Harry S. Coombs

Harry Coombs was born in 1878 to George M. Coombs, a partner in the leading Lewiston architectural firm of Stevens & Coombs. He attended the public schools, before moving on to Bowdoin College. He graduated in 1901, and immediately entered his father's office, now Coombs & Gibbs.[1] He worked with his father until his death in May 1909, at which point he gained his father's share in the partnership.[2] Coombs & Gibbs was dissolved sometime in 1910, breaking into two firms, Coombs Brothers and Gibbs & Pulsifer. Coombs Brothers was composed of Harry Coombs and his brother, Frederick N. Coombs.[3] They split in 1912, and Harry continued on his own. In 1928 he made Alonzo J. Harriman a partner,[4] and Coombs & Harriman lasted until the former's death in 1939.[1]

After Coombs' death, Harriman relocated the office to Auburn, where it is still in operation as Harriman Architects + Engineers.

At least nine of his designs have been individually placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and several others contribute to listed historic districts.

Prior to the 1930s, almost all of Coombs' work was in the Colonial Revival style. Larger examples of this are his administration building at the Central Maine General Hospital, the Rumford Municipal Building, Stearns High School at Millinocket, and the former Lewiston High School. He designed very few Gothic Revival buildings, and those that are known were all built in the first few years of his practice. Of these, the Franklin School in Auburn is most notable. Beginning in the 1930s, Coombs and his partner Harriman began to adopt the Art Deco style for many of their works, most significantly the hospital at Togus and the since-demolished High School at Brunswick.