Beuttler & Arnold
| Company type | Architectural firm |
|---|---|
| Industry | Architecture |
| Founded | 1912 |
| Founder | William Beuttler, Ralph Arnold |
| Defunct | November 1941 |
| Fate | Partnership ended; successor firms evolved into CMBA Architects |
| Headquarters | Sioux City , United States |
Area served | Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota |
Beuttler & Arnold was an architectural practice headquartered in Sioux City, Iowa, active during the early 1900s and serving as the forerunner to CMBA Architects, which continues to operate in Sioux City as of 2025.
History
Established in 1912 by William Beuttler and Ralph Arnold, the firm originated from their collaboration with Sioux City architect Wilfred W. Beach, who had previously partnered with William L. Steele. The company developed a thriving regional presence, providing architectural services across parts of Nebraska and South Dakota. The partnership ended in November 1941 when Arnold accepted a position as architect for the Iowa Board of Control.
Throughout World War II, Beuttler worked alongside engineers Buell & Winter on the Sioux City Army Air Base project (1942) before returning to solo practice. In 1941, Beuttler & Arnold was selected as one of four firms tasked with designing the Lucas Building (completed in 1952), a Stripped Classical style government office in Des Moines. However, construction was postponed until 1949 due to wartime constraints.
In 1958, William Beuttler established William Beuttler & Son with his son, W. Lee Beuttler, maintaining operations until William’s death in 1963. Under W. Lee Beuttler’s leadership, the firm underwent multiple name changes including William Lee Beuttler & Associates, Beuttler Associates, and Beuttler Olsen Lee. The company was acquired in 1982 by Duffy Mannes Brygger, led by James M. Duffy, a former staff member. As of 2025, the merged organization functions as CMBA Architects, honoring Beuttler and Arnold as its founding figures.
Founding partners
William Beuttler (1883–1963) earned his education at Dixon College and Washington University in St. Louis (class of 1910). He began his professional journey with Burlington Railroad before relocating to Sioux City in 1911. He passed away there at age 79.
Ralph Arnold (1889–1961), who graduated from the University of Illinois with a BS in 1911, lived in Des Moines after 1941 and died there at age 72.
Architectural works
- 1913 – Florence Crittenton Home and Maternity Hospital, Sioux City, Iowa
- Created as an extension to the original Home designed by Beach & Steele (1906). Previously listed on the NRHP but later demolished following a fire.
- 1914 – Hickman-Johnson-Furrow Learning Center, Morningside University, Sioux City, Iowa
- Initially constructed as Alumni Gymnasium; contributes to the NRHP-listed Morningside College Historic District.
- 1915 – Hartington Carnegie Library, Hartington, Nebraska
- A Carnegie library included on the NRHP; its design influenced the Milo Public Library in Maine. The architect credited for Milo was Frederick A. Paterson.
- 1915 – Security National Bank Building, Sioux City, Iowa
- Originally referred to as the Trimble Block.
- 1916 – First United Methodist Church, Sioux City, Iowa
- 1917 – Sibley Public Library, Sibley, Iowa
- Another Carnegie library.
- 1920 – Sachse, Bunn & Company building, Cherokee, Iowa
- Included within the NRHP-listed Cherokee Commercial Historic District.
- 1922 – Sioux City Masonic Temple, Sioux City, Iowa
- Distinguished by its Spanish Colonial Revival architecture; listed on the NRHP.
- 1925 – First Baptist Church, Vermillion, South Dakota
- Designed to harmonize with an earlier parish house by Wallace L. Dow; also NRHP-listed.
- 1926 – Dimmitt Hall, Morningside University, Sioux City, Iowa
- A contributing property within the NRHP-listed Morningside College Historic District.
- 1934 – Federal Building and United States Courthouse, Sioux City, Iowa
- Designed collaboratively by Beuttler & Arnold with consulting architects Proudfoot, Rawson, Souers & Thomas under Supervising Architect James A. Wetmore; listed on the NRHP.
External links
- Beuttler & Arnold, Architects featured in Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects, part of the Nebraska State Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Nebraska History