F. S. Potvin (1839- ), Architect-Builder
Fabien S. Potvin was born on April 22, 1839 in Canada. The Potvin family arrived in Lincoln in 1879 where 12-year-old Mary Potvin quickly made a favorable impression as a pianist.[5] Her father worked as a builder in Lincoln and in Seattle. Potvin was married to Catharine and had at least four children.[1][2] He died in Washington State on December 18, 1908 and was interred in Seattle's Calvary Cemetery.[3]
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
[hide]Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings
1883: contractor & builder
Educational & Professional Associations
1875: furniture dealer, Fort Edward, New York.[4]
1880: carpenter and builder, Lincoln, Nebraska.[1]
1900: contractor and builder, Seattle, Washington.[2]
Buildings & Projects
Burr & Briggs two-story brick block (1880-1881), O Street between 12th & 13th, Lincoln, Nebraska.[6][a]
State Bank Block (1883), Red Cloud, Nebraska. (WT07-030)
Notes
a. Nebraska State Journal in 1881 reported with fulsome praise on the quick and substantial construction by Potvin of a block designed by Artemas Roberts for Burr & Briggs, accomplished in six weeks of frigid weather. "The excellence of the work, and considering the weather, the exceedingly short time in which the building was finished, demonstrates Mr. Potvin to be a rusher."[6] Probably this was the double storefront designed by Roberts and occupied by the Davis Bros. and built in 1881.
References
1. 1880 United States Census, s.v. “F. S. Potvin,” Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska, accessed through HeritageQuestOnline.com.
2. 1900 United States Census, s.v. “F. S. Potvin,” Seattle, King County, Washington, accessed through HeritageQuestOnline.com.
3. Ancestry.com. U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current, s.v. "Fabien Sebastien Potvin," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
4. Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., State Census, 1875, s.v. "Fabien Potvin," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
5. "The entertainment..at the Academy of Music...was a brilliant success...," (Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal (November 26, 1879), 4.
6. "Burr and Briggs' New Building. A Substantial Structure and Some Quick Work," (Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal (January 28, 1881), 4.
Page Citation
D. Murphy & E. F. Zimmer, “F. S. Potvin (1839- ), Architect-Builder,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, March 3, 2015, updated July 4, 2024. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, April 3, 2025.
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