Fehmer had already started his architectural career before his service in the Civil War, but became well-established afterward. With two key partnerships (with William Ralph Emerson from 1867 to 1873, and with Samuel Francis Page from 1882 to 1908), Fehmer designed a long list of residences in the Back Bay, department stores, major civic buildings, and landmarks such as the Boylston Building. All but a few of his designs are in Boston.
Fehmer was born in Dargun, Mecklenburg, Germany, on November 10, 1838, to Heinrich Fehmer and Maria (Zerrahn) Fehmer.[1] His father died in Germany when he was five; the mother and children came to America in 1852 and settled in Boston.
Fehmer attended public school in Boston, and showed an early aptitude for drawing and painting. At the age of 16 he began studying architecture in the office of George Snell, a prominent Boston architect. Fehmer remained in Snell's office for eight years before beginning his own architectural practice. In 1861 Fehmer was associated with architects Gridley James Fox Bryant and Arthur Gilman, at least to the extent of producing their presentation drawing of their 1862-65 Boston City Hall, one of the first Second Empire buildings in the country.[2]
After the war, Fehmer returned to practice under a short-lived partnership with Thomas E. Coburn from 1865 to 1867. He then partnered with William Ralph Emerson, which lasted from 1867 to 1874.
Fehmer's fortunes improved along with his good personal relationship with the Boston benefactor Oliver Ames. In 1882 Fehmer designed his palatial showpiece Ames Residence, at Massachusetts and Commonwealth Avenue. The plan included a drawing room with furnishings and decorations by the Herter Brothers dating to 1883, the last of that firm's great commissions.[3][4] A later account ("Costliest in the City") describes Ames and Fehmer decorating it with a summer buying trip through Europe.[5] Ames was lieutenant governor at the time. When Ames became governor, Fehmer received a consulting role over the expansion of the Massachusetts State House beginning in 1889, then was also awarded the commission for the Oliver Ames High School in Easton, funded by the governor.
Also in 1882 Fehmer formed a third partnership, with Samuel Francis Page, which lasted until Fehmer's own retirement in 1908. The office continued to innovate, and even help bring Boston into the skyscraper era: Fehmer & Page's Worthington Building in 1894 was one of the first steel-framed office buildings in the city.[2]
^ abEliot, Samuel Atkins, ed. (1916). Biographical History of Massachusetts. Vol. VI. Boston, Massachusetts: Massachusetts Biographical Society. Retrieved June 8, 2022 – via Internet Archive.
^ abcd"Carl R. Fehmer". Back Bay Houses. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
^ ab"Oliver Ames Mansion". Society of Architectural Historians. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
^Banham, Joanna, ed. (January 1, 1997). Encyclopedia of Interior Design. Routledge. p. 559. ISBN9781136787584. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
^"Costliest in the City". The Boston Sunday Globe. July 13, 1902. p. 46. Retrieved June 8, 2022 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"Notice to Creditors". Kingston Daily Freeman. February 18, 1924. p. 4. Retrieved June 8, 2022 – via NewspaperArchive.
^Catherine W. Bishir (2009). "North Carolina Architects & Builders: Emerson and Fehmer (fl. 1870s-1880s)".
^"1 Winthrop Square". Society of Architectural Historians - SAH Archipedia. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
^"Tremont Temple". The Boston Post. October 24, 1879. p. 3. Retrieved June 8, 2022 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"Self-Guided Scholar's Tour". Forest Hills Cemetery. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
^"The Randidge Tomb at Forest Hills". Boston Evening Transcript. October 17, 1891. p. 16. Retrieved June 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
External linksedit
at the Wayback Machine (archived February 16, 2012) – photos, history, and architecture of Fehmer's extant Boston buildings
April 18, 2024
carl, fehmer, november, 1838, 1923, prominent, german, american, boston, architect, during, 19th, century, steel, engraving, 1916born, 1838, november, 1838dargun, mecklenburg, germanydied1923, aged, boston, massachusetts, united, statesspousetherese, wahl, 187. Carl Fehmer November 10 1838 1923 was a prominent German American Boston architect during the 19th century Carl FehmerSteel engraving c 1916Born 1838 11 10 November 10 1838Dargun Mecklenburg GermanyDied1923 aged 84 85 Boston Massachusetts United StatesSpouseTherese Wahl m 1872 1914 wbr Military careerAllegianceUnion American Civil War Service wbr branchFourth BattalionSignatureFehmer had already started his architectural career before his service in the Civil War but became well established afterward With two key partnerships with William Ralph Emerson from 1867 to 1873 and with Samuel Francis Page from 1882 to 1908 Fehmer designed a long list of residences in the Back Bay department stores major civic buildings and landmarks such as the Boylston Building All but a few of his designs are in Boston Contents 1 Life and career 2 Work 3 References 4 External linksLife and career editFehmer was born in Dargun Mecklenburg Germany on November 10 1838 to Heinrich Fehmer and Maria Zerrahn Fehmer 1 His father died in Germany when he was five the mother and children came to America in 1852 and settled in Boston Fehmer attended public school in Boston and showed an early aptitude for drawing and painting At the age of 16 he began studying architecture in the office of George Snell a prominent Boston architect Fehmer remained in Snell s office for eight years before beginning his own architectural practice In 1861 Fehmer was associated with architects Gridley James Fox Bryant and Arthur Gilman at least to the extent of producing their presentation drawing of their 1862 65 Boston City Hall one of the first Second Empire buildings in the country 2 During the Civil War Fehmer served in the militia at Fort Independence as a member of the New England Guards Fourth Battalion under Major Thomas Stevenson 1 After the war Fehmer returned to practice under a short lived partnership with Thomas E Coburn from 1865 to 1867 He then partnered with William Ralph Emerson which lasted from 1867 to 1874 Fehmer s fortunes improved along with his good personal relationship with the Boston benefactor Oliver Ames In 1882 Fehmer designed his palatial showpiece Ames Residence at Massachusetts and Commonwealth Avenue The plan included a drawing room with furnishings and decorations by the Herter Brothers dating to 1883 the last of that firm s great commissions 3 4 A later account Costliest in the City describes Ames and Fehmer decorating it with a summer buying trip through Europe 5 Ames was lieutenant governor at the time When Ames became governor Fehmer received a consulting role over the expansion of the Massachusetts State House beginning in 1889 then was also awarded the commission for the Oliver Ames High School in Easton funded by the governor Also in 1882 Fehmer formed a third partnership with Samuel Francis Page which lasted until Fehmer s own retirement in 1908 The office continued to innovate and even help bring Boston into the skyscraper era Fehmer amp Page s Worthington Building in 1894 was one of the first steel framed office buildings in the city 2 On April 20 1872 he married Therese Wahl who died in 1914 Fehmer was a charter member of the Boston Society of Architects and the St Botolph Club Fehmer retired to Kingston New York where he died in 1923 6 Work edit nbsp Retailer C Crawford Hollidge Building Boston 1890 nbsp Fehmer amp Page s Worthington Building of 1894 at left Cass Gilbert s Second Brazer Building of 1897 at rightSeveral of his works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places 7 Fehmer s works include William King Covell III House 72 Washington Street Newport Rhode Island NRHP listed 7 1870 Fehmer amp Emerson St Mark s Episcopal Church Wilmington North Carolina 8 1871 1875 Fehmer amp Emerson 1 Winthrop Square Boston 1873 Fehmer amp Emerson 9 the third Tremont Temple Boston 1880 Fehmer solo building replaced by the fourth Temple in 1896 10 Governor Oliver Ames Residence 355 Commonwealth Ave Boston 1882 Fehmer solo 3 original Walker Memorial Building Campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge 1886 Fehmer solo razed 1939 the Warren Theater 270 Warren Street Roxbury 1886 Fehmer solo 2 Boylston Building 2 22 Boylston Street Boston NRHP listed 7 1887 Fehmer solo consulting architect for expansions of the Massachusetts State House Boston 1889 Fehmer solo Boston Massacre Monument Boston Common with sculptor Adolph Robert Kraus 1889 base of Randidge Monument Forest Hills Cemetery Boston with sculptor Adolph Robert Kraus 1891 11 12 Beaconsfield Terraces Historic District 11 25 33 43 and 44 55 Garrison Rd and 316 326 332 344 and 350 366 Tappan St Brookline NRHP listed 7 between 1889 and 1892 Fehmer amp Page C Crawford Hollidge Building Boston 1890 Fehmer amp Page razed 1967 Bell Telephone Building Milk Street Boston 1892 Fehmer amp Page razed 1972 Worthington Building 33 State Street Boston 1894 Fehmer amp Page 2 Oliver Ames High School Easton 1896 Fehmer amp Page Hotel Beaconsfield Brookline 1903 1905 Fehmer amp Page work for the Massachusetts General Hospital buildings for the McLean Asylum in WaverlyReferences edit a b Eliot Samuel Atkins ed 1916 Biographical History of Massachusetts Vol VI Boston Massachusetts Massachusetts Biographical Society Retrieved June 8 2022 via Internet Archive a b c d Carl R Fehmer Back Bay Houses Retrieved June 20 2021 a b Oliver Ames Mansion Society of Architectural Historians Retrieved June 20 2021 Banham Joanna ed January 1 1997 Encyclopedia of Interior Design Routledge p 559 ISBN 9781136787584 Retrieved June 21 2021 Costliest in the City The Boston Sunday Globe July 13 1902 p 46 Retrieved June 8 2022 via NewspaperArchive Notice to Creditors Kingston Daily Freeman February 18 1924 p 4 Retrieved June 8 2022 via NewspaperArchive a b c d National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 Catherine W Bishir 2009 North Carolina Architects amp Builders Emerson and Fehmer fl 1870s 1880s 1 Winthrop Square Society of Architectural Historians SAH Archipedia Retrieved June 20 2021 Tremont Temple The Boston Post October 24 1879 p 3 Retrieved June 8 2022 via NewspaperArchive Self Guided Scholar s Tour Forest Hills Cemetery Retrieved June 20 2021 The Randidge Tomb at Forest Hills Boston Evening Transcript October 17 1891 p 16 Retrieved June 8 2022 via Newspapers com External links editCarl Fehmer at the Wayback Machine archived February 16 2012 photos history and architecture of Fehmer s extant Boston buildings Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Carl Fehmer amp oldid 1170686760, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
