Marion Parker (architect)
Marion Parker(1873–1935)[note 1] was the first female graduate in the College of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Michigan, worked with Purcell & Elmslie Architects, and established her own practice.
Marion Parker | |
|---|---|
| Born | Marion Parker 1873 New Hampshire[1] |
| Died | 1935 (aged 62) California |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Architect |
Biography
Marion Parker was the first female graduate in the College of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Michigan in 1895; the university awards two female students annually to honor her (at least in the mid-1970s).[2] After graduating she worked on skyscrapers in New York City.[2]
Parker worked for William Gray Purcell and George Fieck in their Minneapolis office becoming their first drafter in 1908[3] and by 1912 became an important member in the small firm.[1] She produced working drawings for leaded glass panels and other craft items.[4]
Established in 1909,[5] Purcell & Elmslie has been described as one of the most prolific of the Prairie School.[1] After adding George Grant Elmslie as partner in 1909, the firm dissolved in 1921.[1]
However, Parker left in 1919 to start her own office.[1]
In addition to architecture, Parker was a craftswoman. A member of the Minneapolis Arts and Crafts Society, she was also worked in textiles, especially rugs in the early 1900s; was a charter member of the chalk and chisel club; and garnered an exhibit prize in 1914.[4]
In retirement she moved to Luguna Beach and opened an arts and crafts shop,[1] named "The Home-Spun Shop".[3] Located in an arts colony she participated in Summer art fairs.[4] While travelling to visit Purcell, she died of a heart attack.[4]
Parker's collection is at the Northwest Architectural Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, as are Purcell's papers.[3][1]
Works
- 1912 - Charles I. Buxton Bungalow (with Purcell), Owatonna, Minnesota[1]
- c.1912 - Business Women's Dormitory (for Gratia Countryman), Minneapolis, Minnesota [1]
- 1919 - Business Women's Club of Minneapolis (proposal)[3]
- 1919 - Residence of J. S. Ulland(with Purcell & Elmslie), Fergus Falls, Minnesota[3]
- c.1920 - Frank P. Stower House, Fort Colins, Colorado[1]
Notes
- sources vary on her middle name: Ann in Allaback, Alice in Conforti, and Sarah in Barry; Allaback estimated she was born in New Hampshire in c.1875, while the archives says Massachusetts in 1873, but went to school in New Hampshire
Sources
- Allaback, Sarah (23 May 2008). The First American Women Architects. University of Illinois Press. pp. 165–166. ISBN 978-0-252-03321-6. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
- Barry, Ray (1 January 1974). "The Good Old Days". The Michigan Technic. UM Libraries (93–96): 22. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- Northwest Architectural Archives. "Marion Alice Parker collection". University of Minnesota. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
- Conforti, Michael (1994). Minnesota 1900 : art and life on the upper Mississippi, 1890-1915. Newark: University of Delaware Press. ISBN 0874135605.
- "Purcell and Elmslie, Architects". www.organica.org.