Difference between revisions of "Gertrude Sawyer"
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Latest revision as of 10:02, June 6, 2022
Gertrude Sawyer | |
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General Information | |
Birth | April 2, 1895 Tuscola, Illinois |
Death | February 11, 1996 Los Angeles, California |
Alma Mater | Smith College's Cambridge School of Architecture |
Biography
“People who don’t want a woman architect just don’t come to you. But others see the advantage of your being able to interpret their individual needs because you are a woman.”
-The Sunday Star, March 25, 1956
Dedication to Details
Gertrude Sawyer wanted to be an architect from a young age. She obtained her landscape architecture degree from the University of Illinois and was one of the first women to attend the Cambridge School. Women who attended the school created a network and collaborated on later projects. Fellow student Rose Greely was one of the women Sawyer worked with later in her career. Once her education was completed, she worked most notably for Horace Peaslee.
Sawyer was known as a pioneer woman architect who paid great attention to detail. This is evident in her work at the Jefferson Patterson Estate beginning in 1932. She is most noted for her Colonial Revival designs. Although she was working in the male-dominated field of architecture, Sawyer expressed that she “was always treated fairly.” Matilda McQuaid simply put it: “She did not work harder because she was a woman, but because she was a good architect.”
Sawyer’s dedication to architecture is what brought her lasting clients like Jefferson Patterson and contracts with the government. She gained her license to practice architecture in five different jurisdictions.
Work at Jefferson Patterson Estate
In 1932 Sawyer was hired to design the buildings at Point Farm, where she established great ties with the family. She ended up designing 26 building on the property and was dubbed the “family’s architect.” She had a knack for detail which is obvious in her sections and rigorous note taking.
Lieutenant Commander Gertrude Sawyer
Sawyer played an active role in the military from 1943 to 1945 as Lieutenant Commander for the Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps also known as the Seabees. During her service she and Lt. Kathleen F. Lux designed housing to satisfy the needs of 14,000 people. Their employer, the Office of The Potomac River Naval Command, sought out women architects for their ability to understand the needs of the home. After the war she served as the only female reserve Seabee officer.
Timeline
1895 – Born April 2nd Tuscola, IL
1913 – Graduated from Norborne High School, MO.
1914 – Graduated from Tudor Hall, Indianapolis, Ind.
1918 – Bachelor’s from the University of Illinois (Urbana,Ill), Landscape Architecture a 4 yr degree
1922 – Graduated from Smith College’s Cambridge School of Architecture and Landscape architecture with a Masters in Architecture, a 4 year degree
1922 – Worked for firm Edward Delk Kansas City, Mo. (left in 1923)
1922 – Built first house in Kansas City, Missouri (sold it in 1923)
1923 – Moved to Washington DC, began work with Horace W. Peaslee
1925 – Traveled abroad to England, France, Italy and Switzerland
1926 – Registered to practice architecture District of Columbia
1930-31 – Taught at Vassar during the summer
1932 – Hired to design Jefferson Patterson Residence
1934 – Opened her own firm in DC
1936 – Registered to practice architecture in Maryland
1938 – Registered to practice architecture in FL, OH, and PA
1939 – Becomes an AIA DC member
1941 – Hired by Johnson family to make alterations to Jubilee Farm
1943-45 – Col. Govt Serv: Lt, U.S.N., Civil Engr. Corps Seabees
1950 – Remodeled Tudor Hall, Saint Mary’s
1950 – Hired to make alterations to Sotterley Mansion
1968 – Becomes Member Emeritus of the AIA
1969 – Closed her practice and retired
1995 – Reviewed plans for Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory for conformity of design to her original buildings at Point Farm
1996 – Lived in Pomona, Los Angeles, California; Passed away February 11th
Projects
Map
Library | Church | Government | Commercial | Dwelling | Park | Educational |
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Listing
Project | Completed | Address | Image |
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Project | Completed | Address | Image |