C. Parker Crowell

C. Parker Crowell (1876–1959)^[1] was an American architect who practiced in the state of Maine. One of the first Maine architects to become a member of the American Institute of Architects (in 1931), Crowell and his firm would design over 1000 buildings in the course of his career, including many in his home city of Bangor, Maine.^[2] The firm Crowell co-founded is still in business as WBRC Architects.

Life and career[]

Crowell and John F. Thomas founded Thomas & Crowell in 1902 in Bangor. Walter Lancaster was later added as a partner. The Great Fire of 1911 destroyed half of the city’s downtown, including Crowell’s office, but the rebuilding also presented an unprecedented design opportunity (see Great Fire of 1911 Historic District). Crowell and his firm received a number of commissions in the burnt district, including the (1912, extant). An earlier Crowell building, The Tarrantine Club, was among the significant downtown buildings to survive the fire.^[3]

Crowell & Thomas also designed a number of the buildings for the University of Maine campus in Orono, Maine, including the Phi Gamma Delta House^[1] and Oak Hall. Crowell was a graduate of the same university (class of 1898).^[4]

Other major commissions of the firm include the Oak Grove Seminary for Girls in Vassalboro, Maine and the Millinocket, Maine Hospital.^[2]

Crowell served as Vice President of the Maine chapter of the AIA, and became a Fellow of the AIA in 1952. He retired in 1956 as the dean of Maine architects, and by 1970 his name had been dropped from the firm’s title. It would go through a number of additional name changes before becoming WBRC Architects & Engineers in 1989.^[3]

Architectural works[]

Maria Clark School (former), Hallowell, Maine (1902)^[5]
Lord Hall,^[a] University of Maine, Orono, Maine (1903–04)^[6]
Orono High School (former), Orono, Maine (1903, demolished)^[7]
Camden High School (former), Camden, Maine (1904)^[8]
House for Charles Nichols,^[b] Orono, Maine (1905)^[9]
House for George E. Thompson,^[c] Bangor, Maine (1909)^[10]
Kirstein Block,^[d] Bangor, Maine (1911)^[11]
Eastern Trust Company Building,^[d] Bangor, Maine (1912)^[11]
Gallison Memorial Library, Harrington, Maine (1922–23, NRHP 2001)^[12]
Phi Gamma Delta House, Orono, Maine (1925, NRHP 2013)^[13]
Shaw Public Library, Greenville, Maine (1925)^[12]
Lyndon Oak Memorial Library, Garland, Maine (1937)^[12]

Gallery of architectural works[]

Eastern Trust Company Building, Bangor, Maine, 1912.
Gallison Memorial Library, Harrington, Maine, 1922-23.
Phi Gamma Delta House, Orono, Maine, 1925.

Notes[]

^ A contributing property to the University of Maine at Orono Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
^ A contributing property to the Orono Main Street Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
^ A contributing property to the Whitney Park Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
^ ^a ^b A contributing property to the Great Fire of 1911 Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

References[]

^ ^a ^b https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/pdfs/13000169.pdf^{[dead link]}
^ ^a ^b Lewiston Evening Journal, Dec. 1, 1956, p. 2
^ ^a ^b WBRC Architects, A Twentieth Century History – WBRC Architects Engineers – 1902-2002 (Bangor, Me: WBRC Architects, 2001)
^ WBRC Architects, A Twentieth Century History – WBRC Architects Engineers – 1902-2002 (Bangor, Me: WBRC Architects, 2001).
^ "Building Intelligence," American Architect and Building News 77, no. 1388 (August 2, 1902): x.
^ University of Maine at Orono Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1978)
^ "New Schools," School Board Journal 27, no. 4 (October 1903): 26.
^ Reuel Robinson, History of Camden and Rockport, Maine (Rockland: Huston's Book Store, 1907)
^ Orono Main Street Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1977)
^ Whitney Park Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1988)
^ ^a ^b Great Fire of 1911 Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1984)
^ ^a ^b ^c Gallison Memorial Library NRHP Registration Form (2001)
^ Phi Gamma Delta House NRHP Registration Form (2013)

[UMaine-6] A contributing property to the University of Maine at Orono Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

[Main-10] A contributing property to the Orono Main Street Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

[Whitney-12] A contributing property to the Whitney Park Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

[Fire-14] A contributing property to the Great Fire of 1911 Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

[nps.gov-1] ttps://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/pdfs/13000169.pdf^{[dead link]}

[autogenerated2-2] Lewiston Evening Journal, Dec. 1, 1956, p. 2

[autogenerated1-3] WBRC Architects, A Twentieth Century History – WBRC Architects Engineers – 1902-2002 (Bangor, Me: WBRC Architects, 2001)

[4] WBRC Architects, A Twentieth Century History – WBRC Architects Engineers – 1902-2002 (Bangor, Me: WBRC Architects, 2001).

[5] "Building Intelligence," American Architect and Building News 77, no. 1388 (August 2, 1902): x.

[7] University of Maine at Orono Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1978)

[8] "New Schools," School Board Journal 27, no. 4 (October 1903): 26.

[9] Reuel Robinson, History of Camden and Rockport, Maine (Rockland: Huston's Book Store, 1907)

[11] Orono Main Street Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1977)

[Whitney-13] Whitney Park Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1988)

[Fire-15] Great Fire of 1911 Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1984)

[Gallison-16] Gallison Memorial Library NRHP Registration Form (2001)

[17] Phi Gamma Delta House NRHP Registration Form (2013)

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