
Henry Grosshans House (1902), Sutton, Nebraska. (Roberts & Woods).[34]
J.I. Case Office Building (1902), 620 L Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. (Roberts & Woods).[35]
Methodist Episcopal Church (1902), Geneva, Nebraska. (Roberts & Woods). [36]
Later Work
Griffin Drug Store Building (1905), 37832 Meridian Ave, Dade City, Florida.[32]
Old Pascos County Courthouse (1909), 37918 Meridian Ave., Dade City, Florida.[16] [c]
F.S. Diager House (1910), 214 W. Meridian Ave., Dade City, Florida.[32]
Charles Roberts House (1917), 3158 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, Nebraska.[11]
Rodney B. Cox Elementary School (1923), 37615 Martin Luther King Blvd., Dade City, Florida.[19]
Roberts Dairy Building (1924), 212 & 214 S. 20th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. Building Permit #13083.[1]
Dade City Women’s Club (1926), 37922 Palm Ave., Dade City, Florida.[18]
Undated
Haas and Winger Block, Lincoln, Nebraska.[26]
Notes
a. Mary B. Bellangee was the sister of Roberts’s first wife Elizabeth. Mary and Artemas had four children together: John M., James Russell (founder of Roberts Dairy), Daniel Edward, and Charles W. First wife, Elizabeth Roberts, died April 14, 1872. Artemas and Elizabeth had two children together.
b. Although Roberts did not secure a deed to the property until 1886 [14] and maintained a city address until 1875, by family accounts they moved to the farm in 1874 and built a substantial house in 1881.
c. Artemas recalls in his memoirs that he drew the plans for the Pascos County courthouse; Pascos County historical data states that he was listed as the superintendent of the construction. [2][16]
d. "On December 23, 1871, the board adopted the plans and specifications for the new school house offered by Roberts & Bellangee, at a cost of $1,300, the architects to superintend the work. On February 15, 1872, the board decided to advertise for bids on the construction of the high school building, to be completed on September 1, 1872." [23]
e. Party wall agreement, Lancaster Register of Deeds, Deed BK 24:204, between A.M. Davis, and J. R. and L. C. Richards, dated July 29, 1885. The Richard Brothers were to build a four story brick building, 50 feet wide and Davis planned three stories on 25 feet of frontage. F. M. Ellis is identified as the Richard Brothers’s architect, and A. Roberts as Davis’s architect.
f. In his memoirs, A. Roberts talks about his involvement in the State University’s first building, University Hall. He is not credited with designing the building, however he tells a story about how he saw the sandstone foundation of the building and how it was cracking before it was even finished. He went to the building with the governor and was commissioned to have the building raised and the foundation replaced with limestone. While the replacement was occurring a support beam failed one evening and the building was in jeopardy of collapsing. A. Roberts and a few foremen put up a temporary support beam in the dark and saved the building from disaster. [4]
References
1. City of Lincoln Building Permit #13083 09/08/1924 (plans on file) .dates spelled out typ
2. “An Account of the Roberts Homestead, Lancaster Co., Nebraska,” By Ruth Roberts Sorenson, Section 1. July 6, 1968. (Typescripts at Lincoln/Lancaster Co. Planning Dept.) Spell out all words (typ)
3. “Artemas Roberts, 102, Early Lincoln Architect, is Dead,” Lincoln Star (May 8, 1944).
4. City of Lincoln Directories, 1873-1907.
5. Lancaster County, Nebraska, Register of Deeds, Deed Book 24:205
6. “The Lindell Hotel, Corner M and Thirteenth Streets,” Lincoln Daily Call (January 1, 1893): 3:3-4.
7. Gosen, Loretta, History of the Catholic Church (1986): 214. full citation?
8. Yost, Carl. “History of the Lincoln Schools,1864-1925, 1936. Pp. 31-33 full citation?
9. Kay Logan-Peters, “East Campus 1896: Agriculture Experiment Station Building,” Historic Buildings of UNL http://historicbuildings.unl.edu/building.php?b=24 , accessed 06/21/2013
10. Kay Logan-Peters “Roberts & Woods; Architects,” Historic Buildings of UNL http://historicbuildings.unl.edu/people.php?peopleID=20&cid=14 accessed 06/21/2013.
11. E.F. Zimmer, “Boulevards Historic District National Register Nomination.” National Register of Historic Places, Nomination Form. Lincoln: Lincoln?Lancaster Planning Commission, 2008. http://www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/lancaster/LC13-Boulevards-HD.pdf accessed 06/21/2013.
12. Copies of blueprints available at Lincoln Planning Dept.
13. “Charlton House National Register Nomination,” 1996, by J. S. Stumpff http://www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/lancaster/LC00-127-Charlton-Hse.PDF accessed 06/21/2013.
14. Lancaster County, Nebraska, Register of Deeds, Deed Book 28:4.
15. “An Account of the Roberts Homestead, Lancaster Co., Nebraska By Ruth Roberts Sorenson” Section 2. TS, July 26, 1938. (Typescripts available at Lincoln/Lancaster Co. Planning Dept.)
16. “Pascos County Court House National Register Nomination,” Janus Research Inc. 2005. http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/fl/Pasco/state.html accessed 6/25/13.
17. Historical Structure Form Florida State File. 1995. #PA539. incomplete citations
18. Historical Structure Form Florida State File 2000. #PA1238.
19. Historical Structure Form Florida State File 2007. #PA02560.
20. “Artemas Roberts,” Find a Grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=41553305, accessed 06/21/2013.
21. Steve Rajtar, “Rodney B. Cox Elementary” Reocities http://www.reocities.com/yosemite/rapids/8428/hikeplans/dade_city/plandadecity.html, accessed 06/21/2013.
22. “Master Site File” http://www.flheritage.com/preservation/sitefile/index.cfm, accessed 06/21/2013.
23. A. B. Hayes & Sam D. Cox, History of the City of Lincoln (Lincoln: State Journal Printing Company, ca. 1889), 228-229.
24. Plans and specifications for the Charlton House are on file at the City of Lincoln Planning Department.
25. Park Hill National Register Nomination, E. F. Zimmer, 2010. http://www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/lancaster/LC13-Park-Hill.pdf accessed 6/25/13.
26. Andreas, A. T. History of Nebraska. (Chicago: The Western Historical Company, 1882), 1078.
27. “Irma’s Place in History” “It was designed by Alfred Wilderman Woods, a Lincoln, Nebraska church architect.” citation? http://irmahotel.com/html/history.html accessed 6/25/13.
28. Jim McKee, Personal Correspondence with E. F. Zimmer, March 6th, 1998. On file at the City of Lincoln Planning Department.
29. Ruins of the Haish Building, http://memories.ne.gov/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/nwu&CISOPTR=22&CISOBOX=1&REC=19. Accessed 6/25/13,
30. “Pages of History: Nebraska High Schools,” Nebraska High School Historical Society, Inc., 1994.
31. City of Lincoln, Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, 1884-1949. (Copies available at City of Lincoln Planning Department.)
32. Steve Rajtar, “Dade City Historical Trail,” 1999. http://www.reocities.com/yosemite/rapids/8428/hikeplans/dade_city/plandadecity.html accessed 7/3/13.
33. Building Specifications, in Ellis P. Hamer Collection, MSS, Nebraska State Historical Society, Archives (copy in Architects file).
34. Lincoln Trade Review 1:11 (1902):4.
35. Lincoln Trade Review 1:14 (1902):3.
36. Lincoln Trade Review 1:21 (1902):4.
37. Lincoln Trade Review 1:40 (1902):4.
Page Citation
E. F. Zimmer and D. Murphy, “Artemas Roberts (1841-1944), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, January 9, 2016. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, November 22, 2024.
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