Federal Reserve Salt Lake City Branch 19 Aug 2018

Raymond J. Ashton (1887–1973) 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

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

from 1919 until 1970. From 1943 to 1945 he was president 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 ...

Life and career

Raymond Joy Ashton was born January 23, 1887, in

. He was educated in the public schools and at the

University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...

engineering school, from which he graduated in 1909. A

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

, after his graduation he left for Europe as a missionary of the church serving primarily in Belgium. He returned to the United States in 1912 and worked for his family's building firm in Salt Lake City. In 1916, he moved to

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 ...

where he worked as a draftsman for several firms as well as attending night school at Atelier Puckey (a member of the

Society of Beaux-Arts Architects A society () is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soc ...

) and the

Chicago Academy of Fine Arts The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a private art school associated with the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to an art students' cooperative founded in 1866, which grew into the museum a ...

. When

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

halted nonessential building projects, Raymond joined the architectural department of

Armour & Company Armour & Company was an American company and was one of the five leading firms in the meat packing industry. It was founded in Chicago, in 1863, by the Armour brothers led by Philip Danforth Armour. By 1880, the company had become Chicago's mo ...

, designing branch houses throughout the world, and residential work for the Armour family. In 1919 he returned to Salt Lake City, where he formed a partnership with architect Francis D. Rutherford. In 1920 Rutherford left for

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, and Ashton continued the practice on his own. In 1923 he formed a new partnership with Raymond Evans, known as Ashton & Evans."Ashton, Raymond Joy" in ''American Architects Directory'' (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 22.R. Randall Vosbeck, ''A Legacy of Leadership: The Presidents of the American Institute of Architects, 1857–2007'' (Washington: American Institute of Architects, 2008) With the addition of Bernis Eugene Brazier in 1946 the firm became Ashton, Evans & Brazier. The firm became Ashton, Evans, Brazier & Associates in 1962 with the appointment of Frederick Montmorency as partner and Ashton, Brazier, Montmorency & Associates in 1963 after Raymond Evans' death. After Ashton's retirement in 1970 the firm became Brazier, Montmorency, Hayes & Talbot, with Brazier at the head of the firm. Brazier died shortly afterward, after which Montmorency assumed control. The firm is still in business today (2022) as MHTN Architects. Ashton joined the

in 1927 as a member of the Utah chapter. Over the next several years he served as chapter secretary, treasurer and president. In 1932 he was elected to the national board of directors, and served three years. In 1940 he was elected a

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

, the organization's highest membership in honor, and was elected treasurer in 1942. In 1943 he was elected to a single one-year term as president, succeeding Richmond Harold Shreve. His term was extended to two years due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Personal life and death

Ashton was married in 1913 to Winnie Richards of Salt Lake City. They had three children. In 1970 the Ashtons retired to

Prescott, Arizona Prescott ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. As of 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the city's population was 45,827. In 1864, Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona Territory, r ...

, where Ashton died April 7, 1973.

Legacy

At least eleven of Ashton's works have been listed on the United States National Register of Historic District, and others contribute to listed historic districts.

Architectural works

* Booth-Parsons house, 1884 S 900 E,

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Salt ...

(1912, NRHP 2012) * George Albert Smith house, 1302 E Yale Ave,

(1913, NRHP 1993) * Millard County Courthouse, 50 S Main St,

Fillmore, Utah Fillmore is a city and the county seat of Millard County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,592 at the 2020 United States Census. It is named for the thirteenth U.S. President Millard Fillmore, who was in office when Millard County wa ...

(1920–21) * Irving Junior High School additions, 1179 E 2100 S,

(1926 and 1930, NRHP 1978) * Sprague Branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library, 2131 S. Highland Dr.,

(1928, NRHP 2003) * Springville High School Mechanical Arts Building, 443 S 200 E,

Springville, Utah Springville is a city in Utah County, Utah, Utah County, Utah, United States, that is part of the Provo–Orem metropolitan area. The population was 35,268 in 2020, according to the United States Census. Springville is a bedroom community for co ...

(1929, NRHP 1993) *

Crescent Elementary School Crescent Elementary School is a public school located in the Crescent neighborhood of Sandy, Utah. It is included on the National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the ...

, 11100 S 230 E,

Sandy, Utah Sandy is a city in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, located in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. The population was 96,904 according to the 2020 United States census. Sandy is home to the Shops at South Town shopping mall; the Jord ...

(1930, NRHP 2000) * Gardner Hall,

(1930–31)University of Utah Circle NRHP Registration Form
(1978) * Riverton Elementary School gymnasium, 12830 S Redwood Rd,

Riverton, Utah Riverton is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah Salt Lake County is located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,185,238, making it the most populous county in Utah. Its county seat and largest ...

(1930, NRHP 1996) * George Thomas Building,

(1934–35) * Carlson Hall,

(1937–38, NRHP 1996, demolished 2012) * Nielsen Fieldhouse,

(1939–40) * Salt Lake County Library, 665 W Center St,

Midvale, Utah Midvale City is located in the heart of Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. Midvale's population was 36,028 according to the 2020 United States Census. Midvale is home to the Shops at Fort U ...

(1940–41, NRHP 1996) * Kaysville City Hall, 44 N Main St,

Kaysville, Utah Kaysville is a city in Davis County, Utah, Davis County, Utah. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield metropolitan area. The population was 32,945 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Kaysville is home to the USU Botanical Ce ...

(1941–43, NRHP 2019) * Rich County Courthouse, 20 S Main St,

Randolph, Utah Randolph is a town in Rich County, Utah, United States and as of the 2020 census, the town population was 467. It is the county seat of Rich County. Randolph had the highest percentage of people of any city in the country vote for George W. Bus ...

(1941–42) *

Utah State Prison Utah State Prison (USP) was one of two prisons managed by the Utah Department of Corrections' Division of Institutional Operations. It was located in Draper, Utah, United States, about southwest of Salt Lake City.Utah Department of Correc ...

(former), 14425 Bitterbrush Ln S,

Draper, Utah Draper is a city in Salt Lake and Utah counties in the U.S. state of Utah, about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. As of the 2020 census, the population is 51,017, up from 7,143 in 1990. Draper is part of two metropolitan area ...

(1950) *

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Salt Lake City Branch The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Salt Lake City Branch is one of four branches of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. The branch opened in 1918 and is located in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. As of 2024, the branch ...

, 120 S State St,

(1957–59)"Evans, Raymond L." in ''American Architects Directory'' (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 200. * Terminal,

Salt Lake City International Airport Salt Lake City International Airport is a joint civil-military international airport located about west of Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The airport, along with the much smaller Provo Airport (PVU) and Ogden–Hinckley Airpo ...

(1961, demolished) * Wayne County High School, 55 N Center St,

Bicknell, Utah Bicknell is a town along Utah State Route 24, State Route 24 in Wayne County, Utah, Wayne County, Utah, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the town population was 327. History Bicknell was originally called Thurbe ...

(no date, NRHP 1985, demolished)Wayne County High School NRHP Registration Form (1985)

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashton, Raymond J. Architects from Salt Lake City Fellows of the American Institute of Architects Presidents of the American Institute of Architects 20th-century American architects 1887 births 1973 deaths