John Fletcher Reynolds (1878-1963), Architect
John Fletcher Reynolds was born in Jefferson County, Ohio on Christmas Day, 1878 to Richard M. and Margaret A. (nee Lysle) Reynolds.[10] Richard Reynolds was identified as a "Fruit grower" in 1900 and his son John was a teacher, living with his parents in Salem, Ohio.[12] John married Beulah Smith, a 22-year-old Ohioan, in 1908.[16]. John was a graduate of Ohio State University; he taught in New Philadelphia, Ohio and later in Pratt, Kansas in 1910. His registration for the draft in 1918 also listed his residence as Pratt, Kansas, while his occupation was "Supt City Schools."[5][11] The family moved to Sioux City, Iowa by 1920, where John practiced architecture into the mid-1930s.[a] By 1935 they were residing and John was practicing architecture in Lincoln, Nebraska, designing several buildings for public use, including libraries, schools and courthouses. The U. S. Census of 1940 listed him as a Lincoln architect in private practice.[4][6] John next practiced in Urbana, Illinois, where he and Beulah lived until at least 1960, before a final move to California.[b] He died in La Jolla, California on February 6, 1963 at age 84.[7][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
Lincoln, Nebraska, 1935-1942
Educational & Professional Associations
Buildings & Projects
Belden Public School (1924), west side Dodge Street, south of E 3rd Street, Belden, Nebraska.(CD02-022)
Perkins County Courthouse (1926), SW corner 2nd & Garfield, Grant, Nebraska.[1] (PR04-001)
Third Thurston County Public School (1927), Southside Main between 5th & 6th, Pender, Nebraska.[1] (TS03-022) National Register narrative
Crookston Public School (ca. 1930), east side Main between Oak & 2nd, Crookston, Nebraska. (CE04-005)
Ainsworth City Hall (1935-1936), Ainsworth, Nebraska.[2] (BW01-173)
"Old" Rushville Public Library (1935-1940), 302 E 3rd Street, Rushville, Nebraska.[3][c] (SH08-017)
Dixon County Courthouse Addition (1939), SW corner 3rd & Iowa, Ponca, Nebraska.[1] (DX08-040) National Register narrative
Notes
a. John, Beulah, and daughter Helen resided in Sioux City, Iowa by 1920. They continued to reside there in 1930, when John was listed in the U. S. Census as an architect of "School Building." Sioux City directories identified John as "supt" (presumably of construction, not of public school instruction) as late as 1934.[8][9][14]
b. The U. S. Census of 1950 found John, Beulah, and daughter Helen residing in Urbana, Illinois, when 71-year-old John was still listed as working 40 hours weekly as an architect, while 39-year-old Helen was an assistant librarian in the state university's art and architecture library.[13]
c. The Rushville Library moved from the Reynolds building to a converted Masonic lodge hall early in the 21st century. The Nebraska Library Commission website includes images of the "old" library in 2001 and the current library in 2006. SEE http://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/libraries/photos.asp?libcity=Rushville&libname=Rushville+Public+Library (accessed August 2, 2023).
References
1. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
2. Jill Dolberg, email to D. Murphy, June 3, 2009.
3. Kelli Bacon (History Nebraska), email to D. Murphy and E. F. Zimmer, August 2, 2023, regarding receipt of photocopies of plans by Reynolds for Rushville Public Library.
4. Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census, s.v. "John F. Reynolds," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
5. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, s.v. "John Fletcher Reynolds," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
6. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942, s.v. "John Fletcher Reynolds," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
7. Ancestry.com. U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current, s.v. "John Fletcher Reynolds," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
8. Ancestry.com. Iowa, U.S., State Census Collection, 1836-1925, s.v. "John F. Reynolds," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.
9. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census, s.v. "John F. Reynolds," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.
10. Ancestry.com. Ohio, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1774-1973, s.v. "John Fletcher Reynolds," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
11. Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census, s.v. "John F. Reynolds," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
12. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census, s.v. "John F. Reynolds," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
13. Ancestry.com. 1950 United States Federal Census, s.v. "John F. Reynolds," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022.
14. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census, s.v. "J. F. Reynolds," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
15. "John Reynolds," (Dover, Ohio) Daily Reporter (February 7, 1963), 2 (obituary for John J. [sic] Reynolds, born in Ohio, former teacher and principal, survived by widow Beulah).
16. Ancestry.com. Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993," s.v. "Beulah Smith, spouse J. F. Reynolds," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
Page Citation
D. Murphy & E. F. Zimmer, “John Fletcher Reynolds (1878-1963), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, August 3, 2023. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, November 22, 2024.
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