Mifflin Emlen Bell (October 20, 1847 – May 31, 1904), often known as M.E. Bell, 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 ...

who served from 1883 to 1886 as Supervising Architect of the US Treasury Department. Bell delegated design responsibilities to staff members, which resulted in a large variety of building styles, including Second Empire,

Châteauesque Châteauesque (or Francis I style,Whiffen, Marcus, ''American Architecture Since 1780: A guide to the styles'', The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1969, p. 142. or in Canada, the Château Style) is a Revivalist architectural style based on the ...

, Queen Anne and

Richardsonian Romanesque Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revival style incorporates 11th and 12th century southern French, Spanish, and Italian Romanesq ...

Life and career

Bell was born on a farm in

East Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania East Bradford Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,308 at the 2020 census. History The Cope's Bridge, Gibson's Covered Bridge, Worth-Jefferis Rural Historic District, Carter-Worth Hous ...

to Chalhly Bell & Mary Emlen. He married Addie Vanhoff on June 7, 1871, and by 1876 he was living in

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest ...

with his wife and two children, working as Assistant Superintendent of the statehouse. Bell's tenure as Supervising Architect for the US Treasury began on November 1, 1883, with an annual salary of $4,500 (equivalent to $ today). He was member of the Joint Commission to Complete the

Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and ...

, and his name is engraved on the north face of the monument's capstone. Bell submitted his resignation from the position by mid-1887 and moved to Chicago. In Chicago, Bell was appointed as superintendent of repairs for the city's federal buildings, and was in charge of federal buildings at the 1893

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, h ...

. He died in Chicago of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

in 1904. Many of his works survive and a number of these are listed on the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

(NRHP).

Works

* 1884 — U.S. Custom House and Post Office,

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York Ci ...

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* 1885 — U.S. Custom House, Court House, and Post Office,

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the County seat, seat of Shelby County, Tennessee, Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 Uni ...

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*1885-89 Federal Building (Rochester, New York), Federal Building, N. Fitzhugh and Church Sts.

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located i ...

. Architects Harvey and Charles Ellis are credited with the design; M.E. Bell was supervising architect during its 1885-9 construction. NRHP-listed. * 1886-87 — U.S. Post Office, Lexington Kentucky * 1887 — U.S. Post Office and Court House,

Quincy, Illinois Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted a population of 39,463 in the city itself, down from 40,633 in 2010. ...

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* 1887 — U.S. Court House and Post Office,

Frankfort, Kentucky Frankfort is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States, and the seat of Franklin County. It is a home rule-class city; the population was 28,602 at the 2020 census. Located along the Kentucky River, Frankfort is the pri ...

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* 1887 — U.S. Court House and Post Office,

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

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* 1888 — United States Post Office (Hannibal, Missouri), U.S. Post Office, Hannibal, Missouri * 1888 — U.S. Custom House and Post Office,

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and accordin ...

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* 1888 — U.S. Court House and Post Office,

Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. It is loc ...

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* 1888 — U.S. Court House and Post Office,

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...

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* 1888 — United States Post Office and Court House,

Aberdeen, Mississippi Aberdeen is the county seat of Monroe County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,612. Located on the banks of the Tombigbee River, Aberdeen was one of the busiest Mississippi ports of the 19th century. Cotton ...

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* 1889 — U.S. Post Office and Court House,

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and the largest city on the Illinois River. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 113,150. It is the principal city of the Peoria Metropolitan Area in Centr ...

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* 1889 — U.S. Post Office, Minneapolis, Minnesotabr>
* 1889 — U.S. Court House and Post Office,

Jefferson City, Missouri Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the capital of Missouri, United States. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 census, ranking as the 15th most populous city in the state. It is also the county seat of Cole County and the princip ...

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* 1889 — U.S. Court House and Post Office,

Tyler, Texas Tyler is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Smith County, Texas, Smith County. It is also the largest city in Northeast Texas. With a 2020 census population of 105,995, Tyler was the List of cities in Texa ...

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* 1889 — U.S. Court House and Post Office, Syracuse, New Yorkbr>
* 1889 — U.S. Court House and Post Office, Macon, Georgiabr>
* 1890 — Old Post Office (Augusta, Maine), U.S. Court House and Post Office,

Augusta, Maine Augusta is the capital of the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Kennebec County. The city's population was 18,899 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth-most populous city in Maine, and third-least populous state capital in the U ...

, NRHP-listed * 1890 — U.S. Court House and Post Office,

Keokuk, Iowa Keokuk is a city in and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States, along with Fort Madison. It is Iowa's southernmost city. The population was 9,900 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is named after the Sauk chief Keokuk, who is ...

, NRHP-liste

* 1890 — U.S. Post Office, Former, and Federal Courthouse (Auburn, New York), U.S. Post Office and Court House,

Auburn, New York Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States. Located at the north end of Owasco Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in Central New York, the city had a population of 26,866 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city of Cayuga County, ...

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* 1890 — U.S. Court House and Post Office,

Fort Scott, Kansas Fort Scott is a city in and the county seat of Bourbon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,552. It is named for Gen. Winfield Scott. The city is located south of Kansas City on the Marmaton ...

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* 1888-1891 — Carson City Post Office, U.S. Court House and Post Office (Carson City),

Carson City, Nevada Carson City is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the sixth largest city in Nevada. The majority of the city's population lives in Eagle Valley, on th ...

Richardsonian Romanesque, NRHP-listed. with * 1892 — U.S. Court House and Post Office,

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

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* 1892 — U.S. Post Office,

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, behi ...

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* 1893 — U.S. Court House and Post Office,

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana borde ...

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* 1895 — Monroe County Courthouse (Wisconsin), Monroe County Courthouse,

Sparta, Wisconsin Sparta is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States, along the La Crosse River. The population was 10,025 at the 2020 census. History Sparta is located on former Ho-Chunk territory acquired by the United States ...

, NRHP-listed * 1896 —

DuPage County Courthouse The Old DuPage County Courthouse is a Richardsonian Romanesque style court house designed by Mifflin E. Bell in Wheaton, Illinois, United States. The building served as the seat of government for DuPage County, Illinois from its construction in 1 ...

Wheaton, Illinois Wheaton is a suburban city in Milton and Winfield Townships and is the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois. It is located approximately west of Chicago. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 52,894, which was estimated ...

* 1896 — Marion County Courthouse, Main St.

Knoxville, Iowa Knoxville is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,595 at the time of the 2020 census, an increase from 7,313 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Marion County. Knoxville is home of the National Sprint C ...

, NRHP-listed * Mercer County Courthouse, SE 3rd St. (IL 17)

Aledo, Illinois Aledo (u--doh) is a city in Mercer County, Illinois, Mercer County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,640 at the 2010 census, up from 3,613 in 2000. It is the county seat of Mercer County. History Aledo was established in the 1850s w ...

, NRHP-listed * U.S. Post Office, 202 S. 8th St.

Nebraska City, Nebraska Nebraska City is a city in Nebraska, and the county seat of, Otoe County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,289. The Nebraska State Legislature has credited Nebraska City as being the oldest incorporated ...

, NRHP-listed * US Customs House and Post Office, 223 Palafox Pl.

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principa ...

, NRHP-listed * U.S. Post Office – Port Townsend Main, 1322 Washington

Port Townsend, Washington Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition ...

, NRHP-listed * U.S. Court House and Post Office, Clarksburg, West Virginia * U.S. Court House and Post Office, Marquette, Michigan * U.S. Post Office, Terre Haute, Indiana * U.S. Court House and Post Office, New Albany, Indiana * 1897 - Nichols Library, Naperville, Illinois

Gallery of designs

Image:Brooklyn Post Office 0321071421a.jpg, U.S. Post Office, Brooklyn, New York. One of the finest examples of

Image:US Post Office & Court House, Quincy, Illinois.jpg, U.S. Post Office, Quincy, Illinois, in the

style Image:Lee County Courthouse in 1900.jpg, U.S. Court House and Post Office, Keokuk, Iowa, now the Lee County Courthouse, in the Queen Anne style Image:MO-Hannibal 1888 1 Ref.jpg, U.S. Post Office, Hannibal, Missouri, a late Second Empire style File:Federal Courthouse Auburn NY May 09.jpg, U.S. Post Office, Former, and Federal Courthouse, Auburn, New York, a late Richardsonian Romanesque style File:Marion County, Iowa Courthouse.jpg, Marion County, Iowa Courthouse; Knoxville, Iowa Richardsonian Romanesque Marion County Courthouse File:Paul Laxalt State Building.jpg, Paul Laxalt State Building - formerly the U.S. Court House &

Carson City Post Office The Carson City Post Office is a historic building in Carson City, Nevada built from 1888 to 1891. It was designed by architect Mifflin E. Bell. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is significant as the secon ...

, now home to the Nevada Commission on Tourism in Carson City, Nevada File:Old Post Office Augusta Maine 2013.jpg, Old Post Office (Augusta, Maine), U.S. Court House and Post Office in

photographed in 2013.

References

External links

1881 bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Mifflin E. 1847 births 1904 deaths 19th-century American architects People from Chester County, Pennsylvania Architects from Pennsylvania Deaths from pneumonia in Illinois