The Maplewood of today looks much as it did in the late 1930’s. Maplewood developed significantly during the suburban housing boom of the 1920s-1930s. Many of the town’s homes, as well as most of its municipal buildings, schools and parks, date to this time period. Maplewood’s architecture and landscaping created by the builders and architects below along with several boutique architects reflect the cohesive neighborhoods and sense of place created during these periods of development.
James Betelle (1879-1954) designed the 1929 Columbia High School, a national model, seven of the district’s distinctive elementary schools including Jefferson Elementary, Marshall Elementary, Tuscan Elementary and Maplewood Junior High, as well as Maplewood’s finest public structure, the 1931 Municipal Building (Town Hall).
Louis A. Brubaker (1890-1963) was an accomplished architect and long-time Maplewood resident who designed many homes in the community. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he attended Franklin and Marshall College and earned an architecture degree from the University of Illinois. A World War I architect for the U.S. Government Fleet Organization in Chevy Chase, Maryland, he later served as assistant vice president at Worthington Corp. in New York before opening his own office in Maplewood in 1929. He was a member of the New Jersey Suburban Society of Architects and Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.
Kenneth Whitney Dalzell this nearly forgotten architect designed a vast array of houses in Maplewood, working from about 1915 and 1940 for individual clients and developers. Dalzell created well designed moderately priced homes, often in Colonial, Tudor and Italian Revival styles. He also was the architect for the Maplewood Country Club and residences in Orange, Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, Essex Fells and Mantoloking. His book, featuring many Maplewood homes, Homes of Moderate Size is available online.
William J. Fitzsimons (1884–1940) was perhaps the most prolific architect working in Maplewood during the early-20th century suburban boom period. He began his architectural career as a draftsman before independently designing suburban residences in Maplewood, NJ, by 1916. Although details of his formal education remain uncertain, Fitzsimons became active in several professional architectural societies, even though he was not recognized in prominent reference publications. His work mainly encompassed revival styles popular in the early 20th century, placing him alongside contemporaries such as Kenneth W. Dalzell.
Charles Crothers Grant (1878-1951) was born in New York to Scottish parents. Grant spent his youth in Newport, Rhode Island. The early American and impressive Victorian homes of this coastal town may have inspired an interest in design, as he went on to attend the School of Architecture of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1898 he joined the firms of Cope and Stewardson in Philadelphia and then Charles C. Platt in New York. In 1908 he began his own architectural practice in the City, commuting from his Colonial home in the growing suburb of Maplewood where he and his wife raised three children and he became involved in town life. In his mid-forties, the township hired Grant to design a number of important structures that established a classic style for civic buildings in Maplewood: the fire station headquarters in 1924, the police station in 1931, the adjacent public works building (date currently unknown), and the civic house in Memorial Park, completed in 1932 and the field houses in other parks in the system.
A specialty for which Grant became widely known was ecclesiastical design. He served as the architect for the Congregational churches in Williamsport, Massachusetts, Camden, Maine and Norwalk, Connecticut as well as Prospect Presbyterian Church in Maplewood and the chapel at Morristown Memorial Hospital.”
Alfred O. Pollitt was a mid-century architect and long-time resident of Maplewood, New Jersey. He served as president of the Newark & Suburban chapter of the New Jersey Society of Architects (AIA Newark Suburban) in 1952 . His leadership in the local architectural community highlights his commitment to regional professional development. Although not widely known on a national stage, Pollitt’s work is valued for its contribution to New Jersey’s architectural landscape.
Gustav Stickley (1858-1942) was the leading American proponent of the Arts & Crafts Movement, which arose in England in the latter part of the 19th century. The work of Gustav Stickley, architect, furniture designer and manufacturer, publisher and social critic in the early 20th century, clearly strove to encompass and influence the “Lifestyle” concept into many aspects of life and living. There are two houses in Maplewood designed by Stickley.
John Russell Pope (1874-1954) was an American architect and designed Ward Homestead, now known as Winchester Gardens in Maplewood, NJ. Pope designed many private houses including ones for the Vanderbilt family. He did many public buildings as well including The Jefferson Memorial and the National Gallery of Art.
John Rattenbury (1928-2021) was a principal architect and co-founder of Taliesin Architects, a firm founded to carry on the legacy of renowned architect Frank Llyoyd Wright. Born in Vancouver, Canada, Rattenbury studied architecture at the Univeristy of British Columbia and Oregon State College (now University) before traveling to Taliesin to meet Wright. He apprenticed under Wright for eight years and designed many major buildings for Taliesin Architects.
Harold Tatton (1879-1965) specialized in the Colonial and Tudor Revival styles which grace much of our community. Born in England, he traveled to America as a young man. In 2002, Tatton’s daughter-in-law Barbara B. Tatton donated to the Durand-Hedden House a voluminous collection of architectural drawings, glass slides and blueprints. Tatton’s files contain a stunning array of drawings and designs for Tudor and Colonial Revival houses, some of which were built in Maplewood, Short Hills, South Orange, Summit and Montclair from the 1920s through the 1950s.
Clifford C. Wendehack (1884-1948) lived in Upper Montclair, NJ, and practiced in New York City. Wendehack became known as a master designer of country club buildings and impressive houses, including one on Hickory Drive in Maplewood, built for Mrs. George Otis in 1927, and several in Montclair that have been named to the National and State Registers of Historic Places.
Architects
The Maplewood of today looks much as it did in the late 1930’s. Maplewood developed significantly during the suburban housing boom of the 1920s-1930s. Many of the town’s homes, as well as most of its municipal buildings, schools and parks, date to this time period. Maplewood’s architecture and landscaping created by the builders and architects below along with several boutique architects reflect the cohesive neighborhoods and sense of place created during these periods of development.
James Betelle (1879-1954) designed the 1929 Columbia High School, a national model, seven of the district’s distinctive elementary schools including Jefferson Elementary, Marshall Elementary, Tuscan Elementary and Maplewood Junior High, as well as Maplewood’s finest public structure, the 1931 Municipal Building (Town Hall).
Louis A. Brubaker (1890-1963) was an accomplished architect and long-time Maplewood resident who designed many homes in the community. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he attended Franklin and Marshall College and earned an architecture degree from the University of Illinois. A World War I architect for the U.S. Government Fleet Organization in Chevy Chase, Maryland, he later served as assistant vice president at Worthington Corp. in New York before opening his own office in Maplewood in 1929. He was a member of the New Jersey Suburban Society of Architects and Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.
Kenneth Whitney Dalzell this nearly forgotten architect designed a vast array of houses in Maplewood, working from about 1915 and 1940 for individual clients and developers. Dalzell created well designed moderately priced homes, often in Colonial, Tudor and Italian Revival styles. He also was the architect for the Maplewood Country Club and residences in Orange, Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, Essex Fells and Mantoloking. His book, featuring many Maplewood homes, Homes of Moderate Size is available online.
William J. Fitzsimons (1884–1940) was perhaps the most prolific architect working in Maplewood during the early-20th century suburban boom period. He began his architectural career as a draftsman before independently designing suburban residences in Maplewood, NJ, by 1916. Although details of his formal education remain uncertain, Fitzsimons became active in several professional architectural societies, even though he was not recognized in prominent reference publications. His work mainly encompassed revival styles popular in the early 20th century, placing him alongside contemporaries such as Kenneth W. Dalzell.
Charles Crothers Grant (1878-1951) was born in New York to Scottish parents. Grant spent his youth in Newport, Rhode Island. The early American and impressive Victorian homes of this coastal town may have inspired an interest in design, as he went on to attend the School of Architecture of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1898 he joined the firms of Cope and Stewardson in Philadelphia and then Charles C. Platt in New York. In 1908 he began his own architectural practice in the City, commuting from his Colonial home in the growing suburb of Maplewood where he and his wife raised three children and he became involved in town life. In his mid-forties, the township hired Grant to design a number of important structures that established a classic style for civic buildings in Maplewood: the fire station headquarters in 1924, the police station in 1931, the adjacent public works building (date currently unknown), and the civic house in Memorial Park, completed in 1932 and the field houses in other parks in the system.
A specialty for which Grant became widely known was ecclesiastical design. He served as the architect for the Congregational churches in Williamsport, Massachusetts, Camden, Maine and Norwalk, Connecticut as well as Prospect Presbyterian Church in Maplewood and the chapel at Morristown Memorial Hospital.”
Alfred O. Pollitt was a mid-century architect and long-time resident of Maplewood, New Jersey. He served as president of the Newark & Suburban chapter of the New Jersey Society of Architects (AIA Newark Suburban) in 1952 . His leadership in the local architectural community highlights his commitment to regional professional development. Although not widely known on a national stage, Pollitt’s work is valued for its contribution to New Jersey’s architectural landscape.
Gustav Stickley (1858-1942) was the leading American proponent of the Arts & Crafts Movement, which arose in England in the latter part of the 19th century. The work of Gustav Stickley, architect, furniture designer and manufacturer, publisher and social critic in the early 20th century, clearly strove to encompass and influence the “Lifestyle” concept into many aspects of life and living. There are two houses in Maplewood designed by Stickley.
John Russell Pope (1874-1954) was an American architect and designed Ward Homestead, now known as Winchester Gardens in Maplewood, NJ. Pope designed many private houses including ones for the Vanderbilt family. He did many public buildings as well including The Jefferson Memorial and the National Gallery of Art.
John Rattenbury (1928-2021) was a principal architect and co-founder of Taliesin Architects, a firm founded to carry on the legacy of renowned architect Frank Llyoyd Wright. Born in Vancouver, Canada, Rattenbury studied architecture at the Univeristy of British Columbia and Oregon State College (now University) before traveling to Taliesin to meet Wright. He apprenticed under Wright for eight years and designed many major buildings for Taliesin Architects.
Harold Tatton (1879-1965) specialized in the Colonial and Tudor Revival styles which grace much of our community. Born in England, he traveled to America as a young man. In 2002, Tatton’s daughter-in-law Barbara B. Tatton donated to the Durand-Hedden House a voluminous collection of architectural drawings, glass slides and blueprints. Tatton’s files contain a stunning array of drawings and designs for Tudor and Colonial Revival houses, some of which were built in Maplewood, Short Hills, South Orange, Summit and Montclair from the 1920s through the 1950s.
Clifford C. Wendehack (1884-1948) lived in Upper Montclair, NJ, and practiced in New York City. Wendehack became known as a master designer of country club buildings and impressive houses, including one on Hickory Drive in Maplewood, built for Mrs. George Otis in 1927, and several in Montclair that have been named to the National and State Registers of Historic Places.