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Hummel Architects

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Hummel Architects PLLC is an American architectural firm based in Boise, Idaho. Its history extends back to 1890, when architect and contractor John E. Tourtellotte established himself in Boise. The firm is best remembered for the work it completed from 1910 to 1942 under the name Tourtellotte & Hummel, including the Idaho State Capitol (1913). From 1922 until 2002 it was led by three successive generations of the Hummel family.

Hummel Architects
Practice information
FoundersJohn E. Tourtellotte
Founded1890 (134 years ago)
LocationBoise, Idaho
Website
hummelarch.com
The Administration Building of the University of Idaho, designed by J. E. Tourtellotte & Company in the Collegiate Gothic style and completed in 1908.
The Idaho State Capitol in Boise, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Neoclassical style and completed in 1913.
The Nampa Presbyterian Church, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Gothic Revival style and completed in 1918.
The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Boise, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Romanesque Revival style and completed in 1921.
The Nampa First Methodist Episcopal Church in Nampa, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Romanesque Revival style and completed in 1922.
The former John Jacob Astor Hotel in Astoria, Oregon, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Gothic Revival style and completed in 1924.
St. Mary's Catholic Church in Caldwell, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Romanesque Revival style and completed in 1925.
The Egyptian Theatre in Boise, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Egyptian Revival style and completed in 1927.
The Hotel Boise, now the Hoff Building, in Boise, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Art Deco style and completed in 1930.
The United States Post Office in Weiser, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Colonial Revival style and completed in 1933.
The former Main School in Fairbanks, Alaska, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Art Deco style and completed in 1934.
The Boise Junior High School, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Art Deco style and completed in 1937.
The Gem County Courthouse in Emmett, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Art Deco style and completed in 1938.
The John Regan American Legion Hall in Boise, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Moderne style and completed in 1939.
The Administration Building of Boise State University, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Collegiate Gothic style and completed in 1940.
Holy Rosary Church in Idaho, designed by Hummel, Hummel & Jones in the Gothic Revival style and completed in 1948.
The James A. McClure Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Boise, designed by Hummel, Hummel, Jones & Shawver in the New Formalist style and completed in 1968.

Overview

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Hummel Architects' current practice is based on the design of educational, healthcare and government projects.[1] In July 2024 existing principals Scott Straubhar and Ed Daniels were joined by five additional principals and one associate: Mandy Boam, Zacharia Lester, Rob Beusan, Brian Coleman, Brian Riopelle and Gwen Andrews. Beusan additionally is director of design, and Boam is the firm's first woman principal.[2]

The firm's work has won design awards from the local and national bodies of the American Institute of Architects and other organizations.[1]

History

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In September 1890, John E. Tourtellotte, a native of Connecticut, arrived in Boise and established a practice as a "contracting architect," or architect and contractor. In 1894 he eliminated contracting from his practice and was thereafter exclusively an architect. In 1901 he formed the partnership of J. E. Tourtellotte & Company with Charles F. Hummel, a German-born architect who had been working in Boise since 1895. Hummel became a named partner in 1910 when the firm was reorganized as Tourtellotte & Hummel.[3][4][5]

The firm quickly emerged as the leading architects in Boise and Idaho. Tourtellotte was particularly successful as a salesman for his firm's work, while Hummel is assumed to have been the chief designer. According to their biographers, "[a] good share of the firm's success must be credited to John Tourtellotte. He would not have been so successful had he not been a good architect, occasionally a very good architect, and had he not associated himself with an even better one. But the importance of his powers of salesmanship should never be underestimated." In 1912 they completed their exceptional work, the Idaho State Capitol, and in 1913 Tourtellotte moved to Portland, Oregon, to establish a second office, with Hummel remaining in Boise.[4][5]

Hummel's sons, Frederick C. Hummel and Frank K. Hummel, were both educated at the University of Pennsylvania and joined the firm in 1909 and 1916, respectively. In 1922 the original partnership was dissolved and two new partnerships were formed: in Portland by Tourtellotte and Frank and in Boise by Charles and Frederick, with a minor share kept by Tourtellotte, who assumed the responsibility of promotion for both offices. In Portland Tourtellotte developed a new specialty in hotel design, and with Frank was responsible for the John Jacob Astor Hotel (1924) in Astoria, the Ashland Springs Hotel (1925) in Ashland, the Redwoods Hotel (1926) in Grants Pass, the Baker City Tower (1929) in Baker City and the Hoff Building (1930) in Boise. In Boise, Charles and Frederick pursued a mostly stylistically conservative general practice. The most visible exception was the Egyptian Theatre (1927), designed by Frederick. In 1935 Frederick left the firm to join the Federal Housing Administration, and Frank withdrew from the Portland partnership to return to Boise. In Portland Frank had developed a taste for Art Deco design, having been chief designer of the Hoff Building, which heavily influenced the work of the firm for the rest of the decade. Charles died in 1939, and in 1942 Frank closed the office for the duration of World War II. In 1945 the office was reorganized and reopened under the name Hummel, Hummel & Jones, the brothers having been joined by Jedd Jones III. Frederick did not return to the firm full-time until 1947.[4][5]

Frank died in 1961 and in 1962 the firm was reorganized as Hummel, Hummel, Jones & Shawver to include architects Chet Shawver and Charles Hummel, son of Frederick.[4][6] In 1977, with the retirement of Frederick and the addition of architect Nelson Miller, the firm was incorporated as Hummel, Jones, Shawver & Miller PA.[7] Frederick died in 1978.[8] In 1980 it became Hummel Jones Miller Hunsucker PA with the addition of Wayne Hunsucker.[7] In 1984 the firm merged with Dropping, Kelley & LaMarche to form Hummel/Dropping Architects PA.[9] It was renamed Hummel, LaMarche & Hunsucker Architects PA in 1985, Hummel Hunsucker Architects PA in 1995 and lastly Hummel Architects PA later the same year.[7] From 1922 to 2002, excepting the years 1977 to 1981, when it was led by Jones, the firm was led continuously by the Hummel family.[10] In 2003 it was reincorporated as a PLLC.[7]

Legacy

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Idaho architects Ralph Loring and Benjamin Morgan Nisbet worked for Tourtellotte before establishing their independent practices.

Van Evera Bailey.[11]

In 1982 139 works completed by Tourtellotte, J. E. Tourtellotte & Company and Tourtellotte & Hummel were listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places as part of a Thematic Resource. Historian Patricia Wright selected the nominated sites based on a complete review of the firm's work from its founding until its closure during World War II. Before and 1982, additional works have been NRHP-listed.[12]

In 1987 Wright and Lisa B. Reitzes were the authors of Tourtellotte & Hummel of Idaho: The Standard Practice of Architecture, published by the Utah State University Press, which consists of a history of the firm, details of major works and a complete catalog of projects. Members of the Hummel family, especially Charles Hummel, made a point of preserving the firm's records.[13] In 2024 Hummel Architects donated their archive, dating back to 1896, to the Idaho State Historical Society.[14]

Historic partner biographies

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John E. Tourtellotte

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Main article: John E. Tourtellotte

Charles F. Hummel

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Charles Frederick Hummel (April 12, 1857 – September 17, 1939) was born in Gernsbach in the former Grand Duchy of Baden, now part of Germany. He was educated at an unidentified technical school in Stuttgart, graduating in 1879. He then worked as a draftsman in Freiburg until 1885, when he immigrated to the United States. He initially worked as a carpenter in Chicago and Saint Paul, Minnesota, before moving on to Tacoma, Washington in 1888. There and in Seattle and Everett he worked as an architect, contractor and builder. He settled in Boise in 1895, where he continued the same work. His independent work as an architect includes the Thomas C. Galloway House (1900) in Weiser.[15][5]

In 1882 Hummel was married to Marie Conrad. They had four children, three sons and one daughter.[15] His two younger sons joined him in the family business. Hummel died in Boise at the age of 82.[16][4]

Frederick C. Hummel

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Frederick Charles Hummel FAIA (September 9, 1884 – August 16, 1978) was born in Renchen, about 35 miles from Gernsbach, to Charles F. Hummel and Marie Hummel, née Conrad. He was educated at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a certificate in architecture in 1909. He then joined the office of J. E. Tourtellotte & Company as a draftsman, and was later promoted to chief draftsman of Tourtellotte & Hummel. During World War I he served in with the Idaho national guard.[8][4]

Hummel was instrumental in the passage of an architectural registration law in Idaho in 1917 and served on the board of examiners from 1920 until 1961. He was a member of the Boise board of adjustmenent and zoning board of appeals and was affiliated with the Federal Housing Administration from 1935 until 1947. Hummel joined the American Institute of Architects in 1950 and in 1951 was a charter member of the Idaho chapter. In 1961 he was elected a Fellow of the AIA in recognition of his public service; he was the first Idaho architect to be elected a Fellow.[8]

Hummel was married to Mary McAndrews in 1923.[17] They had one son, Charles, who followed his father into the family firm. He was involved in local veterans and fraternal organizations and was a parishioner of the cathedral parish. He died in Boise at the age of 93.[8]

Charles Hummel

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Charles Frederick Hummel FAIA (June 21, 1925 – October 22, 2016) was born in Boise to Frederick C. Hummel and Mary Hummel, née McAndrews. He was educated at the Catholic University of America, graduating in 1950 with a BArch, followed by graduate study at Columbia University. During World War II he served in the army and during the Korean War with the corps of engineers. In 1953 he returned to Boise to join the family firm, where he spent his entire career. The work he was most proud of was the James A. McClure Federal Building and United States Courthouse (1968), which was NRHP-listed in 2019.[18][19][20] He retired from full-time practice in 2002.[21]

Like his father he was involved in public service in Boise. He was particularly interested in historic preservation and worked for the preservation of important sites, including many designed by his family.[19] In 2002 Boise mayor H. Brent Coles proclaimed July 11 to be "Charles Hummel Day."[21] In 2006 he was awarded a Governor’s Award in the Arts for lifetime achievement and in 2007 he was awarded the Making History Award from the Ada County Board of Commissioners.[22] He was elected a Fellow of the AIA in 1984,[19] and in 2000 he was awarded the inaugural Gold Medal of Honor from AIA Idaho.[23]

Hummel was married in 1951 to Calista Frances Ward. They had four children, two sons and two daughters. Also like his father he was involved in local veterans and fraternal organizations and was a parishioner of the cathedral parish. He died in Boise at the age of 91.[20]

Works

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(this list is not comprehensive)

J. E. Tourtellotte & Company, 1901–1910

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  • 1905 – Overland Building, 202 N 9th St, Boise, Idaho[16]
    • Destroyed by fire in 1987.

Tourtellotte & Hummel, 1910–1942

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Hummel, Hummel & Jones, 1945–1962

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Hummel, Hummel, Jones & Shawver, 1962–1977

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Hummel, Jones, Shawver & Miller, 1977–1980

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Hummel, LaMarche & Hunsucker Architects, 1985–1995

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Hummel Architects, from 1995

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References

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  1. ^ a b "About Us," Hummel Architects, no date. Accessed November 6, 2024.
  2. ^ "The Future of Hummel Architects," Hummel Architects, July 23, 2024. Accessed November 6, 2024.
  3. ^ "John E. Tourtellotte" in History of Idaho, vol. 2, ed. Hiram T. French (Chicago and New York: Lewis Publishing Company, 1914): 658-660.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Patricia Wright and Lisa B. Reitzes, "Chronology" in Tourtellotte & Hummel of Idaho: The Standard Practice of Architecture (Logan: Utah State University Press, 1987): x.
  5. ^ a b c d Patricia Wright and Lisa B. Reitzes, "Introduction" in Tourtellotte & Hummel of Idaho: The Standard Practice of Architecture (Logan: Utah State University Press, 1987): 2-17.
  6. ^ "Architect firm changes name," The Daily Idaho Statesman, January 27, 1962.
  7. ^ a b c d Idaho corporate filings, no date. Accessed November 5, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d "Idaho architect, 93, dies at Boise home," The Daily Idaho Statesman, April 18, 1978.
  9. ^ "2 architectural firms announce merger," The Idaho Statesman, February 3, 1984.
  10. ^ a b c d "Boise architect dies at 74: Jedd Jones oversaw work on Statehouse," The Idaho Statesman, July 7, 1986.
  11. ^ "Bailey, Van Evera" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1956): 22.
  12. ^ Tourtellotte and Hummel Architecture in Idaho TR NRHP Inventory-Nomination Form (1982)
  13. ^ Patricia Wright and Lisa B. Reitzes, "Acknowledgments" in Tourtellotte & Hummel of Idaho: The Standard Practice of Architecture (Logan: Utah State University Press, 1987): ix.
  14. ^ Jeanne Huff, "Hummel heaves ho," Boise Weekly, May 12, 2024. Accessed November 6, 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Charles F. Hummel" in History of Idaho, vol. 2, ed. Hiram T. French (Chicago and New York: Lewis Publishing Company, 1914): 604-605.
  16. ^ a b c "C. F. Hummel dies in boise," The Idaho Statesman, September 18, 1939.
  17. ^ "Hummel-McAndrews," The Idaho Statesman, July 29, 1923.
  18. ^ "Hummel, Charles F(rederick)" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 333.
  19. ^ a b c d e Erin Fenner, "Boise architect's legacy cemented in city's fabric," Idaho Statesman, October 25, 2016.
  20. ^ a b c "Charles Frederick Hummel," Idaho Statesman, October 26, 2016.
  21. ^ a b Diane Ronayne, "Lawyer helps 9/11 victims' families; mayor honors architect," The Idaho Statesman, July 17, 2002.
  22. ^ "New Ada buildings, programs coming," Idaho Statesman, March 8, 2007.
  23. ^ "Neighbors in the spotlight," The Idaho Statesman, October 7, 2000.
  24. ^ Jennifer Eastman Attebery (June 28, 1983). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Nampa Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved January 13, 2017. with seven photos from 1983
  25. ^ Building and Engineering News (July 5, 1916): 19.
  26. ^ "Death Summons Noted Architect" (May 10, 1939). The Oregonian, p. 11.
  27. ^ Paul Hartwig (June 1972). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Pilot Butte Inn" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  28. ^ Patricia Wright (September 22, 1982). "Idaho State Historical Society Inventory: Nampa Presbyterian Church". National Park Service. Retrieved August 22, 2017. With photo from 1980.
  29. ^ Patricia Wright (September 22, 1982). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Tourtellotte & Hummel Architecture Thematic Resources". National Park Service. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  30. ^ "Cathedral of St John the Evangelist: History of the Cathedral". www.boisecathedral.org. Archived from the original on 2013-05-03.
  31. ^ a b "Hummel, Frederick C." in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1956): 263.
  32. ^ Boise Capitol Area District Inventory-Nomination Form (1976)
  33. ^ Boise Junior College Administration Building Inventory-Nomination Form (1982)
  34. ^ "Hummel, Frederick C." in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 333.
  35. ^ a b "Jones, Jedd, III" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 357.
  36. ^ a b c "Jones, Jedd, III" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 462.
  37. ^ "Hummel, Charles Frederick" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 431.
  38. ^ a b c d "Chester Lee 'Chet' Shawver," The Idaho Statesman, August 25, 1999.
  39. ^ "Boise bank project starts," The Times-News, November 23, 1978.
  40. ^ "Roper selected for retail project in Egyptian block," The Idaho Statesman, September 4, 1987.
  41. ^ Betsy Z. Russell, "B.R.A. approves firm's designs for Boise Center," The Idaho Statesman, September 18, 1987.
  42. ^ "Work begins on Orchard office building," The Idaho Statesman, October 6, 1989.
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