Davis, McGrath & Kiessling
| Company type | Architectural firm |
|---|---|
| Industry | Architecture |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Defunct | 1921 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Key people | Herbert E. Davis, Dudley McGrath, Calvin Kiessling |
| Products | Residential and civic architecture |
Davis, McGrath & Kiessling was an architectural practice based in New York City that operated between 1910 and 1921. The firm concentrated on designing residential and civic structures along the Eastern Seaboard, prominently featuring Italian Renaissance Revival and Jacobethan Revival architectural styles. Multiple works by the firm have been recognized and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
The firm maintained its offices at 175 Fifth Avenue within the Flatiron Building. It was established by Herbert E. Davis, Dudley McGrath, and Calvin Kiessling. Davis, hailing from Newark, New Jersey, and an alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was responsible for designing many residences in Glen Ridge and Montclair, New Jersey. Brooklyn-born McGrath, a Columbia University graduate, gained prominence as a residential architect and was an active member of the American Institute of Architects until his passing in 1922. Kiessling originated from Boston and had previously worked with Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge before joining the partnership; he departed in 1921 to contribute to Colonial Revival architecture developments in New Canaan, Connecticut. Prior to his tenure at the firm, Kiessling was involved in designing several Carnegie libraries, notably the Colorado Springs Public Library and Davenport Public Library.
Structures
Key projects attributed to the firm, categorized by state and city:
Massachusetts
- Brookline:
- Brookline House
Michigan
- Flint:
- Charles Stewart Mott House (Applewood), located at 1400 E. Kearsley St., built in 1916 (listed on NRHP)
- Civic Building Association, constructed in 1919 (part of NRHP district)
- Industrial Savings Bank Building, completed in 1922 (NRHP-listed)
- Pontiac:
- Modern Housing Corporation, established in 1919 (NRHP district)
New Jersey
- Englewood:
- Liberty School at 12 Tenafly Rd., erected in 1902 under Herbert C. Davis; currently known as Russell C. Major Liberty School housing administrative facilities; redevelopment plans propose its conversion into Liberty School for the Arts
- Highwood Firehouse and Nordhoff Firehouse (credited to Davis & Shepard)
- Dan Fellows Platt House located at 200 Booth Ave.
- Gaines House at 251 Linden Ave., built in 1909
- F. M. Burr House situated at 140 S. Woodland St.
- H. N. Flanagan House on 280 Mountain Rd.
- William M. Probst House at 300 Linden Ave.
- Henry W. Blake House located at 377 Walnut St.
- Benjamin F. Reinmund House at 104 N. Woodland St.
- Lewis D. Mowry House on 184 Dwight Pl.
- Arthur Johnson House at 256 Lydecker St., completed in 1916
- A. J. Post House spanning 64-72 Dwight Pl.
- Second William M. Probst House at 83 Linden Ave., noted favorably in Aymar Embury II's One Hundred Country Houses
- Glen Ridge:
- H. W. Crowell House
- H. M. Edwards House
- Glen Ridge Country Club
- Kearny:
- Kearny Public Library, constructed in 1907 (credited to Davis and Kiessling)
- Kearny Town Hall, built in 1909
- Montclair:
- Guerrieri House located at 80 Lloyd Rd., completed in 1916
- South Orange:
- Clarence Bonynge House (contributing property within NRHP district)
- John McElroy House (contributing property within NRHP district)
New York
- New York City:
- St. John's Catholic Church, located in Kingsbridge, Bronx, built in 1904
- Ashley Horace Thorndike House, situated at 4643 Waldo Ave. in Riverdale, Bronx, constructed in 1913
References
Notes
Sources