George Awsumb (20 July 1880 – 24 November 1959) was a prominent Norwegian-American architect in the first half of the 20th century. Awsumb defined architecture as "frozen music" designed for the "man on the street". He was influenced by his early life, European travels, and prevailing architectural trends of his time. His eclectic, progressive portfolio included neoclassical,

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

Prairie School Prairie School is a late 19th and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...

, and

International Style The International Style is a major architectural style and movement that began in western Europe in the 1920s and dominated modern architecture until the 1970s. It is defined by strict adherence to Functionalism (architecture), functional and Fo ...

designs. Several buildings that Awsumb designed have been in continuous use in the

American Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern c ...

and

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

for over 100 years. In particular, Awsumb began a family architectural legacy that contributed to the progress and development of

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

. Awsumb's most notable works are grand public buildings and places of worship. Awsumb is credited with designing "some of the most beautiful churches in the

," including Idlewild Presbyterian Church, called "the South’s Cathedral of Presbyterianism". He designed several buildings which are listed on the

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 ...

for their architecture, including the Dermon Building and the

Baron Hirsch Synagogue The Baron Hirsch Synagogue (also Baron Hirsch Congregation), is a Modern Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 400 South Yates Road, Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States. Founded in , the congregation underwent tremendous g ...

, and

Dorchester Academy Dorchester Academy was a school for African-Americans located just outside Midway, Georgia. Operating from 1869 to 1940, its campus, of which only the 1935 Dorchester Academy Boys' Dormitory survives, was the primary site of the Southern Christi ...

near

Midway, Georgia Midway is a city in Liberty County, Georgia, United States. It is a part of the Hinesville-Fort Stewart metropolitan statistical area. The population was 2,141 in 2020. Midway has several museums, including the Midway Museum and the Dorchest ...

Early life

George Awsumb was born on July 20, 1880, in

Skien Skien () is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the Norsjø area and Bø. The administrative ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

to father Sigvard Johannessen of

Vinger Vinger is a traditional district in Innlandet county, Norway. The district encompasses the lands that make up Kongsvinger and Eidskog municipalities. It is generally located to the south and east of the town of Kongsvinger and the river G ...

and mother Amborlina (reportedly Throndsen) of

Porsgrunn is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Porsgrunn (town), city ...

.Lillevold, Eyvind (1975). "Åsum". ''Vinger Bygdebok: Gards og slektshistorie'' (in Norwegian). Bind II. Hamar, Norway. pp. 136–148. George's original given name is not reported. The family was landless as Sigvard and his siblings had sold their stake in a small portion of the Aasum farmstead near Vinger prior to George's birth. Living conditions for the family in Norway were meager with limited economic opportunity. On May 31, 1883, at the age of 3, he emigrated with his family to the United States aboard the Thingvalla steamship's ''Christinia-Christiansand-New York'' line. After porting in New York on June 16, they settled in

Whitewater, Wisconsin Whitewater is a city located in Walworth and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located near the southern portion of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Whitewater is the home of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. As of t ...

, alongside extended family members from Norway. The family assumed its ancestral farmstead, Aasum, for its surname and adopted anglicanized spellings of their names. George Awsumb spent the rest of his childhood in

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, where his father, later known as Sigvart J. Awsumb, worked as a cutter in a tailor shop, and he was cared for by his mother Amborlina Awsumb. His family eventually moved from Whitewater to

Eau Claire, Wisconsin Eau Claire ( ; lit. "clear water") is a city in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, Eau Claire and Chippewa County, Wisconsin, Chippewa counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the county seat, seat of Eau Claire County. It is the List of citie ...

. The family, including George when not in school, took up the building trade, constructing large barns.

Education

George Awsumb attended high school in Whitewater, graduating in 1898 as the youngest member of his class. He attended the

University of Wisconsin in Madison A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...

for the 1900–1901 academic year to study engineering. He later matriculated at the University of Illinois in Champaign to study architecture, and completed his Bachelor of Science degree in 1906. His senior thesis formulated a neoclassical design for a new Wisconsin state capitol building using a Greek-cross plan. After receiving his degree, Awsumb worked at J.C. Llewellyn in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

for two years as a draftsman from 1906 to 1908. Awsumb was awarded a $500 scholarship from the Chicago Architecture Club in 1908 to study architectural works in Norway, England, France, and Italy. He traveled around England and France on bicycle and found inspiration from the design of Gothic cathedrals. Returning to Chicago, he taught design at the Chicago School of Architecture for two years. He again traveled to Europe in 1910 visiting Italy, France, Holland, Belgium, and England. On the second trip, he decided to specialize in public buildings. The European cathedrals, palaces, and other magnificent buildings he encountered influenced some of his later designs.

Career

Chicago

George Awsumb's early career took root in

. Between 1906 and 1913, when not travelling, he was a draftsman for the architectural offices of J.C. Llewellyn, Mundie and Jensen, Marchash and Fox, and Von Holst and Fyfe. Awsumb operated his own architectural firm in Chicago from 1913 to 1919. Awsumb also served as president of the Chicago Architectural Club. In 1915, Awsumb designed the Charles C. and Katharyn Sniteman House in

prairie style Prairie School is a late 19th and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...

. In 1916, Awsumb designed the Eau Claire City Hall (

), modelling it after the

Petit Trianon The Petit Trianon (; French for 'small Trianon') is a Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical style château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, France. It was built between 1762 and 1768 ...

, though not as a complete copy. He has been described as both a "successful" and "struggling" architect during this time period.

Memphis

Partnership with Pfeil

In 1919, at the request of Memphis-based architect Charles O. Pfeil, Awsumb co-entered a competition with him to design th
Memphis Municipal Auditorium
After winning the competition, Awsumb relocated to

, forming the Pfeil & Awsumb partnership that lasted until 1929. In addition to the auditorium, Awsumb and the firm designed the Derman Building, Humes and Southside high schools, and Idewild Presbyterian Church. With

Awsumb firms

Breaking from Pfeil in 1929, Awsumb formed an architectural firm under his name his own name. He designed the Dorchester Academy Boys' Dormitory in 1935 and Brownlee Hall and Sweeney Hall in 1936, among other works. His sons Wells Awsumb and Richard Awsumb joined his practice after their military service in World War II. Together, George Awsumb & Sons designed many dozens of completed buildings in Memphis and the region, including places of worship for variety of faiths, recreation centers, schools, private residents, offices, and other gathering places.

List of significant architectural works

* Charles C. and Katharyn Sniteman House (1915),

-style, 319 Hewett St., Nellisville, Wisconsin (Awsumb, George), NRHP-listed *City Hall (1916), 203 S. Farwell St.,

(Awsumb, George), NRHP-listed *Municipal Auditorium and Market House (1920–24), on Main Street, Memphis, Tennessee * Humes Junior High School (1923–24), 659 Manassas, Memphis, Tennessee, NRHP-listed * Dermon Building (1925) Memphis, Tennessee, NRHP-listed *

Idlewild Presbyterian Church Idlewild Presbyterian Church is a historic church located at 1750 Union Avenue in Midtown Memphis, Tennessee. Idlewild is a part of the Presbyterian Church (USA). History Founded in 1891, Idlewild grew into a prominent Memphis church over th ...

(1926–27), 1750 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee (Awsumb, George), NRHP-listed *First United Methodist Church (1934), 2416 West Cloverdale Park, Montgomery, Alabama, NRHP-listed * Dorchester Academy Boys' Dormitory (1935), 8787 East Oglethorpe Highway (U.S. Highway 84),

(Awsumb, George), NRHP-listed *Lauderdale Courts Public Housing Project (1935–38) (with other designers) *Brownlee Hall and Sweeney Hall (1936), two

Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the arch ...

buildings, and the quadrangle (1936) of LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tennessee (Awsumb, George). These are three of the five elements of NRHP-listed LeMoyne College Historic District. With *Samuel Abraham Chapel (1941) at Baron Hirsch Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee *Walker Wellford House (1948–49), Memphis, the only

house in Memphis, Tennessee *

(1950–52) in Memphis, Tennessee, NRHP-listed, also included in the Vollintine Hills Historic District Note: National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)

Photo gallery

File:Charles and Katharyn Sniteman House.jpg, Charles C. and Katharyn Sniteman House in Neillsville, Wisconsin. Prairie School (1915). File:2009-0711-EauClaire-CH.jpg, City Hall in

. Neoclassical (1916). File:Dermonbldg.jpg, Dermon Building in Memphis, Tennessee. Renaissance Revival (1925). File:Idlewild Presbyterian Church (Memphis, TN) 1.jpg,

in Memphis, Tennessee. Gothic Revival (1926). File:GA Midway Dorchester Academy Boys Dorm01.jpg,

in Midway, Georgia. Colonial Revival (1935). File:Baron Hirsch Synagogue 1950s.JPG,

in Memphis, Tennessee. International Style (1950).

Personal life

Norway-born George Awsumb became a naturalized United States citizen at the age of 25 at

Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Eau Claire County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 105,710. Its county seat is Eau Claire. The county took its name from the Eau Claire River. Eau Claire County is included i ...

, on June 28, 1906. He married Ella Mabel Wells, a

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...

, native and

University of Nebraska A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

alumna, at the First Methodist Church in

Glen Ellyn, Illinois Glen Ellyn is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. A suburb located due west of downtown Chicago, the village has a population of 28,846 as of the 2020 Census. History Glen Ellyn, like the neighboring town to the east, Lomba ...

, on January 1, 1915. They had three children: Wells Awsumb, Georgianna (Awsumb) Ensminger, and Richard Awsumb. George Awsumb moved his family from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, in 1919. They became members of the

. Awsumb designed the church's Gothic Revival style building in 1926. His children Georgiana and Richard are two of the "Faces of Idlewild" that are carved into the stone above the cathedral's entrance. George Awsumb was also a member of the several architectural leagues and civic groups in Memphis. George Awsumb died in

, at the age of 79 in 1959.

Legacy

George Awsumb began a family architectural legacy in the City of Memphis and elsewhere. The George Awsumb firm became the George Awsumb & Sons firm in 1946 when his children Richard Awsumb and Wells Awsumb joined him in the profession. Wells is credited with designing the parish hall at Trinity Church (Mason, Tennessee), which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. George Awsumb's grandchild Carl Awsumb was also an architect. Carl Awsumb helped establish the first architectural training school in

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

as a U.S.

Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an Independent agency of the U.S. government, independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to communities in partner countries around the world. It was established in Marc ...

volunteer in the country from 1965 to 1966. He later continued the operation of an architectural firm in Memphis under the family's surname into the 21st century. A collection of Awsumb family architectural works is located a
Memphis and Shelby County Room of the Memphis Public Libraries
Its significance to Memphis is noted:

This multi generational collection captures the artistic vision of the Awsumb architects and verifies their valuable contributions to the city’s progress and development. George Awsumb, the first Awsumb architect, defined architecture as "frozen music" designed for the "man on the street" (''The Egyptians'', 1941 April 17). Indeed, this Memphis architect, his two sons Wells and Richard, and grandson Carl reshaped the traditional Classic design for Memphians, providing residences, churches, schools, theaters, and an auditorium for the public to enjoy.

References

External links

Awsumb Architectural Collection
at the Memphis Public Library * {{DEFAULTSORT:Awsumb, George 1880 births 1959 deaths Norwegian emigrants to the United States University of Illinois School of Architecture alumni 20th-century American architects People from Skien