- Copper Country Architects
- Birkerts, Gunnar
- Brielmaier, Erhard
- Charlton et al.
- Claude & Starck
- Cowles & Eastman
- Demar & Lovejoy
- Dow, Howell, Gilmore & Associates
- Eschweiler, Alexander C.
- Herbst & Kuenzli
- Holabird & Roche
- Liebert, Hans T.
- Lockhart, G. L.
- Maass Brothers
- Macneil, Paul H.
- Nystrom, Carl E.
- Ottenheimer, Henry L.
- Pearce, Charles A.
- Pierce, Byron H.
- Pryor, William
- Saarinen, Eero
- Scott, John, & Co.
- Shand, et al.
- Shaw & Hunnewell
- Sutcliff, John B.
- Sweatt, John B.
- TMP Associates
- Walsh, Robert C.
- Yamasaki, Minoru
- Sources
- Building Index
- Location Index
Buildings by Charles Maass (ca. 1895-ca. 1905)Kinsman Block (William Wayner Building) W.C. Kinsman learned the trade of harness-making in Cornwall and established a business in Red Jacket in 1872. He engaged Maass to draw the plans for a building to serve as commercial space and apartments. Maass designed a three-story Portage Entry sandstone structure measuring 75’ x 80’. The northwest corner features a shingled turret with a dome, while a galvanized metal cornice runs along the top of the building. Two first-floor storefronts are separated by the entrance leading to two floors of apartments. The round-arched center entrance is positioned below a center gable. The building was completed for $14,000 in 1898 by local workmen. P.P. Roehm is credited as the mason and Bajari and Ulseth as the carpenter. The Copper Country Evening News reported the following specifications on March 18, 1898:
A few weeks later, the same newspaper explained the new technology applied to deal with the local weather conditions.
The newspaper also stated that the Kinsman Block was “more pretentious than any building so far erected in the village and reflects credits upon the architect.”
Vertin’s Department Store Joseph Vertin, Jr., emigrated from Austria to Red Jacket, where he established a business in 1869. The original department store, built in 1891, was two stories.
In 1899-1900, two brick stories were added to the existing sandstone building. The original building had a row of round-arched windows at the second level topped by a modest cornice. In the addition, Maass maintained the same fenestration, with flat-arched windows with sandstone lintels on the third level and round-arched on the fourth. A bracketed cornice tops the building. The Copper County Evening News crowned the remodeled store as the largest in the Upper Peninsula in an article written for the September re-opening:
The building currently houses art studios and galleries.
Michigan House Built for the Bosch Brewing Company, the Michigan House is a roughly square building, four bays by four bays, with two storefronts along Oak Street and a central doorway to upper floors. The corner storefront with a recessed corner entrance was historically occupied by a saloon designed to feature Bosch Brewing Company products, with a largely intact interior, including oak booths and murals painted by Associated Artists of Milwaukee. The east storefront was occupied by a restaurant dining room which also retains some historic interior features, including a large Moorish-inspired arts and crafts fireplace. On the exterior of the building, the Oak and Sixth Street facades are divided by pilasters into four bays on each face, with a copper cornice. The center bays on the front of the building have paired windows, and are flanked by two-story oriel windows. Bull’s-eye windows top the bays without oriels. The second and third floors of the building may have been divided into four two-room "bachelor" flats, each with a sitting room with a fireplace and a bedroom, separated by pocket doors. Tenants would have taken their meals in the dining room downstairs. The upper floors were later converted into conventional apartments. The building still houses a bar and restaurant.
Buildings by Maass Brothers (ca. 1905-1913)Calumet State Bank The newly formed Calumet State Bank commissioned this handsome structure in 1906.16 Situated on the corner of Oak and Sixth Streets, the building was designed to complement the Coppo Block adjacent to it on 6th Street. Both are three stories with round-arched windows at the third story. The bank building is faced with Minneapolis pressed brick with sandstone trim. The façade, which curves around the corner, is topped with a galvanized-iron modillioned cornice. The corner entrance led to a lobby that stretched along the Oak Street side. The banking room had a tiled floor, marble baseboards, and mahogany furniture. Both gas and electric fixtures were provided in the building. The upper floors were finished with quarter-sawn oak.
Sibilski House This house was built sometime between 1905 and 1908 for T. Sibilski and family. Copies of undated drawings executed by the Maass Bros. are located in the Keweenaw National Historical Park archives. The asymmetrical house is particularly notable for its arched sandstone entranceway, all the more remarkable because it is attached to a wood-frame house clad in shingles on the first floor and clapboards on the second. The two-story house has a broad hip roof with a cross gable in front and a gable dormer on the side. A Palladian window on the second-floor front indicates some Classical Revival influence. The rounded porch to one side and the variety of window shapes and projections make this a lively design.
Weir House Captain William Weir, retired from the Calumet & Hecla Mining Company, had this house built for himself and his family in 1907. Even the newspaper noted the similarity of this house to Edward Ulseth’s. The two-and-a-half-story house has a cross-gable roof with a Palladian window in the gable. Estimating the cost at $15,000, the newspaper described the interior: “The first floor contains a tiled vestibule leading into a large reception hall. The other rooms are a large parlor, sitting room, den, dining room, kitchen and the usual closets and pantries. The den is a very attractive room with beamed ceilings and a beautifully decorated.”17
Ulseth House Edward Ulseth, the noted Calumet builder, had the Maass Brothers design this house and probably built it himself.18 The large house with cross-gabled roof is set on a large lot. The one-story porch wrapping around the front and the Palladian window in the gable are the most distinguishing features.
Milligan House Captain James Milligan commissioned the design of this house from the Maass Brothers. Construction was completed in 1907.19 The two-and-a-half story house is in the Classical Revival style. Its high hip roof has hip-roofed dormers and a clerestory. Corner pilasters and a modillioned cornice ornament the blocky structure. Very thin clapboards cover the wood frame; the foundation is Jacobsville sandstone. There is a balustraded terrace across the front. Above an enclosed porch, the center bay of the front is bowed. There is a bowed oriel on one side of the house and a bowed bay window on the other. According to a contemporary account, the house was "modern in every respect and beautifully finished in the interior. Quarter sawed oak, mahogany and birds eye maple are used in various rooms as finishing material. The rooms on the two floors are admirably appointed. The basement too is an ideal one, while quarters are also provided in the third floor for several persons."20 Lathrop House J. H. Lathrop, Calumet & Hecla's chief clerk, commissioned this 47’ x 64’ house in 1906 but did not live to see its completion. The Colonial Revival-style house was two-and-a-half stories tall with a two-story portico. A one-story porch wrapped around the front. Two-story bay windows flanked the portico. The wood-frame house, sided with clapboard, was built on a stone foundation. It was noticeably similar in appearance to the Hoatson House. The first floor featured a grand reception hall, 14’ x 22’ with a fireplace at the far end, finished in mahogany with a beamed ceiling. The first floor also had a reception room, library, den, dining room, kitchen, and pantries. The second floor contained four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sewing room, and a dressing room. The third floor had four bedrooms, a bathroom, a “cedar room,” and storage spaces. The house was estimated to cost $25,000.21 Construction was completed after Lathrop’s death; the Guck family were later residents. At some point, the second and third stories were removed. The building is now one-and-a-half stories with a large shed-roofed dormer.
Hoatson House (Laurium Manor Inn) The Hoatson House was designed by the Maass Brothers and built in 1908 for Thomas H. and Cornelia Hoatson, owners of Calumet & Arizona Mining Company. The hip-roofed house has gable dormers and a wraparound porch. Colonial Revival elements include the general symmetry, two-story pedimented portico, Corinthian columns, and modillioned cornice. The interior is especially finely finished, with some Art Nouveau detailing. The reception hall is 12’ x 40’ with mirrors at the far end and a triple staircase off to the side. The first floor contains a 23’ x 23’ library, a 17’ x 23’ dining room, a reception room, and a den, as well as kitchen and pantries. The second floor contained six bedrooms and three bathrooms. The newspaper noted that “a broad balcony will be reached from the second floor providing a cool place for spending warm summer days.”23 The third floor contained three bedrooms, a bathroom, a “cedar room,” and a 50’ x 50’ billiard room. A “model stable” was also provided. This grand house was built for $50,000 and furnished for $35,000. The Laurium Manor Inn, a bed-and-breakfast, is available to tour.24
St. Anne’s Parsonage A French Canadian congregation built St. Anne’s Roman Catholic Church in 1900 at the corner of 5th and Scott streets. In 1908, the congregation replaced the pre-existing parsonage next door on Scott Street with this large brick building.25 The Maass Brothers employed a Tudor Revival style, probably in an effort to make it compatible with the Gothic Revival church. The two-and-a-half-story building had prominent cross gables trimmed with stone. Window hoods and decorative lights in the windows are additional stylistic references. A large wooden porch with a Gothic-arched entrance and trefoil decorations between the columns adorned the front.
Masonic Temple of Houghton (City Centre) The four-story building is faced with Jacobsville sandstone. Smooth-faced pilaster-like elements are set off against the rough texture of the rest of the wall. Windows are grouped into threes across the front, except for the center bay, which is only one window wide and has a handsome pedimented doorway at ground level. The wide cornice is supported by oversized brackets. Masonic emblems decorate the frieze between the brackets and the pediment of the doorway. The Masons occupied the third and fourth floors, with a large dining room on the east and a theater on the west. Ground-floor retail and second-floor office rental spaces generated income to support the building. The building is now occupied by Houghton city offices and other offices as well.
Independent Order of Odd Fellows This large brick building has lost its cornice and the third-floor windows have been partially filled in, but its facade still retains its general appearance. At ground level, a large storefront fills most of the space, with a doorway to the upper floors at one side. The second floor has large plate-glass windows, whle the third has segmental-arched windows, paired in the center three bays. The Oddfellows occupied the third-floor hall of this building. By 1937 George Kirkish leased the building for his furniture store, buying the building in 1950. The family sold the building in 1995.
Temple Jacob Temple Jacob is the only synagogue in the Copper Country. Before the temple was built the services were held at the houses of different members. Henry Pimstein, Henry Feldman, J. Gottliebson, J. Green, and most notably, Jacob Gartner, decided to establish a Jewish temple.28 The Quincy Mining Company donated the land the temple sits on, but the founders still required $10,000 dollars for construction.29 Jacob Gartner was willing to lend a large portion of his personal money to see the temple built, and his generosity was honored by having the temple named after him.30 According to documents in the possession of the congregation, it purchased the plans, specifications, and superintendent abilities from Maass Bros. Architects.31 J. J. Kelly built the temple foundation for $610, and then A. J. Verville completed the superstructure for $4,686.32 The congregation of Temple Jacob is considered the “First Congregation of Israel.” The 40’ x 40’, hip-roofed structure is topped by a small copper dome. The foundation was constructed of Jacobsville sandstone. A vitrified glazed brick was used for the walls. Windows are round-arched, with stained glass that depicts a dove with an olive branch, shofar (ram’s horn), burning bush, Noah’s ark, hands in blessing, Star of David, eternal light, and the tablets of the Ten Commandments.33 Inside, the layout of the temple follows normal Jewish customs, with the altar facing east. A balcony was once used to separate the men and the women during prayers.
Chassell High School Among their many school commissions, the Maass Brothers designed Chassell’s first high school. The newspaper described it:
The school, which served until 1992 and is now in private ownership, survives virtually unaltered. The two-story building has a high hip roof with cupola. The center section of the front, which contains the stairway, projects and supports a pediment. Clapboard siding on the first level and shingles on the second highlight the use of wood in this lumber town. The similarity of the design of the neighboring Southwell Elementary School, built in 1917, would suggest that Maass designed it also, but no documentation has been found to support this. Buildings by Fred Maass (1913-ca. 1920)
Laurium Village Hall In 1899 the recently incorporated village of Laurium built a new village hall, a two-story building with false front. Fifteen years later, the village decided on an expansion and remodeling, and hired Fred Maass to prepare the plans. It is the only credit found of his solo work. The bid was awarded to Chatel and Vairo, contractors, for the sum of $7,990. The renovated building was dedicated on November 24, 1914.35 The original brick-veneered front was redone in Jacobsville sandstone; wide smooth-faced courses alternate with thin rough-faced ones. The second- and third-floor windows are arranged in three bays, separated by spandrel panels. At ground level are three vehicle doors. On the north side of the existing hall, the renovation included a two-story addition which measured 13’x 60’ with a crenellated four-story tower. The sandstone was reused from village gutters, which had been replaced with concrete. Buildings by Charles W. Maass (1913-ca. 1920)
Quincy Mining Company Clubhouse The two-story building for the Quincy Mining Company served as the company’s club house and bathhouse. The brick building was in a modest Italian Renaissance Revival style with keystones over the paired windows and a flat roof with wide eaves and a modillioned cornice. The bathhouse, with separate facilities for men and women, was located on the first floor, along with quarters for the resident caretaker. The second floor contained a large lecture room, a men’s room renamed a “foremen’s room” before construction was completed, and a library.36
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