BarberMcMurry
Encyclopedia
BarberMcMurry, formerly Barber & McMurry, is an architecture firm based in Knoxville, Tennessee
, USA. Founded in 1915 by Charles Irving Barber
(1887–1962) and Benjamin Franklin McMurry, Sr. (1885–1969), the firm designed dozens of notable houses, churches, schools, and public facilities in Knoxville and the surrounding region in the early 20th century, several of which have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. In recent decades, the firm has expanded its focus to include larger-scale projects, such as hospitals, stadiums and retail complexes.
BarberMcMurry is rooted in the successful mail-order design business established in Knoxville in 1888 by Charles Barber's father, George Franklin Barber
(1854–1915), best known for his elaborate Victorian mansions. Both Charles Barber and Benjamin McMurry studied at the University of Pennsylvania
under Paul Cret
, whose Beaux-Arts influence characterized much of the firm's early work. By the time of Barber's death in 1962, the firm had designed some of Knoxville most elegant houses, many of which still stand in West Knoxville, as well as over 50 churches, and government buildings such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
headquarters.
The firm's more recent work includes the East Tennessee History Center (1985), the John J. Duncan Federal Building (1988), Smokies Park
(2000), the Niswonger Performing Arts Center (2004), and the LeConte Medical Center (2010). Current projects include the Sentinel Tower and the University of Tennessee Music Center.
, in 1888, bringing along his wife, Laura, and infant son, Charles. While in DeKalb, George had begun working as an architect for his brother's construction company, and published his first design catalog, The Cottage Souvenir. In Knoxville, he expanded his catalog business, and over the subsequent two decades sold upwards of 20,000 house plans worldwide. Several dozen George Barber houses still stand in Knoxville alone, including a house at 1635 Washington Avenue where the Barbers lived in the early 1890s.
Charles practically grew up in his father's offices. In 1907, he toured Italy and Greece, where he observed the proper design of Mediterranean villas. Following his return, he enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied architecture under Paul Cret, a French-born architect widely credited with spreading the Beaux-Arts philosophy in America. Following his graduation in 1911, he worked for his father's firm, and in several brief partnerships.
In 1915, Charles Barber and his fellow University of Pennsylvania alumni, David West Barber (his cousin) and Benjamin McMurry, founded the firm, Barber & McMurry. The Barbers' partner, Benjamin McMurry, was born and raised in Blount County, Tennessee
, and had attended Maryville College
before enrolling in the University of Pennsylvania. He also studied under Cret, and graduated in 1912.
The firm's earliest works included several elaborate mansions built for affluent Knoxvillians, many of which still stand in the Sequoyah Hills
vicinity in West Knoxville. In the 1920s and 1930s, the firm expanded to non-domestic projects, such as the General Building
(1926), the Holston Hills Country Club (1927), the Church Street Methodist Church (1931), and the University of Tennessee's Hoskins Library (1931). The firm also designed government facilities, such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
headquarters (1940).
began their careers with the firm as draftsmen or interns. In 1976, the firm's work was the subject of an exhibition by Knoxville's Dulin Art Gallery
. In the early 21st century, the firm changed its name to "BarberMcMurry."
In recent years, the firm has designed several major medical centers in Knoxville and the surrounding region, most notably the LeConte Medical Center (2010) in Sevierville
, the University of Tennessee Heart Hospital (2010), and Mercy Medical Center North (2007). The firm continues to design and rehabilitate buildings for the University of Tennessee, and has designed structures for several local community colleges and high schools. The firm is currently engaged in the design of the 22-story Sentinel Tower, which, when completed, will house upscale condominiums.
After World War II, the firm's work evolved to reflect contemporary styles, most noticeable in commercial works such as the Fort Sanders Medical Center (1958) and the Modern-style Jenkins House (1955) in Sequoyah Hills. Over the past two decades, the firm has focused on LEED
design principles, which emphasizes energy efficiency and environmentally-friendly construction. The firm has also expanded to include interior design
, with notable interior design works that the East Tennessee Children's Hospital.
BarberMcMurry's work has received numerous awards over the past eight decades. The H.M. Goforth House (1928), which once stood on Lyons View Pike, received the gold medal at the Southern Architecture and Industrial Arts Exposition in 1929. In 2008, Oxford American
magazine named the Jenkins House one of the top eleven Modern-style houses in the South. Recent designs, such as the Rokeby Condominiums (1976), the Two Rivers Church (2005), and the LeConte Medical Center (2010), have received regional AIA design awards. Over a dozen of the firm's buildings have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, either individually or as contributing properties in historic districts.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, USA. Founded in 1915 by Charles Irving Barber
Charles I. Barber
Charles Irving Barber was an American architect, active primarily in Knoxville, Tennessee, and vicinity, during the first half of the 20th century...
(1887–1962) and Benjamin Franklin McMurry, Sr. (1885–1969), the firm designed dozens of notable houses, churches, schools, and public facilities in Knoxville and the surrounding region in the early 20th century, several of which have been listed on 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...
. In recent decades, the firm has expanded its focus to include larger-scale projects, such as hospitals, stadiums and retail complexes.
BarberMcMurry is rooted in the successful mail-order design business established in Knoxville in 1888 by Charles Barber's father, George Franklin Barber
George Franklin Barber
George Franklin Barber was an American architect best known for his residential designs, which he marketed worldwide through a series of mail-order catalogs. One of the most successful domestic architects of the late Victorian period in the United States, Barber's plans were used for houses in...
(1854–1915), best known for his elaborate Victorian mansions. Both Charles Barber and Benjamin McMurry studied at 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...
under Paul Cret
Paul Philippe Cret
Paul Philippe Cret was a French-American architect and industrial designer. For more than thirty years, he headed the Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania.- Biography :...
, whose Beaux-Arts influence characterized much of the firm's early work. By the time of Barber's death in 1962, the firm had designed some of Knoxville most elegant houses, many of which still stand in West Knoxville, as well as over 50 churches, and government buildings such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North...
headquarters.
The firm's more recent work includes the East Tennessee History Center (1985), the John J. Duncan Federal Building (1988), Smokies Park
Smokies Park
Smokies Park is a baseball stadium located in Kodak, Tennessee, just east of Knoxville and adjacent to the tourist centers of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. The park, which opened in 2000, has a capacity of 6,412...
(2000), the Niswonger Performing Arts Center (2004), and the LeConte Medical Center (2010). Current projects include the Sentinel Tower and the University of Tennessee Music Center.
History
George Franklin Barber moved to Knoxville from his native DeKalb, IllinoisDeKalb, Illinois
DeKalb is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 43,862 at the 2010 census, up from 39,018 at the 2000 census. The city is named after decorated German war hero Johann De Kalb, who died during the American Revolutionary War....
, in 1888, bringing along his wife, Laura, and infant son, Charles. While in DeKalb, George had begun working as an architect for his brother's construction company, and published his first design catalog, The Cottage Souvenir. In Knoxville, he expanded his catalog business, and over the subsequent two decades sold upwards of 20,000 house plans worldwide. Several dozen George Barber houses still stand in Knoxville alone, including a house at 1635 Washington Avenue where the Barbers lived in the early 1890s.
Charles practically grew up in his father's offices. In 1907, he toured Italy and Greece, where he observed the proper design of Mediterranean villas. Following his return, he enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied architecture under Paul Cret, a French-born architect widely credited with spreading the Beaux-Arts philosophy in America. Following his graduation in 1911, he worked for his father's firm, and in several brief partnerships.
In 1915, Charles Barber and his fellow University of Pennsylvania alumni, David West Barber (his cousin) and Benjamin McMurry, founded the firm, Barber & McMurry. The Barbers' partner, Benjamin McMurry, was born and raised in Blount County, Tennessee
Blount County, Tennessee
Blount County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its population was 123,010 at the United States Census, 2010. The county seat is at Maryville, which is also the county's largest city....
, and had attended Maryville College
Maryville College
Maryville College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Maryville, Tennessee, near Knoxville. It was founded in 1819 by Presbyterian minister Isaac L. Anderson for the purpose of furthering education and enlightenment into the West. The College is one of the fifty oldest colleges in the...
before enrolling in the University of Pennsylvania. He also studied under Cret, and graduated in 1912.
The firm's earliest works included several elaborate mansions built for affluent Knoxvillians, many of which still stand in the Sequoyah Hills
Sequoyah Hills, Tennessee
Sequoyah Hills is a neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, located off Kingston Pike between the city's downtown area and West Knoxville. Initially developed in the 1920s, Sequoyah Hills was one of Knoxville's first suburbs, and today is home to some of the city's most affluent residents...
vicinity in West Knoxville. In the 1920s and 1930s, the firm expanded to non-domestic projects, such as the General Building
General Building
The General Building, also called the Tennessee General Building or the First Bank Building, is an office high-rise located in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. Constructed in the mid-1920s, the 15-story building is the only high-rise designed by Charles I...
(1926), the Holston Hills Country Club (1927), the Church Street Methodist Church (1931), and the University of Tennessee's Hoskins Library (1931). The firm also designed government facilities, such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North...
headquarters (1940).
Post-World War II
By the end of the 1950s, Barber & McMurry had designed over 50 churches, 14 schools, dozens of elaborate houses, several clubhouses, and more than a half-dozen buildings for the University of Tennessee campus, several of which surround Ayres Hall atop the "Hill." Notable architects such as Bruce McCartyBruce McCarty
Bruce McCarty, FAIA is an American architect, founder and senior designer at McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects of Knoxville, Tennessee. During a career that has spanned more than a half-century, he has designed some of the city's iconic landmarks, and has been the city's most dedicated...
began their careers with the firm as draftsmen or interns. In 1976, the firm's work was the subject of an exhibition by Knoxville's Dulin Art Gallery
Knoxville Museum of Art
The Knoxville Museum of Art is a contemporary art museum located at 1050 World's Fair Park in Knoxville, Tennessee. The KMA is committed to developing exhibitions by emerging artists of national and international reputation.- History :...
. In the early 21st century, the firm changed its name to "BarberMcMurry."
In recent years, the firm has designed several major medical centers in Knoxville and the surrounding region, most notably the LeConte Medical Center (2010) in Sevierville
Sevierville, Tennessee
Sevierville is a city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the Southeastern United States. Its population was 11,757 at the 2000 United States Census; in 2004 the estimated population was 14,101. Sevierville is the county seat of Sevier County, Tennessee....
, the University of Tennessee Heart Hospital (2010), and Mercy Medical Center North (2007). The firm continues to design and rehabilitate buildings for the University of Tennessee, and has designed structures for several local community colleges and high schools. The firm is currently engaged in the design of the 22-story Sentinel Tower, which, when completed, will house upscale condominiums.
Works
BarberMcMurry's early work (c. 1915–1940) reflected the Beaux-Arts influence that Charles Barber and Ben McMurry absorbed from Paul Cret at the University of Pennsylvania. Beaux Arts elements were incorporated into historical styles, which ranged from Mediterrenean and English Cottage-style houses, Gothic-style churches, and Neoclassical-style schools. While Barber's work bears little resemblance to his father's Victorian house plans, his work placed an emphasis on harmony with nature that was at the heart of his father's architectural philosophy.After World War II, the firm's work evolved to reflect contemporary styles, most noticeable in commercial works such as the Fort Sanders Medical Center (1958) and the Modern-style Jenkins House (1955) in Sequoyah Hills. Over the past two decades, the firm has focused on LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
design principles, which emphasizes energy efficiency and environmentally-friendly construction. The firm has also expanded to include interior design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
, with notable interior design works that the East Tennessee Children's Hospital.
BarberMcMurry's work has received numerous awards over the past eight decades. The H.M. Goforth House (1928), which once stood on Lyons View Pike, received the gold medal at the Southern Architecture and Industrial Arts Exposition in 1929. In 2008, Oxford American
Oxford American
The Oxford American is an American quarterly literary magazine "dedicated to featuring the very best in Southern writing while documenting the complexity and vitality of the American South."-First publication:...
magazine named the Jenkins House one of the top eleven Modern-style houses in the South. Recent designs, such as the Rokeby Condominiums (1976), the Two Rivers Church (2005), and the LeConte Medical Center (2010), have received regional AIA design awards. Over a dozen of the firm's buildings have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, either individually or as contributing properties in historic districts.
External links
- BarberMcMurry architects — official site