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Theodore Lenzen

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Prussian-American architect (1833–1912)

Theodore Lenzen (1833–1912) was a Prussian-born American architect. He was prolific with architectural designs in San Jose, California, during the late 19th-century. He was part of the firm Theodore Lenzen & Son, with his son Louis T. Lenzen.

Biography

Lenzen was born in Prussia on September 29, 1833. His parents were Gertrude (née Morsch), and Nicholas Lenzen. His brother Jacob was an architect, and his brother Michael worked as a contractor and painter. Starting at age 15, Lenzen apprenticed as a builder.

Lenzen moved to the United States at the age of 21 (c. 1854), initially settling in Chicago. He arrived in San Francisco on January 24, 1861, where he lived for one year and worked on improving his building skills. A year later he relocated to Santa Clara, in order to design Santa Clara College (now Santa Clara University). Lenzen is responsible for designing over 500 buildings during his career, in places including Salinas, California; El Paso, Texas; Hollister, California; Santa Cruz, California; Gilroy, California; Sacramento, California; and Los Angeles, California.

He died on October 20, 1912, in San Jose, and was buried in Oak Hill Memorial Park cemetery. The Lenzen Street name in San Jose, California is the location of his former home, and Theodore Lenzen Park on Lenzen Street are both named in his honor.

Notable building designs

The former O'Connor Sanitarium, erected in 1888 and designed by architect Theodore Lenzen. It was demolished in 1955, after the hospital moved to its present location.
  • St. Ignatius College, Market Street (c. 1861), San Francisco, California
  • Santa Clara College (now Santa Clara University) (1862), Santa Clara, California
  • Fredericksburg Brewery (1875), at Alameda de las Pulgas and Julian Street, San Jose, California; it was the largest brewery on the west coast and is now gone.
  • O'Connor Sanitarium (now O'Connor Hospital) (1888), San Jose, California; demolished in 1955.
  • Louis Auzerais House (1889), 155 East Empire Street, Hensley Historic District, San Jose, California
  • San Joses City Hall (1889–1958), at Market and San Fernando Streets, San Jose, California; the original building was demolished and a plaque remains.
  • San Jose Normal School (now San Jose State University), San Jose, California; the original main school building burned down and the associated student house remains.
  • California Wesleyan College (now University of the Pacific; located at the now-Bellarmine College Preparatory school campus), 960 West Hedding Street, College Park neighborhood, San Jose, California; the original buildings are gone.
  • Oak Street School, San Jose, California
  • Franklin Engine House, San Jose, California
  • George B. McKee and Company, San Jose, California
  • Union Savings Bank building, San Jose, California
  • College of Notre Dame (now Notre Dame de Namur University), Belmont, California
  • Centella Chapel at Centella Methodist Episcopal Church, San Jose, California
  • Historic Scheller House, San Jose, California

References

  1. ^ "Obituary: Theodore Lenzen, Architect". The San Francisco Call. 1912-10-22. p. 18. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  2. "Theodore Lenzen". Santa Cruz Evening News. 1912-10-23. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  3. Polk-Husted Directory Co.'s San Jose City and Santa Clara County Directory. R. L. Polk & Company. 1907. p. 416.
  4. ^ Foote, Horace S. (1888). Pen Pictures from the Garden of the World: Or, Santa Clara County, California Illustrated, Containing a History of the County ... and Biographical Mention of Many of Its Pioneers & Also of Prominent Citizens of To-day. Lewis Publishing Company. p. 621.
  5. ^ Guinn, James Miller (1904). History of the State of California and Biographical Record of Coast Counties, California: An Historical Story of the State's Marvelous Growth from Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. Also Containing Biographies of Well-known Citizens of the Past and Present. Chapman Publishing Company. p. 1020.
  6. "Designs for New Dwellings". The Californian. 1889-09-05. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  7. San Jose City's Theodore Lenzen Park at Lenzen and Stockton Avenue
  8. Bishop's Directory of the City of San Jose for 1876: Containing a General Register of the Names of All Residents, and a Classified Business Directory ... : Also a Directory of Santa Clara, Containing a General Register ... B. C. Vandall. 1876. p. 27.
  9. Cerny, Susan Dinkelspiel (2007). An Architectural Guidebook to San Francisco and the Bay Area. Gibbs Smith. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-58685-432-4.
  10. "San Jose's City Hall". Santa Cruz Surf. 1887-05-18. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  11. Pizarro, Sal (May 12, 2020) . "Can this San Jose building be historic if people think it's ugly?". The Mercury News. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  12. Preservation board lawsuit against SJSU to save the Scheller House built in 1904
  13. ^ Santa Clara County and Its Resources, Historical, Descriptive, Statistical: A Souvenir of the San José Mercury. San José Historical Museum Association. 1896. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-914139-03-4.
  14. Pizarro, Sal (January 9, 2019) . "Historic Scheller House at San Jose State being moved". The Mercury News. Retrieved October 9, 2024.

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