Charles F. Beindorff (1862-1898), Architect
Charles F. Beindorff was born on the northwest corner of Thirteenth and Farnam Streets in Omaha on June 27, 1862.[2][16] He attended Omaha Public Schools until the age of sixteen, at which time he began working for various architects in Omaha. After completing a special course in architecture at M.I.T., Beindorff returned to Omaha and began a short-lived but productive career in architecture.[2]
Beindorff was married to Emily W. Baker, daughter of Robert W. D. Baker. They had three children. He was a charter member of the Sons of Omaha, and was vice president of the organization in 1891. Beindorff died at the age of 35 in 1898.[1]
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
Omaha, Nebraska, 1876-1898
Educational & Professional Associations
1876-1877: architect, C. Beindorff & Company, Architects, Omaha, Nebraska.
1878: with Henry Voss, Omaha, Nebraska.[2]
ca. 1879: with Charles F. Driscoll, Omaha, Nebraska.[2]
1880-1882: architect, A. R. Dufrene, Omaha, Nebraska.[2]
1882-1883: special student and graduate in architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston.[1][10]
1883-1884: architect in charge, Sidney Smith, Omaha, Nebraska.[2]
1884-1886: architect in charge, Benjamin A. Fowler, Omaha, Nebraska.[2]
1886-1890: architect and partner, Fowler & Beindorff, Omaha, Nebraska.[2]
1887-1893: architect and partner, Fowler & Beindorff, Omaha, Nebraska.
1890-1898: Charles F. Beindorff, Architect, Omaha, Nebraska.[2]
Other Associations
1887-1893: employed Walter T. Misener, draughtsman.
1898: employed Arthur Dixon Baker.[a]
1898: employed F. William Krelle, draftsman.
Buildings & Projects
Dated
The Coliseum (ca. 1886).[2]
Crete High School (1888), Crete, Nebraska.[2][14][c]
Omaha City Hall (1888-1893), NE corner 18th & Farnam, Omaha, Nebraska.[1][13][17][c][e]
Edgar Zabriskie House (1889), 3524 Hawthorne, Omaha, Nebraska.[11][c]
C. Beindorf house (1889), 2549 Rees, Omaha, Nebraska.[4:168][9] (DO09:0205-073)
C. Beindorf house (1889), 2531 Rees, Omaha, Nebraska.[4:166]
Merriam Block (1889), Council Bluffs, Iowa [2][19][f]
Superintendent, U. S. Post Office and Courthouse (1890-1892), Omaha, Nebraska.[2]
G. Hicks doublehouse (1891), 1106 S 31st St, Omaha, Nebraska.[4][9] (DO09:0204-005)
H. Leisage house (1891), 1114 S 32nd St, Omaha, Nebraska.[4][9] (DO09:0204-026)
Mercer Hotel Addition-Gahm Block (1892), 1202-1208 Howard, Omaha, Nebraska.[5][9][b] (D009:0121-002)
L. D. Spaulding house, built for G. Hicks (1892), 3015 Pacific, Omaha, Nebraska.[4][9] (DO09:0204-007)
G. Hicks house #1 (1892), 3017 Pacific, Omaha, Nebraska.[4][9] (DO09:0204-006)
House for G. Hicks (1892), 3019 Pacific, Omaha, Nebraska.[4][9] (DO09:0204-043)
Omaha Club (1893), Omaha, Nebraska.[1][3]
Boone County Courthouse (1897), Albion, Nebraska.[8] (BO02-005)
Valentine High School (1897-1898), Valentine, Nebraska.[12][18][d] (CE14-002)
Horticulture Building (1898), Trans-Mississippi & International Exposition, Omaha, Nebraska.[1][6][7]
Notes
a. Relationship note: Beindorff was the son-in-law of Robert W. D. Baker and the brother-in-law of Arthur Dixon Baker.
b. Beindorff designed the 1892 six storey addition to the hotel, at the address given above. In 1900 the hotel was gutted and renovated into a warehouse by architect P. J. Creedon.[5]
c. This is a building by Fowler & Beindorff.
d. The 1908 addition to the school was designed by A. H. Dyer.
e. Construction of the City Hall was the cause of a controversy between the mayor, the contractors, and the architect.[15]
f. "Merriam Block opened on July 26, 1889 with music rendered by Dalbeys Orchestra and the ladies of the Episcopal church served refreshments. Thousands turned out to see the latest building in a grand collection of fine buildings that graced the city." [19]
References
1. “Death Record: Funeral of C. F. Beindorff,” Omaha Evening Bee (October 12, 1898), p. 7:6
2. "The Superintendant [Omaha’s New Post Office],” Omaha Excelsior (March 12, 1892), 4.
3. Omaha Excelsior [plans, drawing, article] (January 14, 1893), 1, 8.
4. Landmarks, Inc., An Inventory of Historic Omaha Buildings (Omaha: City of Omaha and Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission, 1980), 168, 81, 85, 152.
5. Penelope Chatfield, Daniel Kidd, and D. Murphy, “Old Market Historic District,” [PDF] National Register of Historic Places, Inventory-Nomination Form (Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, January, 1979), accessed through NebraskaHistory.org, http://www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/douglas/DO09-Old-Market-HD.pdf.
6. James B. Haynes, History of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition of 1898 ([Omaha]: Committee on History, 1910), 110, 129-31. [portrait p. 131]
7. “Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition,” Omaha Public Library Website, 1998. Images at http://www.omaha.lib.ne.us/transmiss/buildings/horticulture.html Accessed July 7, 2003.
8. Oliver B. Pollak, Nebraska Courthouses: Contention, Compromise, and Community [Images of America Series] (Chicago: Arcadia Publishing, 2002), 67.
9. City of Omaha Planning Department, Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission, Database, Query on Architects, May 20, 2002; courtesy of Lynn Meyer, Preservation Planner.
10. Lee Andrew Davison, Reference Assistant, The Libraries of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, letter to Penny Chatfield Sodhi, Historian, Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office, rec’d December 14, 1983.
11. Penelope Chatfield and David Murphy, “Edgar Zabriske House,” [PDF] National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form (Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, June 1978), accessed through "NebraskaHistory.org", http://www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/douglas/DO09-Zabriskie-House.pdf
12. Penelope Chatfield Sodhi, “Valentine Public School,” National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form (Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, March 1984).
13. Arthur C. Wakeley, Omaha: The Gate City and Douglas County, Nebraska Vol. 1, (Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1917), 139-140, photo facing 144.
14. State Vidette (April 5, 1888), 3:1.
15. Omaha Morning Bee (September 27, 1892): 8:1-2; (October 1, 1892): 4:3; and October 2, 1892), 3:4.
16. “Charles F. Beindorff,” accessed through FindAGrave.com on August 15, 2013, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=beindorff&GSfn=charles&GSmn=f&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=14948560&df=all&
17. Omaha Bee (May 18, 1891), 4.
18. Uniform Contract [CE14-2] for Valentine Public Schools, (August 30, 1897).
19. S.M. Senden, "Lost Council Bluffs" (Charleston, S.C.: The History Press, 2016), 112. Accessed December 12 via Googlebooks: https://books.google.com/books?id=rVZmDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA115&dq=merriam+block,+council+bluffs,+ia&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2l8SA1YTYAhXk6YMKHYLaD4cQ6AEIWjAJ#v=onepage&q=merriam%20block%2C%20council%20bluffs%2C%20ia&f=false
Other Sources
“Fowler & Beindorff,” in John Grant. Glimpses of Omaha. Omaha: D. C. Dunbar & Company, [1888?], 45.
Page Citation
D. Murphy, “Charles F. Beindorff (1862-1898), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, August 15, 2013. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, November 21, 2024.
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