User:JPRiley/Foeller

Henry Andrew Foeller was born in 1871 in Wittelsheim, Alsace, then part of Germany, to Henry Foeller and Magdalen Foeller, née Weber. He came to the United States alone at the age of 14, joining an uncle living in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He was educated in the Oshkosh schools and at the Oshkosh State Normal School, but did not graduate. He was trained in architecture in the office of Oshkosh architect William Waters. While with Waters he worked on the plans for the Wisconsin Building (1893) at the World's Columbian Exposition."H. A. Foeller heart victim," Green Bay Press-Gazette, June 18, 1938. He then moved to Green Bay, where he worked in the office of architect C. C. Buck. In November 1895 he left for an extended trip to Europe, intending to visit his family in Alsace before going on to Paris. He had difficulty in Alsace, the German government believing he had originally left Germany in order to escape mandatory conscription in the Imperial German Army. Having become naturalized as an American citizen, he was able to escape conscription at that time."Told him to leave," Green Bay Gazette, March 15, 1896. In the meantime Buck left Green Bay, and on Foeller's return in March 1896 he acquired Buck's office, going into business for himself."Will locate in Boston," Green Bay Gazette, February 20, 1896."A week in the city," Green Bay Gazette, March 18, 1896. In July he formed the partnership of Clancy & Foeller with J. E. Clancy, another young architect."Brief mention," Green Bay Gazette, July 21, 1896.

In 1897 Clancy and Foeller dissolved their partnership, and Foeller returned to independent practice. In July 1906 Foeller formed a new partnership, Foeller, Benton & Schober, with Perry T. Benton, his assistant since 1898, and Max W. Schober, a recent graduate in architecture from the University of Illinois."New architectural firm is organized," Green Bay Gazette, July 28, 1906. In March 1907 Benton withdrew, but Foeller and Schober would continue as partners for the rest of Foeller's life."P. T. Benton leaves architectural firm," Green Bay Gazette, March 5, 1907. In 1921 they were joined by a third partner, Marvin S. Stephenson, another Illinois graduate."Architect Stephenson dies at 83," Green Bay Press-Gazette, July 28, 1977. Under the name Foeller, Shober & Stephenson the firm completed several projects for the YMCA, including the Green Bay YMCA (1926) and the Muskegon YMCA Building (1927) in Michigan. The success of these projects prompted the national YMCA to invite Stephenson to join its architectural bureau in September 1926,"Marvin Stephenson accepts YMCA architectural post," Green Bay Press-Gazette, September 24, 1926. and the firm returned to its former name. In January 1928 they were joined by Edgar H. Berners, also an Illinois graduate, and the firm was renamed Foeller, Schober & Berners."Berners now member of architects' firm," Green Bay Press-Gazette, January 21, 1928. The next year the firm moved into the Architects Building (1929), which it had designed, and which is still (2025) the home of the successor firm."About the architects," American Contractor, September 28, 1929.

Foeller joined the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1901 and for twenty years was the only AIA member in Wisconsin north of Milwaukee and Madison. At that time, professional practice in the region was highly disorganized and Foeller was committed to raising standards of practice. In 1906 he and Alfred Clas initiated the drive to establish a Wisconsin chapter of the AIA, a goal reached in 1911."Plans to organize state architects," Green Bay Gazette, December 28, 1906. Beginning in 1912 he was part of a group of Wisconsin AIA members who pushed for a state architectural registration law. In April 1917 a bill to that end was introduced in the Wisconsin State Assembly by assemblyman Frank N. Graass, Foeller's brother-in-law."Propose license for architects," Wisconsin State Journal, April 5, 1917. This was successful and in August Foeller was appointed to the first Board of Examiners of Architects,"Name architects to state board," Wisconsin State Journal, August 13, 1917. and would be a member of the board until his death. For his dedication to raising professional standards he was elected a Fellow of the AIA in 1937, the first in Wisconsin to be elected from outside Milwaukee or Madison.Foeller, Henry A., Membership Files, The American Institute of Architects Archives, The AIA Historical Directory of American Architects, s.v. “Foeller, Henry A.,” (ahd1014141), https://aiahistoricaldirectory.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AHDAA (accessed June 1, 2025).

In 1940, two years after Foeller's death, the partnership was expanded to include architects Noel R. Safford and Clarence O. Jahn, associates since 1928, and the firm was renamed Foeller, Schober, Berners, Safford & Jahn. After World War II Schober retired and his share in the firm was acquired by his son, architect Leonard M. Schober. For over fifty years the firm, under the leadership of Berners, was architect to the American Norbertines. Of the firm's many projects for the order, the most important was St. Norbert Abbey (1959)."Berners receives Pennings award," Green Bay Press-Gazette, June 11, 1983. Safford died in 1953 and Jahn retired in 1960."Noel Safford dies suddenly," Green Bay Press-Gazette, January 13, 1953."Clarence Jahn dies in city," Green Bay Press-Gazette, July 1, 1980. Architect Paul A. Kilp became a partner in 1962 and the firm was renamed Berners, Schober & Kilp."Kilp, Paul A." in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 488.

Over the years partners retired and were not replaced, and by 1984 Schober was the only remaining partner. That year Schober incorporated the firm as Berners-Schober Associates, with Gordon M. Ihbe as president and himself as treasurer."Architectural firm changes name, officers," Green Bay Press-Gazette, October 15, 1984. Schober retired in 1989.Peg Schmeling, "Schober had hand in civic design for over 50 years," Green Bay Press-Gazette, June 7, 1989. Since 2018 the president is Ian Griffiths."Business briefcase," Green Bay Press-Gazette, May 6, 2018.

Foeller's partner, Berners, was appointed to the Registration Board of Architects, successor to the earlier Board of Examiners, in 1942. He served several terms as its chair. In 1952 Berners joined the board of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, which coordinates the various architectural registration boards, and served as NCARB president in 1957–58."[https://www.ncarb.org/about/history-ncarb/past-presidents/edgar-h-berners Edgar H. Berners, FAIA]," National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. Accessed June 1, 2025. Since Foeller, the only other two AIA Fellows from northern Wisconsin have been Berners and Schober's son, Leonard M. Schober.

At least eleven buildings designed by Foeller or his firm during his lifetime have been listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places. Two by the successor firm of Foeller, Schober, Berners, Safford & Jahn, both in the Green Bay suburb of Allouez, have also been listed: the Albert C. and Ellen H. Neufeld House (1941)[https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/100002611 Albert C. and Ellen H. Neufeld House NRHP Registration Form] (2018) and the Allouez Water Department and Town Hall (1947).[https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/16000092 Allouez Water Department and Town Hall NRHP Registration Form] (2016)

• 1899 – St. Peter's Catholic Church, 516 Brazeau Ave, Oconto, Wisconsin[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/106781929 St. Peter's and St. Joseph's Catholic Churches NRHP Registration Form] (1980)
• NRHP-listed.
• 1901 – Church of St. Adrian–Catholic, 512 Maine Ave, Adrian, Minnesota[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/93200677 Church of St. Adrian–Catholic NRHP Registration Form] (1980)
• NRHP-listed.
• 1903 – Alexandria Public Library, 117 Seventh Ave W, Alexandria, Minnesota[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/93201665 Alexandria Public Library NRHP Registration Form] (1985)
• NRHP-listed.
• 1903 – Farnsworth Public Library, 715 Main St, Oconto, Wisconsin[https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/100001913 Farnsworth Public Library NRHP Registration Form] (2017)
• NRHP-listed.
• 1903 – Kellogg Public Library and Neville Public Museum (former), 125 S Jefferson St, Green Bay, Wisconsin[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/106780041 Kellogg Public Library and Neville Public Museum NRHP Registration Form] (1981)
• The Neville Public Museum, attached to this building, was designed by Foeller, Schober & Stephenson and completed in 1927. NRHP-listed.
• 1905 – Waupun Public Library, 22 S Madison St, Waupun, Wisconsin[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/106780743 Waupun Public Library NRHP Registration Form] (1979)
• NRHP-listed.

• 1906 – Church of the Holy Apostles parish hall, 2936 Freedom Rd, Oneida, Wisconsin"Parish house on Indian reservation dedicated," Hartford Press, November 20, 1906.'
• Now used by the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin as a community center.

• 1909 – St. Luke's School (former),{{efn|name=Luke|A contributing building to the Saint Luke's Church Complex historic district, NRHP-listed in 2001.}} 1800 Jefferson St, Two Rivers, Wisconsin[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/106781493 Saint Luke's Church Complex NRHP Registration Form] (2001)
• 1912 – Harry W. Fisk house,{{efn|name=Oakland|A contributing building to the Oakland–Dousman Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1988.}} 137 N Oakland Ave, Green Bay, Wisconsin{{cite web|title=Harry Fisk House|url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Content.aspx?dsNav=N:4294963828-4294963813&dsRecordDetails=R:HI2159|publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society|accessdate=2017-05-30|date = January 2012}}
• 1914 – Central State Hospital (former),{{efn|name=Waupun|The hospital's historic buildings, completed beginning in 1914, contribute to the Central State Hospital Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1991.}} 1 W Lincoln St, Waupun, Wisconsin[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/106780700 Central State Hospital Historic District NRHP Registration Form] (1991)
• 1915 – Frank T. Blesch house,{{efn|name=Oakland}} 149 N Oakland Ave, Green Bay, Wisconsin{{cite web|title=Frank T. Blesch House|url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Content.aspx?dsNav=N:4294963828-4294963813&dsRecordDetails=R:HI2160|publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society|accessdate=2017-05-30|date = January 2012}}
• 1918 – Whitney School, 215 N Webster Ave, Green Bay, Wisconsin[https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/100001519 Whitney School NRHP Registration Form] (2017)
• NRHP-listed.
• 1920 – Herman and Lillian Greiling House, 2568 S Webster Ave, Allouez, WisconsinHerman and Lillian Greiling House NRHP Registration Form (2021)
• NRHP-listed.
• 1922 – A. J. Selmer house,{{efn|name=Oakland}} 126 N Oakland Ave, Green Bay, Wisconsin{{cite web|title=A.J. Selmer House|url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Content.aspx?dsNav=N:4294963828-4294963813&dsRecordDetails=R:HI32749|publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society|accessdate=2017-05-30|date = January 2012}}

• 1923 – Nicolet High School, 111 3rd St, De Pere, Wisconsin[https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/15000703 Nicolet High School NRHP Registration Form] (2015)
• 1924 – Green Bay Press-Gazette Building, 435 E Walnut St, Green Bay, Wisconsin
• 1925 – Columbus Club, 115 S Jefferson St, Green Bay, Wisconsin
• 1925 – Green Bay YMCA, 235 N Jefferson St, Green Bay, Wisconsin[https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/16000022 Green Bay YMCA NRHP Registration Form] (2016)
• NRHP-listed.
• 1927 – Muskegon YMCA Building, 297 W Clay Ave, Muskegon, Michigan[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/25340163 Muskegon YMCA Building NRHP Registration Form] (1982)
• NRHP-listed.

• 1928 – Architects Building, 310 Pine St, Green Bay, Wisconsin
• 1928 – William F. Schanen house, 746 W Grand Ave, Port Washington, Wisconsin[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/106782070 Port Washington Downtown Historic District NRHP Registration Form] (2000)
• 1930 – Northern Building, 305 E Walnut St, Green Bay, Wisconsin
• 1930 – Schumacher Monument Works building,{{efn|name=Washington|A contributing building to the Port Washington Downtown Historic District, NRHP-listed in 2000.}} 302 N Franklin St, Port Washington, Wisconsin
• 1931 – Port Washington High School,{{efn|name=Demo|Demolished.}} 427 W Jackson St, Port Washington, Wisconsin
• 1937 – De Pere Public Library (former), 380 Main Ave, De Pere, Wisconsin[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/106778748 De Pere Public Library NRHP Registration Form] (2002)
• NRHP-listed.
• 1938 – Menasha High School, 420 7th St, Menasha, Wisconsin
• 1939 – St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 709 1st Ave S, Escanaba, Michigan"Parishioners commence razing of St. Joseph's Catholic Church," Escanaba Daily Press, May 4, 1938.

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}