Alan Fisher (architect)
Encyclopedia
Alan Berney Fisher was an American architect based in Denver, Colorado
, working primarily for the firm of Fisher & Fisher
founded by his father. He was active in historic preservation
in the state.
The firm that became Fisher and Fisher was founded by Alan Fisher's father, William Ellsworth Fisher
, in 1892. William's brother, Arthur Addison Fisher, joined it in 1907 and it continued until Alan Fisher's death in 1978, during which time the firm worked on dozens of notable buildings. Of 67 existing buildings in Denver credited to the Fisher firm, 50 are individually listed, within districts, or have been determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
; three quarters of the firm's identifiable remaining work in the city. This makes this architectural firm's legacy unsurpassed by any other in Colorado. Rodney Davis was part of the firm for 11 years beginning in 1956, after which Alan Fisher partnered with John D. Reece and Hillary M. Johnson until his death in 1978. Among his own designs are the Ship Tavern in the Brown Palace Hotel, a nautical-themed pub that he designed in celebration of the repeal of Prohibition and the Sisters of Charity Postulate chapel in the Seton Center.
Becoming active in historic preservation, Alan Fisher was a founding member of the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission in 1967, and its chairman from 1970 to 1973. He renovated the Opera House
in Central City, Colorado
, recreating the musician's gallery it had originally had.
Fisher was an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania
and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. He married sculptor Gladys Caldwell Fisher
in 1936.
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, working primarily for the firm of Fisher & Fisher
Fisher & Fisher
Fisher & Fisher was an architectural firm in Colorado named for partners William Ellsworth Fisher and Arthur Addison Fisher . The firm was founded in 1892 by William Ellsworth Fisher as William Fisher, Architect...
founded by his father. He was active in historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
in the state.
The firm that became Fisher and Fisher was founded by Alan Fisher's father, William Ellsworth Fisher
William Ellsworth Fisher
William Ellsworth Fisher was an architect who founded the Denver, Colorado firm that became Fisher & Fisher.Fisher's father, Allen S. Fisher, moved to Denver from Clinton, Ontario, Canada, with his family in 1885. William became a draftsman for Balcomb & Rice in Denver in 1890 and then studied...
, in 1892. William's brother, Arthur Addison Fisher, joined it in 1907 and it continued until Alan Fisher's death in 1978, during which time the firm worked on dozens of notable buildings. Of 67 existing buildings in Denver credited to the Fisher firm, 50 are individually listed, within districts, or have been determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
; three quarters of the firm's identifiable remaining work in the city. This makes this architectural firm's legacy unsurpassed by any other in Colorado. Rodney Davis was part of the firm for 11 years beginning in 1956, after which Alan Fisher partnered with John D. Reece and Hillary M. Johnson until his death in 1978. Among his own designs are the Ship Tavern in the Brown Palace Hotel, a nautical-themed pub that he designed in celebration of the repeal of Prohibition and the Sisters of Charity Postulate chapel in the Seton Center.
Becoming active in historic preservation, Alan Fisher was a founding member of the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission in 1967, and its chairman from 1970 to 1973. He renovated the Opera House
Central City Opera House
The Central City Opera House located in the National Historic Landmark District in Central City, Colorado, USA was constructed in 1878 by Welsh and Cornish miners....
in Central City, Colorado
Central City, Colorado
Central City is a home rule municipality in Clear Creek and Gilpin counties in the U.S. state of Colorado, and the county seat of Gilpin County. The city population was 515 in the 2000 United States Census...
, recreating the musician's gallery it had originally had.
Fisher was an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. He married sculptor Gladys Caldwell Fisher
Gladys Caldwell Fisher
Gladys Caldwell Fisher American sculptor, born in Loveland, Colorado and based in Denver. Caldwell Fisher, primarily an animalier, began the serious study of sculpture with Denver sculptor Robert Garrison at the Beaux-Arts Atelier in Denver before moving on to New York City and Paris to study...
in 1936.
Further reading
- Site Files Database, Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado Historical Society, Denver.
- Student, Annette L. (1999) Historic Cheesman Park Neighborhood. Denver: Historic Denver Inc. ISBN 9780914248217.
- Wilk, Diane. (1995) Wyman Historic District. Denver: Historic Denver Inc. ISBN 9780914248057.