The Man Who Designed St. Joseph
/There is no one in St. Joseph history who is as responsible for the look and feel of the historic city as the architect E.J. Eckel. It was a glitch in the train schedule that brought Eckel to the city and it only took an evening’s stroll around the growing city to convince him that he could make a profitable career here. Over the course of the many decades-long career in St. Joseph, Eckel designed all sorts of structures from grand public buildings to very modest commercial structures. Though too many of his buildings have been lost to time and demolition, there are still a large number of them still standing. At any given time there are several on the real estate market.
Edmund Jacques Eckel was born in Strasbourg (Alsace), France. As a child he demonstrated a natural ability to draw and had an early interest in architecture. This interest was given a practical grounding when, at the age of 14 he worked with a relative who was a building contractor. This background opened the doors to an exclusive professional education.[1]
He gained admittance to the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, then the most famous school of architecture in the world. The education offered at the Ecole followed a rigidly prescribed path that led to a career – a path that Eckel followed faithfully. In 1863 he joined an atelier (studio) as an aspirant. In 1868, he determined that he had completed his education at the Ecole (there was no graduation at that time, students simply departed when they chose). He determined to take his education and move to the United States where he hoped there were prospects for a man such as himself.[2]
The field of professional architecture in the United States was not as developed as it was in Europe; thus, formally trained architects were in somewhat short supply. This was also a period of great growth in the United States as the drive westward was in high gear.[3] Adventurous individuals were literally building new cities and they needed architects to help them realize their vision.
One such city was St. Joseph, Missouri. St. Joseph was a city full of people who had made fortunes from the community’s position as a transportation hub and a jumping off point for the westward expansion. It was on the cusp of moving from a small trading post to a major commercial center. It was a place that badly needed a man like E.J. Eckel.
He arrived in St. Joseph in 1869. Local legend states that he was on the train to Kansas City, but got off at St. Joseph due to a delay in scheduling. He walked around the streets of the growing city and decided to remain. Whatever the reason, Eckel did remain for the rest of his life and in a career that spanned six decades he made an indelible mark on St. Joseph.
E.J. Eckel’s first position in St. Joseph was as a draftsman with the firm of Stigers and Boettner. Lewis Stigers had come to prominence locally when he designed the Patee House hotel. It did not take long for Eckel’s abilities to be recognized and he became a partner in the firm in 1872, which became known as Boettner and Eckel.
This was the first of several partnerships: From 1873-74 there was Eckel and Meier; 1875-1877 he practiced with Stigers, Boettner, and Company; from 1878-1880 it was Boettner and Eckel; one of the most famous of the partnerships, Eckel and Mann, existed intermittently from 1880-1885, 1887-1891, and 1903-1905; Eckel and Rosenplaenter (1891),[4] Eckel and Van Brunt in 1892 (notice of dissolution was published in August 1892)[5]; Eckel and Boschen from 1908 to 1910; and lastly, Eckel and Aldrich which existed from 1910 to 1959, its final years under the leadership of E.J.’s son George. Many of these partnerships were short-lived and some were contentious. In March 1896, Eckel filed suit in St. Louis against his partner George Mann alleging that Mann had not fulfilled his financial obligations to the firm.[6]
As St. Joseph grew in wealth and prestige, many of its businessmen commissioned extraordinarily ornate houses from Eckel. He showed himself to be capable of designing impressive structures in a variety of styles, able to give his clients the fashionable buildings that they desired. There are upwards of twenty-five structures associated with Eckel listed on the National Register.[7]
In 1879, local hardware manufacturer William Wyeth and his wife Eliza hired Eckel to design their new home at 11th and Charles on the top of the hill. The Wyeths had travelled in German and were impressed with the castles that they saw along the Rhine and they saw no reason that they could not have their own castle in Missouri. Eckel drew up the plans under the close supervision of Wyeth and what they created was a particularly Victorian version of a medieval castle.[8]
The Wyeth Castle was only one of many impressive mansions and homes designed by Eckel. Among the most notable are the Geiger Mansion at 2501 Frederick, which echoes the feel of a crenellated castle. The Ogden Mansion[9] on Hall Street is a lavish example of the chateauesque style. The Josiah Moss House[10] at 906 Sylvanie was designed to evoke the feeling of the chateaus of the French Loire Valley.[11]
As with any architectural firm of the scale of Eckel’s, there were many men working in the office as draftsmen and the like. Most of these labored in relative obscurity; however, there was one who put his mark on some of the most important of the residences designed by Eckel and Mann. That man was the mysterious Harvey Ellis who was in St. Joseph from about 1888 to 1893. While working for Eckel and Mann, Ellis was given a great deal of artistic license, though it is important to remember that he was not an architect but rather an artist. He did not design the structures, but rather he added the artistic flourishes that made them unique. “In St. Joseph, Ellis found the time, place, and pocket books for the castles of his imagination.” Among the homes that Ellis contributed to were the Moss House, the McAlister House on 19th St., the Nave House at 2121 Clay, the McNeely Home on S. 11th and the Calvin Burnes Home at 301 S. 10th. One other commission has the mark of Ellis – the Burnes Mausoleum at Mount Mora Cemetery. On this small scale structure, Ellis was apparently given free reign by the Eckel firm.[12]
Much of the business, civic decision-making, and praying in St. Joseph took place within walls designed by Eckel and his firms. The staggeringly impressive German American Bank building and the Chamber of Commerce Building were both Eckel commissions.[13] In 1880, Eckel and Mann won the contract to build the new Union Depot by proposing an English domestic gothic structure 400 feet by 50 feet in size.[14] In 1883, the Gazette-Herald crowed about the completion of its new building, which it described as “The most imposing newspaper office in the west.” The paper said of the architects, “Messrs. Eckel & Mann have inscribed their name upon every rare piece of architectural skill in the West, and everybody knows that they stand to-day without a rival in their special field of labor.”[15] The civic architecture of St. Joseph is largely Eckel: he was responsible for the Iris-American Hall,[16] Livestock Exchange (1899), the Public Library (1900),[17] and City Hall (1927). The City Council announced the selection of Eckel and Aldrich to design the new City Hall in 1924. The St. Joseph Observer applauded the choice, writing, “The Council awarded the architectural contract to Eckel & Aldrich, a St. Joseph firm which stands high as the best all over the country, and by so doing that body set an example of standing up for St. Joseph, which should be followed by all people who live here.”[18] In 1900, Eckel was asked to draw up plans for a new clubhouse at the Lotus Club on Lake Contrary.[19] Among the impressive churches designed by Eckel’s firms are: St. Francis Xavier, First Presbyterian, Christ Episcopal, and the Sacred Heart Convent.
As important and impressive as the mansions and civic buildings are, it is important to remember that Eckel was a working architect who had a family and firm to support. He did not restrict himself to building on a grand and glorious scale. Much of his practice was far more prosaic. He designed a large number of commercial buildings. At the turn of the century, Eckel became the official architect for the St. Joseph School District. In that capacity he designed Washington School as well as others. In 1900 and 1901, when the School District put out calls for bids for building projects, prospective bidders were instructed to go to Eckel’s offices at 6th and Edmond to see the plans and specifications.[20] His relationship with the school board was not all together smooth. On Oct. 16, 1896, The St. Joseph Herald reported “The bill of E.J. Eckel, architect, for $155.41 on account of work done on the Robidoux school building, payment of which has been withheld because of alleged mistakes made by Mr. Eckel in the plans for the High school building, came before the board by a report from the committee to which it had been referred. The committee reported that it had been advised by counsel that payment of this bill could not be legally withheld, and it will accordingly be paid.”[21]
In 1900 the city government engaged Eckel as a consultant in response to a demand by a grand jury that the fire escapes on buildings in the business section of the city be inspected. Eckel designed a fire escape that met the requirements of safety and the law.[22]
Though Eckel looms large in the architectural history of St. Joseph, he certainly was not the only architect working in the city. Most of the bids for the important public buildings were competitive. In June 1884 The Gazette-Herald reported, “There was a lively competition yesterday between the architect firms of Smales & Boetler, W. Angelo Powell, and Eckel & Mann, for the furnishing of the plans for the new chapel to be erected by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart convent. Messrs. Eckel & Mann were the successful competitors, and are correspondingly happy.”[23] There were seven bids to design the Public Library in 1900, and one of those bidders, Charles Bremer, accused Eckel of dirty dealings in the bid process by not making the bid specifications available in a timely manner.[24]
Ecekl put down roots in St. Joseph, creating a family and taking part in civic life. On November 25, 1875 he married Wilhelmina (Minnie) Schroers.[25] He became a naturalized citizen. In 1920, his 80-year-old single sister Albertine was living with the family.[26] Eckel was a prominent figure in St. Joseph society. Over the years he was a member of the Elks, the Chamber of Commerce, the Benton Club, the St. Joseph Country Club, the Odd Fellows, and the Scottish Rite.[27] His family also socialized with the upper echelons of St. Joseph society. His wife hosted card parties.[28] In June 1898, his daughter Elvira gave a coaching party followed by punch and dancing at the Eckel home. The names of the young women who attended come from the most exalted families in the city.[29] His daughter Minnie’s engagement to David Agnew was announced in March 1902.[30] Elvira (Elva) married Robert Forgrave in 1907.[31] His son George played quarterback for the St. Joseph High School football team.[32] George followed his father into the family business and took over the firm after Edmond’s death.
Eckel had several homes during his career in St. Joseph. In 1907 the family home was at 515 N. 4th St. In the 1910 census, the family is listed as lodgers in a boarding house at 611 N. 7th St. run by Bettie Anderson.[33] At the time of his death he was living at 1324 N. 25th St. Unfortunately, none of these remain standing.
Though his practice was focused in St. Joseph, the firm did do work outside of the city. Perhaps the most notable was the St. Louis City Hall.[34] Eckel designed structures appeared in Kansas, Iowa,[35] Texas, and Pennsylvania.[36] In 1926, Eckel & Aldrich won the contract to design the $2,000,000 Los Angeles plant for the National Biscuit Co. George Eckel oversaw that project on the west coast.[37] Eckel & Aldrich’s work on the St. Joseph City Hall was so well thought of nationally that the firm was the only Missouri firm invited to bid for the design of the Milwaukee County courthouse.[38]
According to the Catalogue Raisonne in Toni Prawl’s dissertation, Eckel was responsible for the design of approximately 200 buildings in St. Joseph (this number does not include the large number of structures that he altered or added on to, nor does it include the mausoleums that he built at Mount Mora Cemetery).
He remained active in the city and with his practice until his death on Dec. 12, 1934. His death certificate states that he died of heart disease. He is buried at Mount Mora Cemetery; somewhat ironically given that he designed some of the most impressive mausoleums there, his own grave is quite modest. The identity of St. Joseph, MO was forged largely on Eckel’s drawing table. It is unusual to find a city that is as defined by one architect as is St. Joseph. One is reminded of Sir Christopher Wren’s epitaph: “If you would seek my monument, look around you.”
[1] Toni Prawl, “Eckel, Edmond Jacques (1845-1934)” in Dictionary of Missouri Biography, 272-273.
[2] Toni Prawl, “Eckel, Edmond Jacques (1845-1934)” in Dictionary of Missouri Biography, 272-273
[3] Toni Prawl, “Eckel, Edmond Jacques (1845-1934)” in Dictionary of Missouri Biography, 272-273
[4] “Dissolution Notice,” St. Joseph Herald, Dec. 26, 1891, pg. 2. This lesser known partnership won the bid to design the Irish-American building in 1891. “The Irish-Americans,” The Catholic Tribune, Oct. 17, 1891, pg. 5.
[5] “Dissolution Notice,” St. Joseph Herald Aug. 23, 1892, pg. 5.
[6] “Eckel Sues Mann,” The St. Joseph Weekly Gazette, March 27, 1896, pg. 7.
[7] Toni Prawl, “Eckel, Edmond Jacques (1845-1934)” in Dictionary of Missouri Biography, 272-273
[8] Jacqueline Clark Lewin and Bonnie McDonald Watkins, Castle on the Hill: The Wyeth-Tootle Mansion (St. Joseph, MO: The St. Joseph Museums, Inc., 2014), 3.
[9] Known as the Shakespeare Chateau.
[10] Now Barbosa’s Mexican Castillo.
[11] Toni Prawl, “E.J. Eckel (1845-1934): The Education of a Beaux-Arts Architect and His Practice in Missouri,” unpublished PhD Dissertation, University of Missouri, Columbia, 1994, pg. 245.
[12] Toni Prawl, “E.J. Eckel (1845-1934): The Education of a Beaux-Arts Architect and His Practice in Missouri,” unpublished PhD Dissertation, University of Missouri, Columbia, 1994, ppg. 207, 221, 227, 248049.
[13] The St. Joseph Gazette-Herald carried an extensive story describing the proposed building: It was to cost $60,000, would have four stories and a basement and the front on Edmond Street was to be 135 long. “It will be constructed of brick, heavily trimmed with stone, galvanized iron cornices, terra cotta panels and ornaments, the whole adorned with a mansard roof, covered with slate. On the northeast corner of the building, over the main entrance to the board of trade room, will be a handsome tower, with a dial for a clock.” “The New Chamber of Commerce Building,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, July 2, 1884, pg. 4.
[14] “Progress,” The St. Joseph Weekly Gazette, Jan. 1, 1881, pg. 1.
[15] “At Home in Our Brand New Building,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, May 6, 1883, pg. 3.
[16] “Irish-American Hall Building,” St. Joseph Herald, Jan. 3, 1892, pg. 8.
[17] The construction of the Library ran in to some delays at the end of 1900 when contractors were unable to provide a sufficient quantity of steel beams for the first story floor. “Explain the Long Delay,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, Jan. 19, 1901, pg. 3. Eckel’s fee for this project was $2,700 (3% of the cost of the building). “School Board Allows Some Library Bills: Archictect Eckel’s Fee Was $2,700 – Strengthening the Foundations,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, March 18, 1902, pg. 3.
Eckel also designed the Carnegie Library in South St. Joseph in 1901. The building was budgeted to cost $25,000 and Eckel was to receive 3% as his fee. “Architect Has Been Selected,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, June 28, 1901, pg. 3; “New Carnegie Library Plans,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, Aug. 1, 1901, pg. 3.
[18] “The Way to Stand Up for St. Joseph is to Stand Up And That Was Done When the City Hall Contract was Made,” St. Joseph Observer, Aug. 29, 1924, pg. 3.
[19] “New Louts Club House,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, Oct. 11, 1900, pg. 5.
[20] For example: “Notice to Plumbing Contractors,” The St. Joseph Herald, June 23, 1900, pg. 7; “Notice to Heating and Plumbing Contractors,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, June 3, 1901, pg. 5.
[21] “Petition Granted,” St. Joseph Herald, Oct. 16, 1896, pg. 3.
[22] “Submit Plan of Legal Fire Escape,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, March 23, 1901, pg. 3.
[23] St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, June 5, 1884, pg. 5.
[24] “Library Contract,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, Sept. 2, 1900, pg. 2.
[25] She was the daughter of George and Ann Schroers, both of whom emigrated from Germany. George worked as a blacksmith and in addition to Wilhelmina, they had a son Edward. Information from the 1870 census available on Ancestry.com
[26] Information from the 1920 Federal Census, available through ancestry.com.
[27] Toni Prawl, “Eckel, Edmond Jacques (1845-1934)” in Dictionary of Missouri Biography, 272-273
[28] “Mrs. E.J. Eckel’s Evening,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, March 26, 1899, pg. 9.
[29] “Miss Elvira Eckel’s Evening,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, June 26, 1898, pg. 6. The newspapers of the day frequently carried articles about the societal goings-on of the prominent citizens of the City and the Eckels were often mentioned, eg. “A Sleighing Party,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, Feb. 18, 1900, pg. 9. In August 1897 the Eckels (both parents and children) were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Krug, Jr. at a gathering where “[t]he party spent the early part of the evening on the veranda taking kodak pictures, after which a fish supper was much enjoyed. A row on the lake and dancing completed the evening’s pleasure.” The St. Joseph Herald, Aug. 15, 1897, pg. 13. An interesting mention: “A camping party at Lake Contrary one mile north of the Budweiser house consists of Mr. and Mrs. T.R. Mann, Misses Annie Owen, Elva Eckel, Minnie Eckel, and Messrs. George and Edward Eckel.” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, July 2, 1899, pg. 11.
[30] “Agnew-Eckel,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, March 9, 1902, pg. 11.
[31] “In Dame Fashion’s Pleasant Bower,” The St. Joseph Observer, May 11, 1907, pg. 3.
[32] “High School Loses,” St. Joseph Herald, Oct. 22, 1899, pg. 5. “High School Defeated,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, Nov. 12, 1899, pg. 5.
[33] 1910 Federal Census, available through ancestry.com.
[34] “Eckel & Mann have been awarded the contract for getting up the plans for the St. Louis city building.” St. Joseph Herald, Feb. 15, 1890, pg. 1.
[35] In March 1885, Eckel & Mann won the contract to build an $180,000 court house in Council Bluffs. “St. Joseph Ahead Again,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, March 12, 1885, pg. 5.
[36] Toni Prawl, “Eckel, Edmond Jacques (1845-1934)” in Dictionary of Missouri Biography, 272-273
[37] “St. Joseph Talent Scores at Los Angeles: The World-Wide Known Firm of Eckel & Aldrich constructs a Mammoth Plant,” St. Joseph Observer, Aug. 6, 1926, pg. 6; “George Eckel Returns from California,” St. Joseph Observer, May 8, 1925, pg. 1.
[38] “Honor Accorded A St. Joseph Firm: Eckel & Aldrich Asked to Submit Plans for Six Million Dollar Structure,” The St. Joseph Observer, Feb. 24, 1927, pg. 1.
