Jackson County Courthouse Independence MO-cropped

Keene & Simpson was an American

architectural firm In the United States, an architectural firm or architecture firm is a business that employs one or more licensed architects and practices the profession of architecture; while in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and other countr ...

based in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

, and in practice from 1909 until 1980. The named partners were architects Arthur Samuel Keene FAIA (1875–1966) and Leslie Butler Simpson AIA (1885–1961). In 1955 it became Keene & Simpson & Murphy with the addition of John Thomas Murphy FAIA (1913–1999), who managed the firm until his retirement in 1980.

Biography and history

Arthur Samuel Keene was born September 21, 1875, in

Brighton, Boston Brighton is a Municipal annexation in the United States, former town and current Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, located in the northwestern corner of the city. It is named after the English city of ...

to Samuel Keene and Marianna (Fuller) Keene. His uncle, George Franklin Fuller, was a Boston-based architect of churches and other buildings. His initial interest in architecture came from the study of the books and drawings in his uncle's library. His formal education was in the Boston public schools and the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

, from which he graduated in 1898."Keene, Arthur Samuel" in ''Who's Who in Kansas City'', ed Sara Mullin Baldwin (Hebron: Robert M. Baldwin Corporation, 1930): 106. He then joined the office of

Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge was a successful American architectural firm based in Boston. As the successor to the studio of Henry Hobson Richardson, they completed his unfinished work before developing their own practice, and had extensive commissi ...

as a

drafter A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British English, British and English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman, drafting technician, or CAD technician in American English, American and Canadia ...

, moving to that of

Guy Lowell Guy Lowell (August 6, 1870 – February 4, 1927), was an American architect and landscape architect. Biography Born in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, Lowell was the son of Mary Walcott (Goodrich) and Edward Jackson Lowell, and a member of B ...

in 1903."Keene, Arthur Samuel" in ''American Architects Directory'' (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1956): 291. In 1907 Keene moved to

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

, where he joined the office of Howe & Hoit.Giles Carroll Mitchell, ''There is No Limit: Architecture and Sculpture in Kansas City'' (Kansas City: Brown-White Company, 1934): 106. In Hoit's office he worked alongside Leslie Butler Simpson. Leslie B. Simpson was born May 30, 1885, in

Clayton, Missouri Clayton is a city in and the county seat of St. Louis County, Missouri, and borders the independent city of St. Louis. The population was 17,355 at the 2020 census. Organized in 1877, the city was named after Ralph Clayton, a citizen who donated ...

, to Luther Rice Simpson and Nannie (Pigg) Simpson. He attended the public schools and received his early architectural education through correspondence courses of the International Correspondence School of

Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Scranton is the most populous city in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the ...

. In 1901 he moved to Kansas City, where he joined Van Brunt & Howe, predecessors to Howe & Hoit. He remained with Hoit until 1909, when he and Arthur S. Keene left to form their partnership, Keene & Simpson."Simpson, Leslie Butler" in ''Who's Who in Kansas City'', ed Sara Mullin Baldwin (Hebron: Robert M. Baldwin Corporation, 1930): 178."Simpson, Leslie Butler" in ''National Cyclopaedia of American Biography'' 50 (New York: James T. White & Company, 1968): 365-366. Keene & Simpson had a successful regional practice, completing buildings in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. In 1955 they expanded the partnership to include John T. Murphy, an MIT graduate who had worked for them since 1945. The firm was then renamed Keene & Simpson & Murphy."Murphy, John Thomas" in ''American Architects Directory'' (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1956): 396-397. Simpson died December 15, 1961, in Kansas City. Keene retired in 1962 and died May 14, 1966, in

Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeastern Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2020 cen ...

. Murphy ran the firm under the same name until 1980. Murphy died February 6, 1999, in Kansas City. Several of their major works were designed as joint ventures with other architects. The Philtower Building in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...

, was designed in association with Edward Buehler Delk of Kansas City, and the Jackson County Courthouse was designed in association with Frederick C. Gunn and Wight & Wight of Kansas City and consulting architect Edward F. Neild of

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

. They were also consultants on the

Boston Avenue Methodist Church The Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, located in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma, and completed in 1929, is considered to be one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical Art Deco architecture in the United States, and has been placed on the Natio ...

in Tulsa, completed in 1929 and designed by

Bruce Goff Bruce Alonzo Goff (June 8, 1904 – August 4, 1982) was an American architect, distinguished by his organic, eclectic, and often flamboyant designs for houses and other buildings in Oklahoma and elsewhere. A 1951 ''Life'' magazine article sta ...

and

Adah Robinson Adah Matilda Robinson (July 13, 1882 – March 10, 1962) was an American artist, designer and teacher, who influenced many other artists, especially architects, during the first half of the 20th century. Born in Indiana, she was educated in art s ...

. All three members of the partnership were involved in the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

, Keene joining in 1916, Simpson in 1921 and Murphy in 1945. In 1938 Keene was elevated to

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

, followed by Murphy in 1964.

Legacy

At least twelve buildings designed by Keene & Simpson, in whole or in part, have been listed on the United States

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Others contribute to listed historic districts.

Architectural works

* Wichita Club (former), 200 E 1st St,

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the List of cities in Kansas, most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397, ...

(1909–11) *

Lyndon Carnegie Library The Lyndon Carnegie Library, located at 127 E. Sixth in Lyndon, Kansas, is a Classical Revival-style Carnegie library which was built in about 1911. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It is a one-story, brick and ...

, 127 E 6th St,

Lyndon, Kansas Lyndon is a city in and the county seat of Osage County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,037. History Lyndon was founded in 1869 after the land in the area was taken from the Sac and Fox Nati ...

(1911, NRHP 1987) * Levi McIntire house, 710 E Armour Blvd,

(1911, NRHP 1983) * Major Hotel, 112 E Franklin St,

Liberty, Missouri Liberty is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Missouri, United States and is a suburb of Kansas City, located in the Kansas City Metro Area. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 30,167. Liberty is home to Willia ...

(1912, NRHP 1992) * Emory J. Sweeney house, 5921 Ward Pkwy,

(1919) * Thos. Corrigan Building, 1828 Walnut St,

(1920–21, NRHP 1982) * Gate City National Bank Building, 1111 Grand Ave,

(1920, NRHP 1982) * Kelley-Reppert Motor Company Building, 422 Admiral Blvd,

(1920) * Land Bank Building, 15 W 10th St,

(1923–24, NRHP 1985) * Argyle Building addition, 306 E 12th St,

(1924–25, NRHP 2005) *

Phillips Petroleum Company Phillips Petroleum Company was an American oil company incorporated in 1917 that expanded into petroleum refining, marketing and transportation, natural gas gathering and the chemicals sectors. It was Phillips Petroleum that first found oil in th ...

Building, 310 S Keeler Ave,

Bartlesville, Oklahoma Bartlesville is a city mostly in Washington County and Osage County, Oklahoma. The population was 37,290 at the 2020 census. Bartlesville is north of Tulsa and south of the Kansas border. It is the county seat of Washington County. The Cane ...

(1927 and 1930, partially extant) * Philtower Building, 427 S Boston Ave,

(1927–328, NRHP 1979) * Armour Theatre Building, 408 Armour Rd,

North Kansas City, Missouri North Kansas City is a city in Clay County, Missouri, United States. It is also enclaved in Kansas City. Even though the name is similar to its larger counterpart, Kansas City, it is an independent municipality and part of the Kansas City metrop ...

(1928, NRHP 2008) * Kansas City Scottish Rite Temple, 1330 E Linwood Blvd,

(1928–30) * Home for Convalescent Employed Women, 3212 Michigan Ave,

(1931, NRHP 2012) * Jackson County Courthouse, 112 W Lexington Ave,

Independence, Missouri Independence is a city in and one of two county seats of Jackson County, Missouri, United States. It is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the largest suburb on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area. In 2020 Unite ...

(1932–33, NRHP 1972) * Jackson County Courthouse, 415 E 12th St,

(1933–34) *

Hall of Waters Hall of Waters, also known as Siloam Park and Springs, is a historic building located at Excelsior Springs, Clay County, Missouri. It is currently the City Hall of Exceisor Springs. It is the site of the first spring of many discovered in Excels ...

, 201 E Broadway,

Excelsior Springs, Missouri Excelsior Springs is a city in Clay and Ray counties in the U.S. state of Missouri and part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The population was 10,553 at the 2020 census. It is located approximately northeast of central Kansas City, Miss ...

(1936–37, NRHP 1983) * Van Horn High School, 1109 S. Arlington Ave,

(1955) * 811 Main Street building,

(1959)"Murphy, John Thomas" in ''American Architects Directory'' (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 503. * Southeast Junior High School (former), 6410 Swope Pkwy,

(1961) *

Commerce Tower Commerce Tower is a 30-story skyscraper located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, US. Constructed in 1965, it is the ninth-tallest habitable structure in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, and since the completion of the City Hall, it was the ...

, 911 Main St,

(1962–65)"Murphy, John Thomas" in ''American Architects Directory'' (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 651. * First National Bank Building, 630 Delaware St,

Leavenworth, Kansas Leavenworth () is the county seat and largest city of Leavenworth County, Kansas, Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States. Part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, Leavenworth is located on the west bank of the Missouri River, on the site o ...

(1967) * Executive Plaza, 720 Main St,

(1972–74)This is Not Your Traditional Historic Building
Rosin Preservation, November 26, 2019. Accessed August 26, 2022.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keene and Simpson Architecture firms based in Missouri Design companies established in 1909 Design companies disestablished in 1980 American companies established in 1909 American companies disestablished in 1909 1909 establishments in Missouri 1980 disestablishments in Missouri Companies based in Kansas City, Missouri