Lake Tahoe - Eastshore Drive - A View of Thunderbird Lodge - NARA - 7719901

Frederic Joseph DeLongchamps (June 2, 1882 – February 11, 1969) was an American

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

. He was one of

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

's most prolific architects, yet is notable for entering the architectural profession with no extensive formal training. He has also been known as Frederick J. DeLongchamps, and was described by the latter name in an extensive review of the historic importance of his works which led to many of them being listed on the U.S.

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 ...

in the 1980s.

Life

Early life and education

Born Frederic Joseph DeLonchamps in

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

on January 2, 1882, the son of Felix DeLongchamps and Exilda Gibeau. He was raised in Washoe County, graduating from Reno High School in 1900, then the

University of Nevada The University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada, the University of Nevada, or UNR) is a public land-grant research university in Reno, Nevada, United States. It is the state's flagship public university and primary land grant institution. It was founded ...

in 1904 with a degree in

mining engineering Mining engineering is the extraction of minerals from the ground. It is associated with many other disciplines, such as mineral processing, exploration, excavation, geology, metallurgy, geotechnical engineering and surveying. A mining engineer m ...

Career

DeLongchamps was employed as a

mining engineer Mining engineering is the extraction of minerals from the ground. It is associated with many other disciplines, such as mineral processing, exploration, excavation, geology, metallurgy, geotechnical engineering and surveying. A mining engineer m ...

and

draftsman A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman, drafting technician, or CAD technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawi ...

Inyo County, California Inyo County () is a County (United States), county in the Eastern California, eastern central part of the U.S. state of California, located between the Sierra Nevada and the state of Nevada. In the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the po ...

before he embarked on a career in

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

. He spent a short time in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

where he may have apprenticed, but he returned to Nevada in 1907 and formed a partnership with Ira W. Tesch. From 1909 to 1938, DeLongchamps maintained his own firm and became one of Nevada's most prolific architects. He designed both private and public buildings including nine county

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...

s in Nevada and California. He was awarded the contract to design the Nevada Buildings for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915), winning a silver medal for his work. DeLongchamps was appointed Nevada State Architect in 1919 and was the only person to hold the position, which was abolished in 1926. During this time, he designed many state buildings. In 1939,

George L. F. O'Brien George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...

joined DeLongchamps in partnership in Reno, and Hewitt Wells added his name to the association in 1962. The architectural firm of DeLongchamps, O'Brien and Wells continued to design buildings, mainly in the Reno area, into the 1960s.

Legacy

DeLongchamps died in Reno, Nevada on February 11, 1969. He was survived by his son, Galen (08 Aug 1916-22 Jul 2001). He was the father-in-law of the noted poet and artist Joanne de Longchamps (that is how she spelled the name), who married DeLongchamps's adopted son Galen. Russell Mills is one who worked as a draftsman for DeLongchamps and went on to have a career as an independent architect. Many of DeLongchamps' works have been listed on the National Register.

Works

F. J. DeLongchamps, 1909–1939

* 1910 – Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad Depot (former), 325 E 4th St,

* 1911 – Washoe County Courthouse, 117 S Virginia St,

Julie Nicoletta, ''Buildings of Nevada'' (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000) * 1912 – Lakeview station (former), 1400 Center St,

Lakeview, Oregon Lakeview is a city in Lake County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,418 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lake County. The city bills itself as the "Tallest Town in Oregon" because of its elevation ...

* 1912 – Lyon County Courthouse, 31 S Main St,

Yerington, Nevada Yerington is a city in Lyon County, Nevada, United States. The population was 3,121 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the current county seat of Lyon County, with the first county seat having been established at Dayton, Nevad ...

* 1913 –

Nevada State Capitol The Nevada State Capitol is the capitol building of the U.S. state of Nevada located in the state capital of Carson City at 101 North Carson Street. The building was constructed in the Neoclassical Italianate style between 1869 and 1871. It is ...

Senate and Assembly wings, 101 N Carson St,

Carson City, Nevada Carson City, officially the Carson City Consolidated Municipality, is an Independent city (United States), independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 58,63 ...

* 1914 – Clark County Courthouse, S 2nd St and E Carson Ave,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

* 1914 – Joseph Giraud house, 442 Flint St,

* 1914 – I.O.O.F. Building, Mason Valley, 1 S Main St,

* 1914 – Jones Center,

University of Nevada, Reno The University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada, the University of Nevada, or UNR) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Reno, Nevada, United States. It is the state's flagship public university and prim ...

University of Nevada Reno Historic District NRHP Registration Form
(1987) * 1914 – Oats Park Grammar School, 167 E Park St,

Fallon, Nevada Fallon is a city in Churchill County, Nevada, Churchill County in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 9,327 at time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Fallon is the county seat of Churchill County and is located in the Lahont ...

* 1914 - Douglas County High School, 1479 US Hwy 395 N, Gardnerville, Nevada">Douglas County High School (Gardnerville, Nevada)">Douglas County High School, 1479 US Hwy 395 N, Gardnerville, Nevada * 1915 – Minden Wool Warehouse, 1615 Railroad Ave,

Minden, Nevada Minden is a census-designated place (CDP) in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 3,001 at the United States Census 2010, 2010 census. It is the county seat of Douglas County and is adjacent to the town of Gardnerville, Nevad ...

* 1915 – Nevada Building, Panama–Pacific International Exposition,

Mella Rothwell Harmon, "The Extraordinary Career of Frederic J. DeLongchamps" in ''Nevada Historical Society Quarterly'' 49, no. 3 (Fall 2006): 183-220. * 1915 – Reno National Bank Building, 204 N Virginia St,

* 1916 – Douglas County Courthouse, 1616 8th St,

* 1916 – Minden Butter Manufacturing Company, 1617 Water St,

* 1916 – Minden Inn, 1594 Esmeralda Ave,

* 1917 – Mary Lee Nichols School, 400-406 Pyramid Way,

Sparks, Nevada Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. It was founded in 1904, incorporated on March 15, 1905, and is located just east of Reno, Nevada, Reno. The 2020 U.S. Census counted 108,445 residents in the city. It is the List of citi ...

* 1918 – Farmers Bank of Carson Valley, 1597 Esmeralda Ave,

* 1920 – Robert L. Douglass ranch house, 1075 Dodge Ln,

* 1920 – Thompson Building,

* 1921 – Humboldt County Courthouse, 50 W 5th St,

Winnemucca, Nevada Winnemucca () is the only incorporated city in Humboldt County, Nevada, United States, of which it is also the county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 8,431, up 14.0 percent from the 2010 ...

* 1921 – Pershing County Courthouse, 400 Main St,

Lovelock, Nevada Lovelock is the county seat of Pershing County, Nevada, United States, in which it is the only incorporated city. It is the namesake of a nearby medium-security men's prison and a Cold War-era gunnery range. Formerly a stop for settlers on ...

* 1922 – Heroes Memorial Building, 100 N Carson St,

* 1922 – Ormsby County Courthouse, 198 N Carson St,

* 1922 – Vachina Apartments-California Apartments, 45 California Ave,

* 1923 – Humboldt Hotel, S Bridge St and E Winnemucca Blvd,

* 1923 – Susanville City Hall, 66 N Lassen St,

Susanville, California Susanville (formerly known as Rooptown) (, ''bush creek country'')Simmons, W. S., Morales, R., Williams, V., & Camacho, S. (1997). Honey Lake Maidu Ethnogeography of Lassen County, California . Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropolog ...

* 1925 – McCarthy-Platt house remodeling, 1000 Plumas St,

* 1926 – Mackay School of Mines Building additions,

* 1927 – Knights of Pythias Hall, 421 Court St,

Elko, Nevada Elko is a city in and the county seat of Elko County, Nevada, United States. As of the official 2020 U.S. Census, the city has a population of 20,564. Elko serves as the center of the Ruby Valley, a region with a population of over 55,000. Elko ...

* 1927 – Riverside Hotel, 17 S Virginia St,

* 1928 – Alpine County Courthouse, 14777 CA-89,

Markleeville, California Markleeville (formerly Markleville) is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Alpine County, California, United States. The population was 191 at the 2020 census, down from 210 at the 2010 census. History Jacob J. Marklee fou ...

* 1929 – Webster School, 270 Laramie St,

* 1930 – Mackay Science Building,

* 1930 – Nevada Bell Telephone Company Building, 320 N Carson St,

* 1931 – Fallon City Hall, 55 E Williams Ave,

* 1931 – Washoe County Library-Sparks Branch, 814 Victorian St,

* 1932 – Immaculate Conception Church, 590 Pyramid Way,

* 1934 – Reno Main Post Office, 50 S Virginia St,

* 1935 – Yerington Grammar School addition, 112 N California St,

* 1937 –

Supreme Court of Nevada The Supreme Court of Nevada is the highest state court of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the head of the Nevada Judiciary. The main constitutional function of the Supreme Court is to review appeals made directly from the decisions of the distri ...

(former), 100 N Carson St,

* 1938 – Thunderbird Lodge, 5000 NV-28 Incline Village, Nevada * 1939 – Robert H. Mitchell School, 1216 12th St,

DeLongchamps & O'Brien, 1939-1962

* 1945 – Virginia Street Gym,

* 1952 – United States Bureau of Mines Building,

* 1959 – Nevada Industrial Commission Building, 515 E Musser St,

* 1959 – Union Federal Savings and Loan Association Building, 195 S Sierra St,

* 1963 – Scrugham Engineering and Mines Building,

* 1963 – Washoe County Courthouse addition, 117 S Virginia St,

DeLongchamps, O'Brien & Wells, 1962–1965

* 1964 – Clayton Middle School, 1295 Wyoming Ave,

* 1965 – Reno City Hall (former), 490 S Center St,

* 1966 – Washoe County Library, 301 S Center St,

Washoe County Library NRHP Registration Form
(2003)

Awards

* Silver medal, Panama Pacific International Exposition, 1915, Nevada Buildings * Distinguished Service Award, University of Nevada, Reno, 1966

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Delongchamps, Frederic Joseph 1882 births 1969 deaths People from Reno, Nevada Architects from Nevada Reno High School alumni 20th-century American architects