Heinrich Ernst Wagner (1849-1887), Architect
DBA: H. E. Wagner
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
Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings
Lincoln, Nebraska, 1884-1885
Kearney, Nebraska, 1886
Educational & Professional Associations
1872: architect, [Berlin].[3]
1875: architect, Berlin, Germany.[9]
1883: draftsman, Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, Lincoln, Nebraska.[4]
1884: employed as draftsman brother-in-law Clarence E. Robine.[a]
1885: architect, office 1105 O St, “upstairs,” Lincoln, Nebraska.[a]
1886-1887: architect, Kearney, Nebraska.[9][11]
Buildings & Projects
Project for a boat house (1875), Berlin, Germany.[9]
Velosco V. Leonard house (1883), 323 North Sixth Street, Plattsmouth, Nebraska.[19][20] CC14-086
Wagner-Highland H. Wheeler house (1884), 1517 H St, Lincoln, Nebraska.[8][9]
Hanson-Downing house (1886), Kearney, Nebraska.[10][25] (BF05-165)
Catholic Church project (1886), Kearney, Nebraska.[9]
Buffalo County Courthouse (1887-1890), Kearney, Nebraska.[11][14][25] SEE [c].
Plans and specifications for large opera house (1887), Kearney, Nebraska.[21][e]
Notes
a. A photograph [8] of the Wagner-Wheeler House in Lincoln shows a sign by the front entrance “H. E. Wagner Architect Office Here,” indicating the Wagner family not only owned and designed the house, but occupied it at least briefly. The Lincoln City Directory of 1885 lists Wagner as “architect” with an office downtown at 1105 O St., “upstairs,” and a residence at 1307 H Street—not the Wagner-Wheeler House.
One of the drawings for the Wagner-Wheeler House is inscribed “Copied by C. E. Robine, Draughtsman, Sept. 1884.” Clarence Robine, “cl[er]k”, boarded with Wagner at 1307 H in 1885; the 1880 U. S. Census lists Clarence Robine as the 13-year-old brother of Wagner’s late wife Margaret Robine.[9]
b. Ida Waterman, second wife of H. E. Wagner, was daughter of John and Maggie Waterman of Plattsmouth, Nebraska. In the 1880 U. S. Census, she was enumerated both at school in Jacksonville, Illinois and at home in Plattsmouth with her parents. The 1885 Nebraska Census listed Henry Ernst Wagner, 35, in Capital, Lancaster, Nebraska, with wife Ida C. Waterman Wagner (21) and son Stuart Wagner, age 2 weeks. By the time of the 1900 U. S. Census, Ida resided with John Waterman in Plattsmouth, with son, “Carl (?).” In the 1920 U. S. Census, widow Ida Wagner (56) resided with John Waterman (83) in Plattsmouth; by 1930 widow Ida Wagner, (67), was in Ferndale, Michigan.
c. Contemporary reports in 1887 indicate at least ten plans were offered for the Buffalo County Courthouse. Architects included F. M. Ellis of Omaha; Schraga & Nichols of Kansas City, Missouri; William Gray, Lincoln; H. E. Wagner, Kearney; Frank Laurer, Kearney; and O. H. Placey, Lincoln. Gray was an early favorite. On an initial vote, Wagner received 12 and Gray 11, both falling short of a majority of 25 votes cast. On a second balloting, Warner's plan was selected by 14 votes (to Gray's 10). Certain changes were discussed with Warner and he was given a few days to return with a plan including a dome. The Warner's revised plans were adopted a few days later. Wagner died in Plattsmouth, September 30, 1887. Construction apparently began in 1888 under architect H. T. Julius Fuehrmann of Grand Island. In late 1889 the county board considered calling a special election for bonds to complete the courthouse construction. Records were being shifted into the new courthouse in September, 1890.[17][18] In Temples of Justice, Goeldner lists both Wagner and H. T. Fuehrmann as architects for Buffalo County Courthouse.[11][12][13]
d. The Plattsmouth Daily Herald noted that "Architect Ernst Wagner has shown us the plans of Mr. Leonard's new residence...on 6th street. His residence will be two full stories and will be finished in the most substantial manner."[19] V. V. Leonard's "most substantial" two-story brick house with Italianate features is extant (2023) at the southeast corner of Avenue C (formerly Locust) and 6th Street in Plattsmouth.[EFZ]
e. Kearney newspapers of the late 1880s frequently agitated for a new, larger opera house in their city. Wagner's proposed design was described in detail in the Kearney New Era as a three-story building with 75 feet of frontage and 130 feet of depth. "Milwaukee yellow brick with terra cotta trimmings" was proposed, at a total cost of $60,000 "completed." Seating capacity was to be 1,200--"more persons than any other opera house in the State." A "cite [sic]" at the northeast corner of 11th & Wyoming was suggested. The reporter boldly declared "Those who should know the most about it, say it is a sure thing this time," but the design was not built.[21] Wagner died in Plattsmouth in September 1887. Kearney boosters continued pushing for a large new opera house and in 1890-1891 succeeded, including the facility within a five-story mixed-use building. Kearney architects Frank, Bailey & Farmer were described as "engaged upon the working plans of the new Kearney National block," referring to Kearney National Bank which was to be housed in the new opera house building.[22] Subsequent accounts mentioned proposals received from several other Nebraska architects and firms including William Gray of Lincoln, F. E. Ellis of Omaha, and C. C. Rittenhouse of Hastings, before J. B. McElfatrick of Saint Louis was announced as the chosen designer.[23][24]
References
1. Inscribed on gravestone, Oak Hill Cemetery, Plattsmouth, Nebraska.
2. “Germany, Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898,” index, FamilySearch, accessed February 4, 2013, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NFQJ-NFC
3. Personal correspondence from P. J. Scott to E. Zimmer, referencing Ancestry.com: New Orleans, Passenger Lists 1813-1945, January 5, 2013.
4. “Wagner-Robine,” Daily Nebraska State Journal (April 22, 1882), 4: 3. See also “Married in Nebraska…At Hastings, April 20…,” Daily Nebraska State Journal (April 23, 1882), 3:6.
5. “Died,” (notice of death of Maggie, wife of Ernest [sic] Wagner), Daily Nebraska State Journal (October 20,1882), 4:4.
6. Nebraska State Census, 1885.
7. “Died—Heinrich Earnest (sic) Wagner,” The Daily (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) Herald (September 30, 1887), 4:1.
8. See L741-613 and 614; Nebraska State Historical Society, Photographic Collections.
9. Electronic scans of H. E. Wagner drawings in private collection, provided to Lincoln/Lancaster County Planning Dept.
10. Attribution by the editors; see the correspondence between D. Murphy and E. F. Zimmer concerning H. E. Wagner architectural drawings for sale on eBay, April, 2000.
11. Paul Kenneth Goeldner, Temples of Justice: Nineteenth Century Courthouses of the Midwest and Texas [PhD dissertation, Columbia University, 1970] (Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms, 1970), 434.
12. Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton Counties, Nebraska, Comprising a Condensed History of the State (Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1890), 631.
13. Historical and Descriptive View of Nebraska (Omaha: Jno. Lethem, 1892), 2:121.
14. "County Board Proceedings. [Official Report] Kearney, Nebr. June 21, 1887," Buffalo Co. Beacon (Gibbon, Nebraska) (July 8, 1887), 4; and "County Board Proceedings. [Official Report] Kearney, Nebr. June 24, 1887," same paper (July 15, 1887), 1.
15. "Nebraska State Items...The county board of supervisors of Buffalo county are considering..." Omaha World-Herald (October 10, 1889), 4.
16. "Cost of Court House. Statement of Amounts Levied for Its Construction," The Kearney (Nebraska) Daily Hub (October 14, 1989), 4.
17. "Personal...H. T. Juhl Fuehrman, of Grand Island, the architect for the new court house, was in the city yesterday to confer with the building committee..." The Kearney (Nebraska) Daily Hub" (July 20, 1889), 4.
18. "The Court House," The Kearney (Nebraska) Daily Hub (September 10, 1890), 4.
19. "V. V. Leonard's New Residence," The Plattsmouth (Nebraska) Daily Herald (April 28, 1883), 4.
20. Heritage Research, Ltd., "Cass County Nebraska Historic Building Survey," prepared for Nebraska State Historical Society (August 2004), 25, 31, 37.
21. "Largest Opera House in the State," Kearney (Nebraska) New Era (February 12, 1887), 2.
22. "Will Build at Once--The Kearney Opera House Company Organized--The Building," and "Frank, Baily [sic] & Farmer, architects, are engaged upon the working plans of the new Kearney National block," Kearney (Nebraska) Hub (April 17, 1890), 4.
23. "Local Notes...The following architects are here to make estimates of cost and submit plans and specifications for the new opera house and bank: Ellis...Gray...and Rittenhouse," Kearney (Nebraska) Hub (May 8, 1890), 4.
24. "A Grand Structure. Plans for the New Opera House Accepted Yesterday...J. B. McElfatrick & Sons, of St. Louis, the Architects," Kearney (Nebraska) Hub (May 17, 1890), 4.
25. William S. Skinner, One Hundred Views of Kearney, Buffalo County, Nebraska, Kearney, Nebraska: For sale by T. N. Hartzell, city clerk (1892), (includes photos of "Buffalo County Court House" and "W. A. Downing Residence"), 21, 59. Accessed on-line January 14, 2024 at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=one+hundred+views+of+kearney&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
Return to Top of Page
Page Citation
E. F. Zimmer and D. Murphy, “Heinrich Ernst Wagner (1849-1887), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, December 25, 2023. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, November 21, 2024.
Contact the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office with questions or comments concerning this page, including any problems you may have with broken links (see, however, the Disclaimers link at the bottom of this page). Please provide the URL to this page with your inquiry.
