George D. Mason

George DeWitt Mason (July 4, 1856 – June 3, 1948) was an American architect who practiced in Detroit, Michigan in the latter part of the 19th and early decades of the 20th centuries.[1]

Mason in stone, Masonic Temple

Biography

George Mason was born in Syracuse, New York, the son of James H. and Zelda E. Mason. In 1870 the family moved to Detroit, where Mason received his early education.

He began his architectural career working for Detroit architect Hugh Smith in 1875, but this only lasted a summer. After this he moved to the firm of Henry T. Brush, where he worked for the first nine months without pay. Mason started out assigned to some specific detailing work on the George O. Robinson House and the Detroit Public Library.[2] One of the first buildings in which Mason received equal billing for the design was the Ransom Gillis House.[3] In 1878 he joined with Zachariah Rice to form the firm Mason & Rice. This partnership lasted until 1898, after which time Mason continued his practice alone.[4]

From 1884 until 1896 Albert Kahn worked with Mason and Rice, and he returned to partner with Mason for a few years early in the 20th Century.[5]

A number of Mason's works, either by himself or as part of Mason & Rice, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[6]

Mason died on June 3, 1948, at his home in the Wiltshire Apartments building, at the age of 91.[7]

Selected commissions
Cass Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church (1883)
Detroit Masonic Temple (1926)
All buildings are located in Detroit, unless otherwise indicated.

Works include (with attribution):

See also

References
  1. Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3. P. 341.
  2. Ferry, W. Hawkins (1980). The Buildings of Detroit: A History. Wayne State University Press, Detroit, Michigan. Pp. 86, 90.
  3. Ransom Gillis Home Archived 2016-03-28 at the Wayback Machine. Detroit1701. Retrieved on November 24, 2010.
  4. Pipp, E.G. (1927). Men Who Have Made Michigan. Pipp's Magazine, Detroit, Michigan.
  5. "UMichigan Architecture: Albert Kahn". Archived from the original on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2011-07-02.
  6. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  7. George DeWitt Mason (1856-1948) - Obituary. Find A Grave Memorial. Retrieved on November 30, 2018.
  8. http://digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A148739
  9. Ferry, 1980, p. 130.
  10. Ferry, 1980, p. 140.
  11. http://www.walkervilletimes.com/whisky-palace.htm

Further reading
  • Eckhert, Katheryn Bishop (1993). Buildings of Michigan (Society of Architectural Historians). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-506149-7.
  • Ferry, W. Hawkins (1980). The Buildings of Detroit: A History. Wayne State University Press, Detroit, Michigan.
  • Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3.
  • Kvaran, Einar Einarsson, Architectural Sculpture in America, unpublished manuscript.
  • Masonic Temple, Detroit, Michigan A.D. 1926, A.L. 5926 dedication booklette, no date, copyright or publishing information.
  • Parducci, Corrado, Work Records of Corrado J. Parducci, unpublished manuscript.
  • Pipp, E.G. (1927). Men Who Have Made Michigan. Pipp's Magazine, Detroit, Michigan.
  • University of Michigan Architecture: Albert Khan https://web.archive.org/web/20120316022450/http://www2.si.umich.edu/umarch/architects/kahn.html
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