William Strudwick Arrasmith

{{Infobox person

| name = William Strudwick Arrasmith

| image = William Strudwick Arrasmith.jpg

| alt =

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| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1898|7|15}}

| birth_place = Hillsboro, North Carolina, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1965|11|30|1898|7|15}}

| death_place = Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.

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| other_names =

| education = University of North Carolina

| alma_mater = University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (BS)

| occupation = Architect

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| notable_works =

| spouse = Elizabeth Beam

| children = 1

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}}

File:Cleveland Greyhound.jpg

William Strudwick Arrasmith (July 15, 1898 – November 30, 1965) was an American architect known for his designs for Greyhound bus stations in the Streamline Moderne style popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Among the over 60 stations he designed are the Cleveland Greyhound Bus Station (1948), the Montgomery, Alabama, Greyhound Bus Station (1951), and the Evansville, Indiana, Greyhound Bus Terminal (1938) which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Early life and family

William Arrasmith was born on July 15, 1898, to Thomas and Mary Strudwick at Hillsboro, North Carolina, in the United States. He studied at the University of North Carolina and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign with a bachelor of science degree in architecture in 1921.{{cite web|title=Arrasmith, William Strudwick (1898-1965) Papers, 1931–2000|url=https://filsonhistorical.org/research-doc/arrasmith-william-strudwick-1898-1965-papers-1931-2000/|website=Filson Historical Society|accessdate=13 February 2018}}

He met his future wife, Elizabeth "Betty" Beam, at Illinois. They had a daughter, Anne.

Career

Arrasmith moved to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1922 where he worked with Fred Morgan, E.T. Hutchings, and Brinton Davis. In 1929 he went into partnership with Herman Wischmeyer as Wischmeyer, Arrasmith, and Elswick. The firm's notable buildings included the Federal Land Bank and the Louisville Scottish Rite Temple (on which Arrasmith is not credited).{{cite web|title=Asset Detail Scottish Rite Temple|url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/82002705|website=npgallery.nps.gov|accessdate=10 April 2018|language=en}} He was later in partnership with Bill Tyler as Arrasmith & Tyler which later became Arrasmith & Judd and then Arrasmith, Judd, Rapp & Associates. As of 2015 the firm was trading as Arrasmith, Judd, Rapp, Chovan, Inc.

He was known for his designs for Greyhound bus stations in the Streamline Moderne style that was popular in the 1930s and 40s. His first design for the company was a terminal in Louisville that opened in 1937.[http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/03/greyhouse_terminal_in_clevelan.html Cleveland's Greyhound station began as 'the greatest bus terminal in the world'.] Alison Grant, cleveland.com, 22 April 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2018. He also designed stations for the company in Columbus, Dayton, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. Among the prime examples of his work is the Cleveland Greyhound Bus Station (1948)[https://www.loc.gov/item/2016632363/ Cleveland, Ohio's, Greyhound bus station is a prime example of the architectural style employed in several Greyhound stations by architect W.S. Arrasmith.] Library of Congress. Retrieved 14 February 2018. which is on the National Register of Historic Places[https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/91000302 Greyhound Bus Station.] National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 14 February 2018. along with eight of his other station designs. In total he designed over 60 stations for the company.

Other work by Arrasmith in the Louisville region included the Methodist Evangelical Hospital, the Police School, the science building and medical apartments for the University of Louisville, the 800 Apartments Building, Kentucky Fairgrounds, Kentucky Hotel, Byck's Department Store (St. Matthews and 4th Street), Kentucky State Reformatory (1939),{{cite web |last1=McKinney |first1=Helen |title=Kentucky State Reformatory exhibit explores prison life |url=http://www.roundaboutmadison.com/InsidePages/ArchivedArticles/2008/0408Reformatory.html |website=www.roundaboutmadison.com |accessdate=29 June 2018 |date=April 2008}} and buildings for Western Kentucky University.

Buildings designed by W.S. Arrasmith

Image:800 building.jpg| The 800 Apartments, Louisville, Kentucky

Image:Bowman Field, Louisville.jpg| Bowman Field (Kentucky) Administration Building, greater Louisville, Kentucky

Image:Administration building architectural rendering Bowman Field Louisville Kentucky 1936.jpg| Bowman Field Administration Building pencil sketch from the Works Progress Administration

Image:EAST SIDE AND NORTH FRONT DURING REMODELING - Greyhound Bus Terminal, New York Avenue and Eleventh Street Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC HABS DC,WASH,431-1.tif| Old Greyhound Terminal (Washington, D.C.) during remodeling

Image:Former Greyhound Bus Station (1942), 601 N. Howard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 (24382524781).jpg| Baltimore, Maryland, Greyhound Station (former)

Image:Greyhound Bus Terminal, Cincinnati, Ohio (74712).jpg|Greyhound Cincinnati, Ohio (demolished){{cite web|title=Ohio Greyhound Bus Stations {{!}} RoadsideArchitecture.com|url=http://www.roadarch.com/bus/oh.html|website=www.roadarch.com|accessdate=10 April 2018}} (additional stations in Akron and Dayton){{cite web|title=Ohio Greyhound Bus Stations {{!}} RoadsideArchitecture.com|url=http://www.roadarch.com/bus/oh.html|website=www.roadarch.com|accessdate=10 April 2018}}

Image:Greyhound Bus Terminal (NBY 7138).jpg| Greyhound depot Louisville, Kentucky (demolished)

Image:Evansville Indiana - Greyhound Bus Station.jpg| Greyhound Bus Terminal (Evansville, Indiana) (preserved)

Image:Central Greyhound Lines Bus Terminal Syracuse New York (Montgomery St at Harrison Street).jpg| Postcard view c. 1940 of the Central Greyhound Lines Bus Terminal Syracuse New York (Montgomery St at Harrison Street) (since demolished){{cite web|title=New York Greyhound Bus Stations {{!}} RoadsideArchitecture.com|url=http://www.roadarch.com/bus/ny.html|website=www.roadarch.com|accessdate=10 April 2018}}

Image:GreyhoundBusStationEvansville2016.png| Greyhound Evansville, Indiana (illuminated)

Image:Norfolk Greyhound station 1950s postcard.jpg| Greyhound Norfolk, Virginia, 1950s postcard

IMage:Kentucky Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky Postcard c. 1940.png|Postcard view of the Kentucky Hotel in Louisville Kentucky, circa 1940

Image:Louisville Methodist Evangelical Hospital 1960s Postcard.png| Louisville Methodist Evangelical Hospital (1960 postcard). Now operated by Norton Healthcare

Image:Helm_Library,_WKU.jpg|Helm Library at Western Kentucky University

Image:Kentucky_State_Reformatory_La_Grange_KY_c1940.png|Kentucky State Reformatory, 1939{{cite news |last1=Nancy |first1=Theiss |title=Ky. State Reformatory was model of social reform |url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/oldham/2015/12/22/ky-state-reformatory-model-social-reform/77588798/ |accessdate=29 June 2018 |work=The Courier-Journal |date=22 December 2015 |language=en |quote=The building itself was designed by a famous architect William Strudwick Arrasmith (1898-1965)}}

Image:Kentucky_State_Hospital_Danville_c1940.png|Kentucky State Hospital, Danville, Ky., c. 1940. now part of Northpoint Training Center{{cite book |last1=Wrenick |first1=Frank E. |title=The Streamline Era Greyhound Terminals: The Architecture of W.S. Arrasmith |date=2007 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786425501 |page=173 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kPOn59uwAYUC&q=Kentucky+state+hospital+danville+arrasmith&pg=PA173 |accessdate=29 June 2018 |language=en}}

Military service

Arrasmith was in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps while at Illinois and was in command of a veteran company in 1933. Following the Ohio River flood of 1937 he led efforts to build a pontoon bridge to link Louisville's downtown to the East End. During the Second World War he served with the United States Army 6th Corps Engineers in Europe and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the army reserves.

Death and legacy

Arrasmith died on November 30, 1965, in Louisville, Kentucky."Biographical Sketch of William Strudwick" in John E. Kleber (Ed.) (2003) The Encyclopedia of Louisville. University Press of Kentucky. p. 49. A collection of his papers is held by The Filson Historical Society. A book by Frank E. Wrenick devoted to Arrasmith's Greyhound designs was published by McFarland in 2006.

References

External links

[https://www.flickr.com/photos/photosbystan/2174386333/in/photolist-4j9iix-c5ox87-rZATK-dyNUSP-rZAWW-8zfcLF-dyNUwt-8kegYH-7HeADv-dMMsHw-c5ovgA-c5otwJ-c5NzBQ-bVe1sN-nGEYWd-nqo1qk-nJDGqD-nqo1ED-nJDGnn-nGShek-nGzpYD-nqnJ82-nqnShu-nqnS8w-8shAbk-iuwSDX-hLB1Fy-iqCokx-jNUZcA-qdKiu-dyUn8f-bVe1pf-62yaKs-afE8jk-j2tW9n Former Jackson Greyhound Terminal]
[https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2015/02/04/let-slip-the-dogs-part-2-surviving-greyhound-terminals-of-w-s-arrasmith-usa/ Surviving Greyhound Terminals of W S Arrasmith, USA]
[http://nyslandmarks.com/treasures/10dec.htm Restored Binghamton Greyhound station], Binghamton, New York

Category:1965 deaths

Category:1898 births

Category:Architects from North Carolina

Category:Art Deco architects

Category:Military personnel from Illinois

Category:People from Hillsborough, North Carolina

Category:People from Louisville, Kentucky

Category:Streamline Moderne architects

Category:University of North Carolina alumni

Category:University of Illinois School of Architecture alumni

Category:United States Army officers

Category:United States Army Corps of Engineers personnel