Muhlenberg Brothers
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Muhlenberg Brothers was one of the dominant architecture/engineering firms in
Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; ) is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 95,112 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fourth-most populous ...
during the first half of the 20th century, founded by a member of the Muhlenberg political dynasty.


History

It was established in 1892 by Charles Henry Muhlenberg IV (1870–1960), who graduated from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
and apprenticed under the architect
Frank Furness Frank Heyling Furness (November 12, 1839 – June 27, 1912) was an American architect of the Victorian era. He designed more than 600 buildings, most in the Philadelphia area, and is remembered for his diverse, muscular, often inordinately scaled ...
. His brother, Frederick Hunter Muhlenberg II (1865–1933), attended both
Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 18 ...
and MIT. The founder's son, Charles Henry Muhlenberg V (1899–1985), who attended the
University of Wisconsin 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". Uni ...
and
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...
(and played a role in the spread of the
Monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek and ) is a market in which one person or company is the only supplier of a particular good or service. A monopoly is characterized by a lack of economic Competition (economics), competition to produce ...
board game), joined the firm in 1923. Frederick Hunter Muhlenberg II left the firm in the mid-1920s to go into partnership with his nephew,
Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg II (September 25, 1887 – January 19, 1980) was a leading architect, an American military and political leader who served as a US Congressman from Pennsylvania, and a member of the Muhlenberg political dynasty. ...
II, operating as Muhlenberg & Muhlenberg. Its main offices were located at 113-A South Fourth Street in Reading. It established a branch office in
Pottsville, Pennsylvania Pottsville is a city and the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,346 at the 2020 census, and is the principal city of the Pottsville, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city lies along the wes ...
, and one in
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in the 1920s. By 1937, Frederick H. Muhlenberg II had died, Charles H. Muhlenberg IV was listed as a consultant, G. Russell Steininger was no longer part of the firm, and Charles H. Muhlenberg V and Frederick R. Shenk were the principals. The firm continued until about 1965, when Shenk formed Frederick R. Shenk & Lee V. Seibert.


Work

Muhlenberg Brothers designed both residential and commercial works, and large projects such as office buildings, churches and factories. Among the commissions were a vaudeville theater, a number of public school buildings, and much of the campus of
Albright College Albright College is a private liberal arts college in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1856 and had an enrollment of 1,652 students as of fall 2023. History Albright College traces its founding to 1856 when "Union Sem ...
. G. Russell Steininger, landscape architect, was a principal in the firm by 1929. A number of the firm's works are 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 ...
. The
Historical Society of Berks County Founded in 1869, the Historical Society of Berks County (HSBC) operates the Berks History Center as a museum and library located in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Society's mission, as described on its website, is "to focus attention on the unique l ...
owns two portfolios of photographs of Muhlenberg Brothers buildings, from 1929 and 1937, along with hundreds of blueprints from the firm.


Selected works


Houses

*W. W. Kline House (1905–07), 200 Wilson Street,
West Lawn, Pennsylvania West Lawn is a former borough and current census-designated place in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The population was 1,762 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. This borough was dissolved and became part of Spring Township, Berks County ...
. Featured in ''The Architectural Review, Volume 14'' (1907), pp. 84–85. *Frederick H. Muhlenberg II House (1907), 1020 Centre Avenue, Reading, Pennsylvania. The architect's own house. * Alterations to Harbster House (c. 1910), 742 Centre Avenue, Reading, Pennsylvania.
Frank Furness Frank Heyling Furness (November 12, 1839 – June 27, 1912) was an American architect of the Victorian era. He designed more than 600 buildings, most in the Philadelphia area, and is remembered for his diverse, muscular, often inordinately scaled ...
designed the house (c. 1886). Charles H. Muhlenberg IV may have worked on the original house while in Furness's office. *Charles H. Muhlenberg IV House (1926), 1221 Garfield Avenue, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. The architect's own house. *John M. Frame House (1927), 901 N. Third Street, Reading, Pennsylvania. Designed by Frederick H. Muhlenberg II.


Churches

*Rectory (1893) and Parish Hall (), St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, 151 N. Ninth Street, Reading, Pennsylvania. *Holy Spirit Lutheran Church (1922), Fourth & Windsor Streets, Reading, Pennsylvania. *First Church of Christ Scientist (1925), Centre Avenue & Greenwich Street, Reading, Pennsylvania. *First Presbyterian Church (), 200 North Ninth Street,
Ashland, Pennsylvania Ashland is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Schuylkill and Columbia County, Pennsylvania, Columbia counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, northwest of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Pottsville. It is part of ...
. Now First United Methodist Presbyterian Church. *Immanuel United Church of Christ (1955–59), 99 S. Waverly Street,
Shillington, Pennsylvania Shillington is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a population of 5,475 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the borough is nestled amongst other suburbs outside Reading, Penn ...
.


Schools and cultural institutions

*Young Women's Christian Association (1921–22, demolished), 215 North Sixth Street, Reading, Pennsylvania. *McAdoo High School (1927–28, demolished), Sherman Street,
McAdoo, Pennsylvania McAdoo is a borough and coal town in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States, south of Hazleton and seven miles north of Tamaqua. McAdoo contains the picturesque Silver Brook Meadow. In the past, anthracite coal mining and a shirt fac ...
. *Tyson-Schoener Elementary School (1928), 315 S. Fifth Street, Reading, Pennsylvania. Charles H. Muhlenberg V designed the building. His sister, Virginia Muhlenberg Steininger, created the decorative tiles. *
Historical Society of Berks County Founded in 1869, the Historical Society of Berks County (HSBC) operates the Berks History Center as a museum and library located in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Society's mission, as described on its website, is "to focus attention on the unique l ...
(1928–29), 940 Centre Avenue, Reading, Pennsylvania. *13th & Union Elementary School (1929), 13th & Union Streets, Reading, Pennsylvania. In 1936, Muhlenberg Brothers added the north wing and gymnasium. *Cressona High School (1929), 45 Wilder Street,
Cressona, Pennsylvania Cressona is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1857 from part of North Manheim Township, Pennsylvania, North Manheim Township, it was founded by and named for John Chapman Cresson, a Philadelphia civi ...
. Now Blue Mountain Elementary School Cressona. *Wyomissing Public Library (1930–31), 9 Reading Boulevard,
Wyomissing, Pennsylvania Wyomissing is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, adjacent to Reading. The borough was incorporated on July 2, 1906. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,114, compared to 10,461 at the 2010 census. The growth was s ...
. *William Jeanes Memorial Library (1935), Butler Pike,
Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania Plymouth Meeting is a census-designated place (CDP) that straddles Plymouth Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Plymouth and Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania, Whitemarsh Townships in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Montgomery County, Pe ...
. Built on the grounds of the Plymouth Friends Meetinghouse. A new Jeanes Library was built in
Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania Whitemarsh Township is a home-rule township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It retains its former classification of " Township" in its official name despite being a home rule municipality. The population was 19,707 at the ...
in 1971. *St. Clair High School (1937–38), South Mill & Nichols Streets, St. Clair, Pennsylvania. Now St. Clair Area Elementary School. * Wyomissing High School (1937–40), 630 Evans Avenue, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. *Visitor center and library (1940–41), Landis Valley Museum, 2451 Kissel Hill Road,
Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...
. *Expansion of Muhlenberg High School (1949–51), 400 Sharp Avenue,
Laureldale, Pennsylvania Laureldale is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,277 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all land. Demographics At the 2010 census ...
. *
Albright College Albright College is a private liberal arts college in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1856 and had an enrollment of 1,652 students as of fall 2023. History Albright College traces its founding to 1856 when "Union Sem ...
, Reading, Pennsylvania: **Breyfogel Theological Building (1928–29). Now Teel Hall. **Women's dormitory. **Merner-Pfeiffer Hall of Science (1929–30). **Library. **Merner-Pfeiffer-Klein Memorial Chapel (1958–60).


Other buildings

*Daniel F. Ancona Building (c. 1899), 604 North Fifth Street, Reading, Pennsylvania. *
Red Men Hall The Improved Order of Red Men are a fraternal organization in the United States. The group focuses on fundraising for charity and bases their rituals on perceived Native American customs. The Red Men had a peak membership of over half million in 1 ...
(1900), 831-33 Walnut Street, Reading, Pennsylvania. NRHP-listed. *Farmers National Bank (1909), Penn Street, Reading, Pennsylvania. *Hippodrome Theatre (1910, demolished 1970s), 751-57 Penn Street, Reading, Pennsylvania. Built as a vaudeville house, it was later expanded into a 1,228-seat movie theater. *Reading Armory Drill Hall (1910–11), Rose & Walnut Streets, Reading, Pennsylvania. *Alterations to
Reading Hospital Reading Hospital is a 697-bed non-profit teaching hospital located in West Reading, Pennsylvania. The hospital was established in 1867 and is the anchor institution of Tower Health. Reading Hospital is a level I trauma center and certified str ...
(1910–13), Front & Spring Streets, Reading, Pennsylvania. *C. K. Whitner Department Store (1911), 438-44 Penn Street, Reading, Pennsylvania. * Carpenter Steel Company, Annealing Building (1915), River Road & Exeter Street, Reading, Pennsylvania. *Bank of Hamburg Savings & Trust Co. (1923), 52-54 South Fourth Street,
Hamburg, Pennsylvania Hamburg (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania German: ''Hambarig'') is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,270 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The town is though ...
. Part of Hamburg Historic District. *Masonic Building (1925), 4 South Second Street,
Pottsville, Pennsylvania Pottsville is a city and the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,346 at the 2020 census, and is the principal city of the Pottsville, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city lies along the wes ...
. *City Bank and Trust Company (1937–40, demolished), 538 Penn Street, Reading, Pennsylvania. *Thomas A. Willson & Company, Building 2 (1946), 201 Washington Street, Reading, Pennsylvania.Shelby Weaver Splain & Doug Scott, Thomas A. Willson & Company, NRHP Registration Form (2006), p. 5: NRHP-listed. Now
GoggleWorks Center for the Arts GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is a community art and cultural resource center located in Reading, Pennsylvania. The mission of the GoggleWorks is “to transform lives through unique interactions with art.” Located in the former Willson Go ...
. File:Red Men Hall Reading.jpg,
Red Men Hall The Improved Order of Red Men are a fraternal organization in the United States. The group focuses on fundraising for charity and bases their rituals on perceived Native American customs. The Red Men had a peak membership of over half million in 1 ...
(1900), Reading, Pennsylvania. File:Jeannes Library Plymouth Friends Meeting HABS213378pv.jpg, William Jeanes Memorial Library (1935), Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania.


Notes


References


"Reading's Architects,"
''The Reading Eagle'', December 8, 1895, p. 4. *''Selections from the Work of Muhlenberg Brothers, Registered Architects, Landscaping'' (New York: Architectural Catalog Co., 1929). *''Selections from the Work of Muhlenberg Brothers, Registered Architects'' (New York, Architectural Catalog Co., 1937). *''Architecture & Design Magazine, 5'' (August 1941): entire issue devoted to the work of Muhlenberg Brothers.


External links


Muhlenberg Brothers
from Philadelphia Architects and Buildings.
Frederick Hunter Muhlenberg II papers
at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. {{DEFAULTSORT:Muhlenberg Brothers Defunct architecture firms based in Pennsylvania Defunct engineering companies of the United States Design companies established in 1892 People from Reading, Pennsylvania