John Augur Holabird
Encyclopedia
John Augur Holabird was a significant U.S.
architect
based in Chicago
. Born on May 4, 1886, the day of Chicago's Haymarket Riot, John was the son of architect William Holabird
. As a young man he studied architecture at Paris' Ecole des Beaux-Arts
, where he became friends with John Wellborn Root, Jr.
, the son of another famous Chicago architect. After school, Holabird joined his father's architecture firm, Holabird & Roche
.
After the deaths of his father in 1923 and Martin Roche
in 1927, the firm was reorganized under the new partnership of John and his friend Root and renamed Holabird & Root. They worked on many dazzling projects in the late '20s and early '30s, before the Great Depression
slowed new construction. These years are notable for the firm's many impressive Art Deco
buildings.
The firm weathered the Depression and is still active. John died just as victory was declared in Europe for World War II
. His nephew Bill Holabird was named a partner in the firm in 1945, and John A. Holabird, Jr., became a partner in 1970.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
based in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Born on May 4, 1886, the day of Chicago's Haymarket Riot, John was the son of architect William Holabird
William Holabird
William Holabird was an American architect.Holabird studied at the United States Military Academy at West Point but resigned and moved to Chicago, where he later got married. He worked for William Le Baron Jenney...
. As a young man he studied architecture at Paris' Ecole des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
, where he became friends with John Wellborn Root, Jr.
John Wellborn Root, Jr.
John Wellborn Root, Jr. was a significant U.S. architect based in Chicago. He was the son of architect John Wellborn Root. As a young man, he graduated from Cornell University and studied architecture at Paris' Ecole des Beaux-Arts, where he became friends with John Augur Holabird, the son of...
, the son of another famous Chicago architect. After school, Holabird joined his father's architecture firm, Holabird & Roche
Holabird & Roche
The architectural firm of Holabird & Root was founded in Chicago in 1880. Over the years, the firm's designs have changed many times — from the Chicago School to Art Deco to Modern Architecture to Sustainable Architecture.-History:...
.
After the deaths of his father in 1923 and Martin Roche
Martin Roche
Martin Roche was an American architect.In partnership with William Holabird, Martin Roche designed buildings following the Chicago School and that were landmarks in the development of early sky scrapers. He worked for William Le Baron Jenney until 1881 when he joined William Holabird at Holabird &...
in 1927, the firm was reorganized under the new partnership of John and his friend Root and renamed Holabird & Root. They worked on many dazzling projects in the late '20s and early '30s, before the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
slowed new construction. These years are notable for the firm's many impressive Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
buildings.
The firm weathered the Depression and is still active. John died just as victory was declared in Europe for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His nephew Bill Holabird was named a partner in the firm in 1945, and John A. Holabird, Jr., became a partner in 1970.
Significant buildings
- Palmolive Building, 1929
- 333 North Michigan Building, 1928
- Chicago Board of TradeChicago Board of TradeThe Chicago Board of Trade , established in 1848, is the world's oldest futures and options exchange. More than 50 different options and futures contracts are traded by over 3,600 CBOT members through open outcry and eTrading. Volumes at the exchange in 2003 were a record breaking 454 million...
Building, 1930 - Chicago Daily NewsChicago Daily NewsThe Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
Building, 1929 - Chrysler Building at the Century of ProgressCentury of ProgressA Century of Progress International Exposition was the name of a World's Fair held in Chicago from 1933 to 1934 to celebrate the city's centennial. The theme of the fair was technological innovation...
1933-34 World's Fair