Ira L. Rush (1890-1949) 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 ...

in practice in

Minot, North Dakota Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 2 ...

from 1915 until his death in 1949.

Life and career

Ira Leon Rush was born June 14, 1890, in Bushnell, Illinois to John T. Rush and Ida Mae (Aten) Rush. He was raised in

Minot Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 2 ...

, where he attended the local schools, graduating from Minot High School in 1909. He worked as an architectural

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 ...

until enrolling in the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

in 1910, but left the university after a year to return to work. In 1912 he resumed his education at the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

, graduating in 1915 with a BS in architectural engineering. He then returned to Minot where he opened his own office as an architect."Ira Leon Rush" in
The Semi-Centennial Alumni Record of the University of Illinois
', ed. Franklin W. Scott (Urbana: University of Illinois, 1918): 595."Rush, Ira Leon" in
Who's Who in the Central States
' (Washington: Mayflower Publishing Company, 1929): 843. Rush practiced architecture in Minot for over thirty years, and won several design competitions for courthouses.

Personal life and death

Rush was married in 1917 to Eula Margaret Brooks of

Urbana, Illinois Urbana ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 census, Urbana had a population of 38,336. It is a principal city of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, which had 236,000 residents i ...

. They had two children: Dorothy, born in 1918, and Ira Leon Jr., born in 1919. Rush died in the early morning of May 9, 1949 in an auto accident near

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, east of Minot.

Legacy

In 1950 Ira L. Rush Jr. graduated from the

and returned to Minot, where he operated his father's architectural office under his own name into the 1970s. A number of his works survive and 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 ...

Notable works include

* All Saints' Episcopal Church, 301 Main St S,

(1920–21) * Adams County Courthouse, 600 Adams Ave,

Hettinger, North Dakota Hettinger ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 1,074 at the 2020 census. North Dakota State University operates a livestock research station near Hettinger, which often partners ...

(1928–29, NRHP 1985) *

Burleigh County Courthouse The Burleigh County Courthouse in Bismarck, North Dakota was designed in the Art Deco style by architect Ira Rush. It was built in 1931 and was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It is a three-story courthouse ...

, E Thayer Ave,

Bismarck, North Dakota Bismarck (; from 1872 to 1873: Edwinton) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat, seat of Burleigh County, North Dakota, Burleigh County. It is the state's List of cities i ...

(1930–31, NRHP 1985) * Dickinson City Hall (former), 25 2nd Ave W,

Dickinson, North Dakota Dickinson is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 25,679 at the 2020 census, making it the seventh most populous city in North Dakota. Dickinson, founded in 1881, is also home to Dickins ...

(1930) * Klinefelter Hall,

Dickinson State University Dickinson State University (DSU) is a public university in Dickinson, North Dakota, United States. It is part of the North Dakota University System. It was founded in 1918 as Dickinson State Normal School and granted full university status in ...

(1931)Dickinson State Normal School Campus District
(1997) * Corbett Field, 1124 E Burdick Expy,

(1935–37) * Ransom County Courthouse, Fifth Ave W,

Lisbon, North Dakota Lisbon is a city in and the county seat of Ransom County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 2,204 at the 2020 census. History Lisbon was founded in 1880 by Joseph L. Colton, who named the new city after Lisbon, New York, his wi ...

(1937–38, NRHP 1985) * Sheridan County Courthouse, 215 E Second St,

McClusky, North Dakota McClusky is a city in Sheridan County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Sheridan County. The population was 322 at the 2020 census. McClusky was founded in 1905. It is the closest town to the geographical center of North ...

(1938–40, NRHP 1985) * Minot High School addition, 215 1st St SE,

(1940)Minot Commercial Historic District NRHP Registration Form
(1980)

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rush, Ira L. 20th-century American architects Architects from North Dakota People from Minot, North Dakota University of Illinois School of Architecture alumni 1890 births 1949 deaths Minot High School alumni