Oliver G. Traphagen
Encyclopedia
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...
who designed many notable buildings in Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
during the late 19th century and in the Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
during the early 20th century. Among his most famous landmarks are the Oliver G. Traphagen House
Oliver G. Traphagen House
The Oliver G. Traphagen House is a house in Duluth, Minnesota. The architect, Oliver G. Traphagen, designed a number of buildings in Duluth, as well as in Hawaii. The house is a three-story Victorian mansion. The front wall is built of local red sandstone and features ornate carving and window...
in Duluth, called the Redstone, and the Moana Hotel
Moana Hotel
The Moana Hotel, also known as the First Lady of Waikīkī, is a famous historic hotel on the island of Oahu, located at 2365 Kalākaua Avenue in Honolulu, Hawaii. Built in the late 19th century as the first hotel in Waikiki, the Moana opened its doors to guests in 1901, becoming the first large hotel...
in Honolulu, both of which are 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...
, as are several other buildings he designed.
During his youth, his parents moved to St. Paul, Minnesota where he began working as a carpenter, contractor, and later apprentice to the architect George Wirth
George Wirth
George Wirth is a singer-songwriter from Brick, New Jersey. Born in 1947, he only began performing professionally as a musician in 1995. Wirth has been called one of New Jersey's finest singer-songwriters. He is the recipient of the 2010 Asbury Music Award in the Top Male Acoustic category. He has...
before moving to Duluth, where he became the city's first major architect, either on his own or in partnership with Wirth (1884–1886) and later Francis W. Fitzpatrick (1889–1896). He and his partners designed buildings for both public and private owners, such as the First National Bank (1888), Weiland Building (1889), old City Jail (1889), Fire Station No. 1
Fire Station No. 1 (Duluth, Minnesota)
Fire House No. 1 stands as one of the first fire houses in the city of Duluth in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located on the north corner of 1st Avenue East and 3rd Street....
(1889), First Presbyterian Church (1891), and Duluth Central High School
Historic Central High School (Duluth)
The Historic Central High School in the U.S. city of Duluth, Minnesota was built in 1892 of locally-mined Sandstone at a cost of $460,000. It features a 230 foot clock tower with chimes patterned after Big Ben in London; the clock faces are each 10½ feet in diameter, overlooking the...
(1892). Many of Traphagen's designs show the influence of the Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
style that was popular at the time.
Republic of Hawaii
The Republic of Hawaii was the formal name of the government that controlled Hawaii from 1894 to 1898 when it was run as a republic. The republic period occurred between the administration of the Provisional Government of Hawaii which ended on July 4, 1894 and the adoption of the Newlands...
in October 1897. Thanks to his earlier work in Duluth he soon became "the most prolific and highly regarded architect in town." He designed the first building in the islands with a passenger elevator, the Judd Building (1898); the first hotel on Waikiki Beach, the Moana
Moana Hotel
The Moana Hotel, also known as the First Lady of Waikīkī, is a famous historic hotel on the island of Oahu, located at 2365 Kalākaua Avenue in Honolulu, Hawaii. Built in the late 19th century as the first hotel in Waikiki, the Moana opened its doors to guests in 1901, becoming the first large hotel...
(1901); and the first public crematory
Crematory
A crematory is a machine in which cremation takes place. Crematories are usually found in funeral homes, cemeteries, or in stand-alone facilities. A facility which houses the actual cremator units is referred to as a crematorium.-History:Prior to the Industrial Revolution, any cremation which took...
in the Islands, at Oahu Cemetery
Oahu Cemetery
The Oahu Cemetery is the resting place of many notable early residents of the Honolulu area. They range from missionaries and politicians to sports pioneers and philosophers. Over time it was expanded to become an area known as the Nuuanu Cemetery....
(1906). As in Duluth, he also designed public works, such as the Kakaako Pumping Station
Kakaako Pumping Station
The Kakaako Pumping Station in Honolulu, Hawaii was designed by architect Oliver G. Traphagen in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. He also designed many such bold stone public works buildings in Duluth, Minnesota....
(1900), Palama Fire Station (1901), and the State Archives Building (1906).
Two of his finer buildings have not survived: the classical-style Hackfeld & Co. building downtown (1902) and the four-story James B. Castle
James Bicknell Castle
James Bicknell Castle was a Honolulu businessman in times of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Republic of Hawaii and Territory of Hawaii.-Life:...
home on Waikiki Beach. Among the last buildings he designed in Hawaii was the Punahou School
Punahou School
Punahou School, once known as Oahu College, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school located in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu in the U.S. State of Hawaii...
president's home, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in December 2007. In 1907, he moved to Alameda, California, where he retired in 1925 and died in 1932.