Morris H. Whitehouse | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1878-03-21)March 21, 1878 |
| Died | April 4, 1944(1944-04-04) (aged 66) Portland, Oregon |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Buildings | Gus J. Solomon United States Courthouse;Temple Beth Israel |
Morris Homans Whitehouse (March 21, 1878 – April 4, 1944) was an American architect whose work included the design of theGus Solomon United States Courthouse inPortland, Oregon.[1]
Whitehouse was born in Portland, Oregon, on March 21, 1878,[2] to Benjamin Gardner Whitehouse and Clara née Homans.[3] In his youth he attended, and graduated from, public schools in Portland.[2] He graduated from theMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1906.[4][5] He was awarded theGuy Lowell Traveling Fellowship in 1905 which facilitated his pursuing studies at theAmerican Academy in Rome,Italy from 1906 to 1907.[3] He was the first ever recipient of that award from MIT.[3][6] In 1936, he married Mildred Fuller Anderson.[7]
Whitehouse started his own practice in 1907.[3] He then partnered with Bruce R. Honeyman in 1908.[3] Beginning in 1909 he partnered withJ. André Fouilhoux andEdgar M. Lazarus in the architectural firm "Lazarus, Whitehouse & Fouilhoux". Lazarus later left the firm, which continued under the nameWhitehouse & Fouilhoux, which lasted until 1917.[5] It was the longest-running architectural firm in Oregon.[6][8] Among other buildings, the firm designed theUniversity Club (1913)[5] now listed on theNational Register of Historic Places (NRHP), theJefferson High School,[9] theLincoln High School[5] and theConro Fiero House, formerly listed on the NRHP but delisted after its destruction by fire.[5] They also collaborated with New York-based firms J. H. Freelander and A. D. Seymour, in the construction of thePortland Municipal Auditorium (now the Keller Auditorium).[5] The firm closed as a result ofWorld War I,[3] when Fouilhoux enlisted in 1918.[4]
Following the war Whitehouse operated Morris H. Whitehouse, Architect, changing this name to Morris H. Whitehouse & Associates in 1926, having been joined by Glenn Stanton and Walter E. Church.[3] They designed theTemple Beth Israel synagogue (1928),[10] theU.S. Courthouse (1929-1931)[11] and theMultnomah Stadium.[3][5]
From 1932 to 1935, the firm was named Whitehouse, Stanton & Church.[3] Whitehouse & Church designed theOregon State Library in 1939.[4] The firm was again renamed in 1942 to Whitehouse, Church, Newberry & Roehr, with the addition of Earl P. Newberry and Frank Roehr, the last name change before Whitehouse's death. Even after his death the firm remained in operation, undergoing several other name changes.[3]
Whitehouse was a member of the Portland Architectural Club. He was also director and then president of the Oregon arm of theAmerican Institute of Architects.[7] He also served on the Oregon State Board of Architect Examiners from 1919 to 1930.[3]
Whitehouse died in Portland on April 4, 1944,[2] atSt. Vincent's Hospital following a heart attack.[7] He had remained active in his profession until entering the hospital for treatment of a heart condition, about two weeks prior to his death.[7]
Whitehouse and his associates designed many structures in Oregon and other parts of the Pacific Northwest.[6] The following Oregon structures appear on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP):
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