William Dubois
Member of the Wyoming House of Representatives from Laramie County
In office
1903–1909
Member of the Wyoming Senate from Laramie County
In office
1909–1913
Personal details
Born
William Robert Dubois

(1879-11-15)November 15, 1879
Chicago, Illinois, US
DiedMay 31, 1953(1953-05-31) (aged 73)
Cheyenne, Wyoming, US
Political partyRepublican
OccupationArchitect
The City and County Building in Cheyenne, designed by Dubois and completed in 1919
The former Lulu McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, designed in association with Frederic Hutchinson Porter and completed in 1929
The Federal Office Building in Cheyenne, built in 1932
The building of the Wyoming Supreme Court in Cheyenne, completed in 1937
The City Hall in Laramie, completed in 1939

William Dubois (1879–1953) was an American architect and politician. He was a prolific architect in Wyoming and nearby states, and served five terms in both houses of the Wyoming Legislature.

Life and career

William Robert Dubois, known professionally as William Dubois, was born November 15, 1879, in Chicago to William Dubois, an engineer, and Marie Francoise (Werisse) Dubois. He was educated in the Chicago School of Architecture of the Art Institute of Chicago. He first worked for an architect in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but later returned to Chicago to work for architect Normand Smith Patton. In 1901 Patton sent Dubois to Cheyenne, Wyoming to be superintendent of construction for the firm's new library in that city.[1] When the library was completed in 1902, Dubois chose to stay in Cheyenne and opened his own office, practicing privately for fifteen years.[2][3] In 1917, to take advantage of increased development in Casper, Dubois formed a partnership with his former employee, Leon C. Goodrich.[4] The new firm of Dubois & Goodrich had offices in both cities, and was dissolved in 1921, when both architects returned to private practice. Dubois retired circa 1944.[5]

Dubois was elected to the Wyoming House of Representatives in 1903, and served three consecutive terms. This was followed by two terms in the Wyoming Senate. In 1915, after leaving office, Dubois was chosen architect of extensions to the Wyoming State Capitol. These were completed in 1917.[2]

In 1923 Dubois joined the American Institute of Architects, and resigned in 1944.[5] In 1951, when licensing of architects began in Wyoming, Dubois was granted license No. 0001 in recognition of his role as "grandfather" of the architectural profession in Wyoming.[6]

Personal life

Dubois was married in 1904 to Dora Frances Slack, daughter of publisher Edward Archibald Slack and granddaughter of suffrage activist Esther Hobart Morris. They had five children. Mrs. Dubois died in an auto accident in 1938.[3] Dubois died on May 31, 1953.[2]

In 1909 Dubois designed and had built a new house for his family at 1222 West 32nd Street in Cheyenne, where he lived until his death. This house and others on the block are contributing properties to the Dubois Block historic district.[3]

Legacy

Dubois designed more than 70 commercial buildings in Cheyenne, including almost all major buildings built in Cheyenne from 1900 to 1920.[1] He designed more than 100 houses, 27 schools, six churches, and four Carnegie libraries.[2] The Wyoming architects Leon C. Goodrich and Frederic R. Kellogg both worked for Dubois early in their careers.

Some fourteen works designed by Dubois are listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, and others contribute to listed historic districts.[7]

Architectural works

A more complete listing of his works is included in the NRHP application for the Dubois Block.[3]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 A contributing property to the Downtown Cheyenne Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1978 and expanded in 1980, 1988 and 1996.
  2. 1 2 A contributing property to the Dubois Block historic district, NRHP-listed in 2014.
  3. ↑ A contributing property to the Capitol North Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1980.
  4. ↑ A contributing property to the Cheyenne South Side Historic District, NRHP-listed in 2006.
  5. ↑ A contributing property to the Laramie Downtown Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1988.
  6. 1 2 A contributing property to the Moore Haven Heights Historic District, NRHP-listed in 2009.
  7. ↑ Designed in association with architect James T. Allan of Omaha. Formerly a contributing property to the Downtown Cheyenne Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1978 and expanded in 1980, 1988 and 1996.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Do Palma (March 29, 1990). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Charles L. Beatty House / Kendrick Building". National Park Service. Retrieved March 25, 2017. With seven photos from 1990.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Eileen F. Starr. "DUBOIS WILLIAM (1879-1953)". Encyclopedia of the Great Plains.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mary Humstone; Stacia Fine; Sarah Gange; Triston Kanode (May 8, 2014). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Dubois Block". National Park Service. Retrieved September 3, 2018. With 18 photos from 2014
  4. ↑ "Personal" in American Architect 112, no. 2188 (November 28, 1917): 398.
  5. 1 2 AIA records for William Dubois. Accessed August 8, 2022.
  6. ↑ History, AIA Wyoming. accessed August 8, 2022.
  7. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 Rick Ewig and Tasmen Hert, University of Wyoming (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2012)
  9. ↑ Morton Mansion NRHP Registration Form (2001)
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Downtown Cheyenne Historic District (Boundary Increase III) NRHP Registration Form (1996)
  11. ↑ Atlas Theatre NRHP Registration Form (1973)
  12. ↑ Wyoming State Insane Asylum NRHP Registration Form (2003)
  13. ↑ Churchill Public School NRHP Registration Form (2005)
  14. ↑ Wyoming State Capitol and Grounds NRHP Registration Form (1973)
  15. ↑ City and County Building NRHP Registration Form (1978)
  16. ↑ Mary M. Humstone, "Hynds Building", [Cheyenne, Wyoming], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/WY-01-021-0092.
  17. ↑ Cheyenne High School NRHP Registration Form (2005)
  18. ↑ Capitol North Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1980)
  19. ↑ Rialto Theater NRHP Registration Form (1993)
  20. ↑ Johnson Public School NRHP Registration Form (2005)
  21. ↑ Evan E. Townsend, "High Plains Grasslands Research Station", [Cheyenne, Wyoming], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/WY-01-021-0091.
  22. ↑ Lulu McCormick Junior High School NRHP Registration Form (2005)
  23. ↑ Wyoming Fuel Company NRHP Registration Form (2003)
  24. ↑ William Goodale House NRHP Registration Form (1991)
  25. ↑ Federal Office Building NRHP Registration Form (2000)
  26. ↑ Laramie Downtown Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1988)
  27. ↑ Lincoln School NRHP Registration Form (2003)
  28. 1 2 Moore Haven Heights Historic District NRHP Registration Form (2009)
  29. ↑ Corlett School NRHP Registration Form (2005)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.