Russell Barr Williamson (May 2, 1893 - October 3, 1964) was an American architect. He designed over 150 buildings, mostly in

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, and including the NRHP-listed

Eagles Club The Rave/Eagles Club (commonly known as simply The Rave, formerly known as the Eagles Club and Central Park Athletic Club and Entertainment Center or commonly Central Park Ballroom) is a concert venue and landmark in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Div ...

in Milwaukee, the Avalon

Atmospheric theatre An atmospheric theatre is a type of movie palace design which was popular in the late 1920s. Atmospheric theatres were designed and decorated to evoke the feeling of a particular time and place for patrons, through the use of projectors, archit ...

in Bay View, the NRHP-listed Anthony and Caroline Isermann House and Frank and Jane Isermann House in

Kenosha Kenosha () is a city in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is the fourth-most populous city in Wisconsin, with a population of 99,986 at the 2020 census. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Ke ...

, and the NRHP-listed Dr. Thomas Robinson Bours House in Milwaukee.

Life

Williamson was born on May 2, 1893, in

Royal Center, Indiana Royal Center is a town in Boone Township, Cass County, Indiana, United States. The population was 861 at the 2010 census. History Royal Center had its start in the year 1846 by the building of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis ...

, and he grew up near Princeton, Kansas. With . He graduated from the

Kansas State University Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant coll ...

and the

School of the Art Institute of Chicago The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a Private university, 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 gr ...

. Williamson worked as a draftsman and site supervisor for

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 ...

from 1914 to 1917. It is sometimes reported that Williamson was a student of Wright, but that is incorrect. Williamson was hired by Wright after he graduated from architecture school and was paid a salary to do planning and production work as an employee of Wright's studio. When Wright left for Japan to work on the Imperial Hotel, Williamson was made construction supervisor for the Frederick C. Bogk House and the Munkwitz Apartments in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

. From 1914-1917, Williamson was tasked by Wright with applying standards to Wright's

American System-Built Homes The American System-Built Homes were modest houses in a series designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. They were developed between 1911 and 1917 to fulfill his interest in affordable housing but were sold commercially for just 14 months. The ...

(ASBH) concept, though like Wright, he did not talk about the ASBH program after it ended. With . After leaving Wright's studio in 1917, he returned to

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

briefly, and then moved back to

in 1918 to apply for his Wisconsin license to practice and to work closely with the developer Arthur Richards, Wright's former partner in the ASBH project. Between 1918 and 1929 Williamson designed about forty Wisconsin homes and duplexes in the

Prairie Style Prairie School is a late 19th and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...

, as well as the Tudor and

Mediterranean Revival Mediterranean Revival is an architectural style introduced in the United States, Canada, and certain other countries in the 19th century. It incorporated references to Spanish Renaissance, Spanish Colonial, Italian Renaissance, French Colonial ...

styles, many sold via Richard's real estate companies in Milwaukee suburbs like

Shorewood, Wisconsin Shorewood is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. A suburb of Milwaukee, it is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 13,859 at the 2020 census. History In the early 19th century when the first white se ...

and

Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Wauwatosa ( ; colloquially Tosa) is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 48,387 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Wauwatosa is a suburb located immediately west of Milwaukee and is part of the Milwa ...

. Some homes, like the Anthony Siegl House (1920) in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, feature details like trim, windows and surfaces that were repurposed from Richard's leftover stock after the termination of the American System Built Homes project in 1917. In a second productive period from about 1950 to 1960, Williamson designed commercial and apartment buildings and split-level and ranch homes leaning to the

Mid-Century Modern Mid-century modern (MCM) is a movement in interior design, product design, graphic design, architecture and urban development that was present in all the world, but more popular in North America, Brazil and Europe from roughly 1945 to 197 ...

style. A complete Williamson portfolio is elusive since he destroyed drawings and records from much of his career.Ellias, Juanita M. Prairie School Architecture in Milwaukee: Russell Barr Williamson. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, 1974, pp 134. Williamson married Nola Mae Hawthorne, and they had a son and a daughter. Williamson died of a heart attack on October 3, 1964, in

Oostburg, Wisconsin Oostburg is a village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,056 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The Village of Oostburg was incorporated in 190 ...

, at age 71.

References

1893 births 1964 deaths Architects from Kansas Architects from Wisconsin Kansas State University alumni People from Cass County, Indiana People from Franklin County, Kansas People from Oostburg, Wisconsin School of the Art Institute of Chicago alumni 20th-century American architects {{DEFAULTSORT:Williamson, Russell Barr