Kiehnel and Elliott
Encyclopedia
The architectural firm of Kiehnel and Elliot was established in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, in 1906. Richard Kiehnel (1870–1944) was the designer. Kiehnel was born in Germany. He studied at the University of Breslau, Germany and the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts in Paris. Kiehnel's first commission in the Miami area was in 1917 and he opened the firm's Miami office in 1922. He supervised the construction of El Jardin, the earliest known Mediterranean Revival work remaining in Miami. Designing the mansion for John Bindley, President of the Pittsburgh Steel Company
, Kiehnel departed from the Mission style that had only recently made its appearance in Florida and provided an elaborate antiquity for the house by using aging techniques to get the desired effect. Kiehnel introduced Mediterranean Revival to Pinellas County through his designs of the Rolyat Hotel in Gulfport (now Stetson College of Law) and the Snell Arcade in St. Petersburg.
Kiehnel advanced to Art Moderne styling in the Carlyle Hotel on Miami Beach and the 1924 Scottish Rite Masonic Temple on the Miami River, the first Art Deco building in the area. He also designed the Annie Russell Theater, a Romanesque Revival building on the campus of Rollins College in Winter Park.
Kiehnel was active in his profession. He was a member of the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Institute of Architects since 1906 and a member of the national body from 1913. He was a charter member of the Florida South chapter and its president in 1930-1931 From 1935 to 1942 Kiehnel was the editor of Florida Architecture and Allied Arts magazine.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, in 1906. Richard Kiehnel (1870–1944) was the designer. Kiehnel was born in Germany. He studied at the University of Breslau, Germany and the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts in Paris. Kiehnel's first commission in the Miami area was in 1917 and he opened the firm's Miami office in 1922. He supervised the construction of El Jardin, the earliest known Mediterranean Revival work remaining in Miami. Designing the mansion for John Bindley, President of the Pittsburgh Steel Company
Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel
Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel was a steel manufacturer based in Wheeling, West Virginia, which is located at the edge of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area...
, Kiehnel departed from the Mission style that had only recently made its appearance in Florida and provided an elaborate antiquity for the house by using aging techniques to get the desired effect. Kiehnel introduced Mediterranean Revival to Pinellas County through his designs of the Rolyat Hotel in Gulfport (now Stetson College of Law) and the Snell Arcade in St. Petersburg.
Kiehnel advanced to Art Moderne styling in the Carlyle Hotel on Miami Beach and the 1924 Scottish Rite Masonic Temple on the Miami River, the first Art Deco building in the area. He also designed the Annie Russell Theater, a Romanesque Revival building on the campus of Rollins College in Winter Park.
Kiehnel was active in his profession. He was a member of the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Institute of Architects since 1906 and a member of the national body from 1913. He was a charter member of the Florida South chapter and its president in 1930-1931 From 1935 to 1942 Kiehnel was the editor of Florida Architecture and Allied Arts magazine.
Notable buildings
- Baxter High SchoolBaxter High SchoolThe Baxter High School in the Homewood North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a building from 1908. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986....
, Pittsburgh, PA, 1908 (National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
) - First National Bank of Pitcairn, Pitcairn, Pennsylvania, circa 1910
- Gardner Steel Conference CenterGardner Steel Conference CenterGardner Steel Conference Center is an academic building of the University of Pittsburgh and a contributing property to the Schenley Farms National Historic District and a Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmark....
, now part of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA, 1911-1912 - Old U.S. Post Office and CourthouseOld U.S. Post Office and Courthouse (Miami, Florida)The Old U.S. Post Office and Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Miami, Florida. It is located at 100-118 Northeast 1st Avenue. Constructed over three years , it was designed by Kiehnel and Elliott and Oscar Wenderoth. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on January 4,...
. 100-118 N.E. 1st Ave. 1912-1914 Miami. (National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
) Converted to a bank in 1938. Also known as Amerifirst Federal. Now is an Office Depot. - El JardinEl JardinEl Jardin is a house located at 3747 Main Highway in Miami, Florida. It is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.Built in 1918 along a ridge of oolitic limestone, El Jardin expresses the broad training of its architect, Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott, and the experience...
. 1918 Coconut Grove (National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
). - Cherokee Lodge. 1917 Coconut Grove.
- Scrububs. 1920. Coconut Grove. 3551 Main Highway. Home of the author, Kirk MunroeKirk MunroeKirk Munroe was an American writer and conservationist.-Biography:Born Charles Kirk Munroe in a log cab near Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, Munroe was the son of Charles and Susan Munroe. His youth was spent on the frontier, after which his family moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts where he...
.. - Seybold Building and Arcade. 1921-1925 Miami.
- Greenfield Elementary SchoolGreenfield Elementary School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)The Greenfield Elementary School in the Greenfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a building from 1922. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986....
, Pittsburgh, PA, 1922 (National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
). - Scottish Rite Temple. 1922 Miami.
- Rolyat Hotel. Gulfport, FL . Now the Stetson University College of Law.
- Coral Gables Congregational ChurchCoral Gables Congregational ChurchThe Coral Gables Congregational Church is a historic church in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. The church was designed by the architect Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott in 1923. It is located at 3010 DeSoto Boulevard. On October 10, 1978, it was added to the U.S. National Register of...
. 1923 Coral Gables (National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
) . - Coral Gables Elementary SchoolCoral Gables Elementary SchoolThe Coral Gables Elementary School is a historic school in Coral Gables, Florida. The school was designed by the architect Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott. It is located at 105 Minorca Avenue. On June 30, 1988, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.The school has an...
. 1923-1926 Coral Gables (National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
) . - John B. Orr residence. 1926 Palm Island, Miami Beach.
- Snell ArcadeSnell ArcadeThe Snell Arcade is a historic site in St. Petersburg, Florida. The building was designed by the architect Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott. Built in 1926, it is located at 405 Central Avenue. On November 4, 1982, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The Snell...
1926 St. Petersburg, FL (National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
) . - Miami Senior High School. 1927 Miami (National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
) . - Player's State TheatreCoconut Grove PlayhouseThe Coconut Grove Playhouse was a legitimate theater in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States.The building was originally constructed as a movie theater called the Player's State Theater. It first opened on January 3, 1927 as a part of the Paramount chain. The movie house...
. 1927 Coconut Grove. - Bryan Memorial Methodist Church. 1928 Main Highway, Coconut Grove
- Annie Russell TheatreAnnie Russell TheatreThe Annie Russell Theatre is a historic theater in Winter Park, Florida, United States. The theatre was named after the English-born actress Annie Russell in 1931, and designed by the German-born architect Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott. It is located on the premises of Rollins College. On...
. 1931 Winter Park, FL (National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
) . - Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Douglas residence. Miami .
- Second Church of Christ Scientist. 1940 Coconut Grove. 3850 Main Highway .
- Carlyle Hotel. 1941 Miami Beach .