Herman J. Schwarzmann

Renovated Memorial Hall in Philadelphia. (2010)
New York Mercantile Exchange, 628 Broadway, Manhattan, New York City

Herman J. Schwarzmann (1846, Munich, Bavaria – 1891, New York City[1]), also known as Hermann J. Schwarzmann or H. J. Schwarzmann,[2] was a German-born American architect who practiced in Philadelphia and later in New York City.

Early life

Before emigrating to the United States in 1868,[3] Schwarzmann graduated from the Royal Military Academy in Munich, and was commissioned a lieutenant in the Bavarian Army.[1]

Philadelphia

Schwarzmann began working for the Fairmount Park Commission in 1869, and in 1873[3] worked on landscaping the grounds of the Philadelphia Zoo.[4] He was the chief architect for the Centennial Exposition of 1876, designing Memorial Hall, Horticultural Hall, and other buildings.[4]

Beginning in 1876, Schwarzmann attempted to go into private architectural practice, but was unsuccessful in Philadelphia.[3]

New York City

Schwarzmann moved to New York City and was successful there, achieving national prominence,[5] and working until his retirement in 1888.[1] He designed the New York Mercantile Exchange building in 1882.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Obituary, Herman J. Schwarzmann". Architecture and building, Volume 15, page 163. William T. Comstock. 1891-10-03. Retrieved 2011-09-11. Hermann J. Schwartzmann, architect and engineer, died in this city on the 28d ult., aged forty-five. He was born in Munich, Bavaria...
  2. ↑ "Personal name heading Schwarzmann, Hermann Joseph, 1846-1891". Library of Congress Authorities. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2011-09-14. Personal name heading Schwarzmann, Hermann Joseph, 1846-1891 Browse this term in LC Authorities or the LC Online Catalog Variant(s) Schwarzmann, H. J. (Hermann Joseph), 1846-1891 Found in Maass, J. The glorious enterprise, 1973: t.p. (H.J. Schwarzmann, architect-in-chief; Centennial Exhibition of 1876) p. 8, etc. (civil engr. & architect; son of Joseph Anton Schwarzmann; b. Apr. 30, 1846, Munich; d. Sept. 23, 1891, NYC; birth name: Hermann Anselm Wilhelm Schwarzmann; in 1868 upon arriving in Am., changed his name to: Hermann Joseph Schwarzmann) Am. natl. biog., 1999 (Schwarzmann, Hermann Joseph (30 Apr. 1846-23 Sept. 1891); architect; b. Munich, Germany, the son of Joseph Anton Schwarzmann; d. NYC)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Tatman, Sandra (1985). Biographical Dictionary of Philadelphia Architects, 1700–1930. Boston: G.K. Hall. pp. 703–704. ISBN 0-8161-0437-9.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Contributions to the Arts: The Centennial: May 10, 1876 to November 10, 1876". Concordia Trust web site. Concordia Trust. Retrieved 2011-09-11. Filling the vacuum was Herman J. Schwarzmann, a recent immigrant from Austria, who had served as an architect for the commissioners of Fairmount Park. Schwarzmann, who had also helped to plan Fairmount Park and had landscaped the Philadelphia Zoo, presented a proposal for the Centennial Art Gallery (now Memorial Hall) that was quickly accepted.
  5. ↑ New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; Postal, Matthew A. (ed. and text); Dolkart, Andrew S. (text). (2009) Guide to New York City Landmarks (4th ed.) New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1, p.60