John Virginius Bennes (August 23, 1867 – November 29, 1943) was an American architect who designed numerous buildings throughout the state of

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, particularly in Baker City and

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

. In Baker City he did an extensive redesign of the Geiser Grand Hotel, designed several homes, and a now-demolished Elks building. He moved to Portland in 1907 and continued practicing there until 1942. Bennes designed numerous projects in the Portland area, as well as in Corvallis, Prineville, and other areas of Oregon. He and his firms produced the designs for at least 20 buildings that 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 ...

(NRHP). His work includes the design of more than 35 buildings on the

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...

campus in Corvallis, as well as plans for 12 other building additions and renovations. He also designed the administration building at

Eastern Oregon University Eastern Oregon University (EOU) (officially designated as Oregon’s Rural University) is a public university in La Grande, Oregon. It was formerly part of the since dissolved Oregon University System. EOU was founded in 1929 as a teacher’s ...

. Bennes is also credited with design work on the Hollywood Theatre in Portland and the

Liberty Theatre The Liberty Theatre is a former Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 234 West 42nd Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1904, the theater was designed by Herts & Tallant ...

in Astoria. He worked with Harry A. Herzog on some of the theaters, and Albert Mercier and

Lee Arden Thomas Lee Arden Thomas (1886–1953) was an architect in Bend, Oregon, Bend and Portland, Oregon, Portland, Oregon, United States. He graduated in 1907 from Oregon State University.George P. Edmonston JrUp Close and Personal: Campus TourOregon State Un ...

have also been credited as collaborators on some of them.

Early life

Bennes was born in

Peru, Illinois Peru is a city in LaSalle and Bureau counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,896 at the 2020 census, down from 10,295 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. Peru and its twin city, La ...

on August 23, 1867, to

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

immigrants Jan

Beneš Beneš (feminine: Benešová) is a Czech surname. The name originated as a pet form of the given names Benedict (given name), Benedikt and Benjamin (name), Benjamin. The Germanization, Germanized form is Benesch and the Anglicized form is Benesh. No ...

and Petronila Hlaváčková, raised 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 ...

. He was purportedly a cousin of Czechoslovakian President Edvard Beneš though their surname is extremely common. He studied at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

and spent a year abroad at the School of Fine Arts at

Prague University Charles University (CUNI; , UK; ; ), or historically as the University of Prague (), is the largest university in the Czech Republic. It is one of the oldest universities in the world in continuous operation, the oldest university north of the ...

, graduating with a degree in architecture in 1890. After graduating from college, Bennes relocated from Chicago to

Baker City, Oregon Baker City is a city in and the county seat of Baker County, Oregon, United States. It was named after Edward D. Baker, Edward Dickinson Baker, the only U.S. Senator ever killed in military combat. The population was 10,099 at the time of the 20 ...

around 1900, where he invested in the region's gold mines. On July 1, 1900, he married Annice Smalley; born December 4, 1876).

Career

After relocating to Baker City, Bennes began his career in architecture, redesigning the Geiser Grand Hotel, as well as designing the Elks Building and several residences. He relocated to

in 1906 and partnered with architects Eric W. Hendricks and Willard F. Tobey. Lewis Irvine Thompson also joined the firm. Bennes was a member of the Oregon Chapter of 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 ...

, serving as vice president 1920-21 and as the chapter president in 1922. Bennes practiced on his own from 1914 to 1926. Then he partnered with Harry A. Herzog until 1931 and the onset of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, when he returned to solo practice. His design for Eastern Oregon University's Inlow Hall was a

Renaissance Revival Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of ...

-style building that serves as an administration building, housing the admissions, registrar's, financial aid, student affairs and president's offices. Bennes designed several Portland hotels, including the Broadway Hotel, the Hamilton Hotel, the Treves Hotel and the Cornelius Hotel. The Cornelius has been unoccupied since the 1980s, but has been the subject of various restoration plans, most recently in February 2015. Bennes was a contemporary of

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

and is said to have been "a product of the Chicago school of architecture."

Later life and death

Bennes relocated from Portland to

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, in 1943 after a bout of unnamed illness, where he died the same year.Oregon State University Historic District
section 8, page 22 U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service Some of his plans and drawings are held in the Cachot Therkelsen Collection with the University of Oregon Libraries.

Projects

* John Virginius and Annice Bennes House (1911),

(NRHP) * Geiser Grand Hotel (1900 remodel), Baker City (NRHP contributing to the Baker Historic District) * Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel (1910), Baker City, (NRHP contributing to the Baker Historic District as the Charles A. Johns House) *

Hot Lake Hotel Hot Lake Hotel (also known as Hot Lake Sanatorium and Hot Lake Resort) is a historic Colonial Revival hotel originally built in 1864 in Hot Lake, Union County, Oregon, United States. The hotel received its namesake from the thermal spring on t ...

(1906), La Grande (NRHP) *

buildings (1907–1941), part of the Oregon State University Historic District, Corvallis (NRHP) **Agricultural Hall, now Strand Agricultural Hall (1909–1913) **Bexell Hall (1922) **

Delta Zeta Delta Zeta (, also known as DZ) is an international college Fraternities and sororities in North America, sorority founded on October 24, 1902, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Delta Zeta has 163 collegiate chapters in the United States and C ...

and Alpha Gamma sororities (1930 and 1928) (Bennes & Herzog) **Kidder Hall (1918) **McAlexander Fieldhouse (1911) **Weatherford Hall (1928) (Bennes & Herzog) **Women's Building (1926) * Poultry Building and Incubator House (1913 remodel and 1907 design), 800 SW Washington Ave, Corvallis (NRHP) * Saint Francis de Sales Cathedral ( 1905), Baker City, Oregon

Bennes, Hendricks & Tobey (1906-1909)

* Thomas M. Baldwin House (1907), 126 W 1st St, Prineville (NRHP) * Cornelius Hotel (1908), 525 SW Park Ave, Portland (NRHP) * Dacres Hotel (1907 remodel), 4th and Main streets,

Walla Walla, Washington Walla Walla ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. It had a population of 34,060 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, estimated to have decreased to 33,339 as of 2023. The combined populat ...

(NRHP) * L. B. Menefee House (1908), 1634 SW Myrtle St, Portland (NRHP) * First Presbyterian Church (1909), Corvallis

Bennes, Hendricks & Thompson (1909-1911)

* Page and Son Apartments (1909), 723–37 E Burnside, Portland (NRHP) * William Bittle Wells House (1910), 1515 SW Clifton St, Portland (NRHP)

Bennes and Hendricks (1911-1913)

* Broadway Hotel (1913), Portland (NRHP) * Hamilton Hotel (1913), Portland, cataloged by the

Historic American Buildings Survey The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...

, now demolished * Pacific Hardware & Steel Company Warehouse (1911), 2181 NW Nicolai St, Portland (NRHP) * Treves Hotel (Joyce Hotel) (1912), 1035-1039 SW Stark St, PortlandAlma Hotel
National Register of Historic Places registration form.

Independent (1914-1925)

* Astoria City Hall (1923), 1095 Duane St, Astoria, originally Astoria Savings Bank, which closed in 1929; the building became Astoria's City Hall in 1939 (NRHP contributing to the

Astoria Downtown Historic District Astoria may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Astoria, ex-wife of Muppet character Statler and Waldorf, Waldorf * Astoria Greengrass, a List of Harry Potter characters#G, ''Harry Potter'' character * Astoria Rapunz ...

) * Coleman–Scott House (1916), 2110 NE 16th Ave, Portland (NRHP) * H. Liebes and Company Building (1917), 625 SW Broadway, Portland (NRHP) * Heppner Hotel (1919), 124 N Main St, Heppner (NRHP) * Howard Hall (1923), Salem, part of the former

Oregon School for the Blind The Oregon School for the Blind (OSB), was a state-run public school in Salem, Oregon, United States, serving blind and vision impaired students of kindergarten through high school grades through residential, day school, and part-time enrollment ...

, demolished in 2015 * A. H. Maegly House (1914), 226 SW Kingston St, Portland (NRHP) * Abraham Tichner House (1918), 114 SW Kingston Ave, Portland (NRHP)

Bennes & Herzog (1925-1931)

* John Bexell House (1926), 3009 NW Van Buren Ave, Corvallis (NRHP) * Churchill Hall (1925),

Southern Oregon University Southern Oregon University (SOU) is a public university in Ashland, Oregon. It was founded in 1872 as the Ashland Academy, has been in its current location since 1926, and was known by nine other names before assuming its current name in 1997.Kre ...

, Ashland * Hollywood Theatre (1923), 4122 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland (NRHP) * Inlow Hall (1927), Eastern Oregon University, La Grande (NRHP) * Jeanne Manor Apartment Building (1931), 1431 SW Park Ave, Portland (NRHP) *

(1924), Astoria (NRHP)Astoria
* B'nai B'rith Summer Camp (1928), Grand Ronde * Parkway Manor (1931), 1609 SW Park Ave, Portland

Independent (1933-1943)

* Lieuallen Administration Building (1935),

Western Oregon University Western Oregon University (WOU) is a public university in Monmouth, Oregon, United States. It was originally established in 1856 by Disciples of Christ pioneers as Monmouth University. Subsequent names included Oregon State Normal School, Oreg ...

Monmouth Monmouth ( or ; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated on where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. The population in the 2011 census was 10,508, rising from 8 ...

Notes and references

Notes

References

* * *

External links

*
John Bennes and OSU's Architectural Legacy, 1907-1941, OSU archives

Flickr OSU archive Bennes set

downtown Astoria, PortlandBridges {{DEFAULTSORT:Bennes, John Virginius Architects from Chicago Architects from Portland, Oregon American people of Czech descent 1867 births 1943 deaths Charles University alumni Oregon State University people People from Peru, Illinois University of Chicago alumni Chicago school architects