{{Short description|American architectural practice}} '''Purcell & Elmslie''' (P&E) was the most widely known iteration of a progressive American architectural practice. P&E was the second most commissioned firm of the Prairie School, after Frank Lloyd Wright.<ref name=spirit/> The firm in all iterations was active from 1907 to 1921, with their most famous work being done between 1913 and 1921.<ref name=spirit>{{cite web |url=http://www.organica.org/purcellandelmslie.htm |title=Architecture in the Spirit of Democracy |publisher=organica.com |accessdate=October 17, 2017}}</ref>

==History== The firms consisted of three partnerships: '''Purcell and Feick''' (1907&ndash;10); '''Purcell, Feick, and Elmslie''' (1910&ndash;12), and '''Purcell and Elmslie''' (1913&ndash;21). Elmslie had joined the Minneapolis-based firm in 1907, at the request of Purcell.<ref name="gebhard43">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ITwGpzHFAU8C&q=1907 |last=Gebhard |first=David |authorlink=David Gebhard |editor-last=Gebhard |editor-first=Patricia |title=Purcell & Elmslie: Prairie Progressive Architects |publisher=Gibbs Smith |location=Salt Lake City |date=2006 |page=43 |isbn=1-4236-0005-3 |accessdate=October 17, 2017}}</ref> The architects were commissioned for work in twenty-two states, participated in the competition for the National Parliament Buildings in Canberra, Australia, and prepared plans for a large institutional church, or Y.M.C.A., in Hunan, China.

The two principals of the firm, William Gray Purcell (1880&ndash;1965) and George Grant Elmslie (1869&ndash;1952) both eventually received Fellowships in the College of the American Institute of Architects.<ref name=spirit/> '''George Feick Jr.''' who was son of George Feick, an Ohio contractor, was the original partner with Purcell. Purcell and Feick had been students together at Cornell University. They rejoined to tour in Europe together during 1906-1907 and then came to Minneapolis to open their partnership. The firm had offices in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis.<ref name=spirit/> A number of works by each of the partnerships are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

==Notable commissions== *Steven House (1909), Eau Claire, Wisconsin *Dr. Ward Beebe House (1912), Saint Paul, Minnesota * Josephine Crane Bradley summer residence (Bradley Bungalow) (1912) Woods Hole, Massachusetts * Edison Shop (1912) Chicago, Illinois *Merchants National Bank (1912), Winona, Minnesota * Edna S. Purcell House (1913), Minneapolis, Minnesota *Woodbury County Courthouse (1918), Sioux City, Iowa William L. Steele, Architect, Purcell & Elmslie, Associated Architects (George Grant Elmslie, designing architect)

Works include (with attribution):<ref name="nris"/>

===Works by Purcell & Feick=== *Feick Building, built 1909, at 158-160 E. Market St. Sandusky, OH (Purcell & Feick), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Steven House, built 1909, at 606 Second Ave. Eau Claire, WI (Purcell & Feick), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Stewart Memorial Presbyterian Church, built 1910, at 116 E. 32nd St. Minneapolis, MN (Purcell & Feick), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/>

===Works by Purcell, Feick & Elmslie=== *A. B. C. Dodd House, built 1910, at 310 3rd Ave. Charles City, IA (Purcell, Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Two or three works in the NRHP-listed Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District, roughly bounded by Hannifan and N 1st Sts., Aves. C and A West Bismarck, ND (Purcell, Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed,<ref name=nris/> specifically the Prairie School residences at 120 Avenue A West, at 610 Raymond Street, and at 402 Avenue B West. The Patrick E. Byrne House (120 Avenue A West) was built in 1912; the Timothy R. Atkinson House (402 Avenue B West) was built c.1910.<ref name=nrhpdoc_original_bismarck>{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=80002908}} |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration: The Hill / Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District |author=Frank E. Vyzralek and Louis N. Hafermehl |date=February 28, 1980 |publisher=National Park Service}} and {{NRHP url|id=80002908|title=accompanying photos|photos=y}}</ref>{{rp|2,12, 14, 18}} *Merchants National Bank, built in 1912, at 102 E. 3rd St. Winona, MN (Purcell, Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Dr. Oscar Owre House, built 1912, at 2625 Newton Ave., S., Minneapolis, MN (Purcell, Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Merton S. Goodnow House, built 1913, at 446 S. Main St. Hutchinson, MN (Purcell, Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Charles and Grace Parker House, built 1913, at 4829 Colfax Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN (Purcell, Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Dr. John H. Adair House, built 1913, at 322 E. Vine St. Owatonna, MN (Purcell, Feick & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Madison State Bank, Madison, Minnesota, built 1913, razed 1968

===Works by Purcell & Elmslie=== *One or more works in College Hills Historic District, roughly bounded by Colombia Rd., Amherst Dr., Bowdoin Rd., Corporate Limit, University Bay, and Harvard Dr. Shorewood Hills, WI (Purcell and Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Community House, First Congregational Church, 310 Broadway Eau Claire, WI (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Exchange State Bank, NW corner of Main and 1st Sts. Grand Meadow, MN (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *First National Bank (Rhinelander, Wisconsin), 8 W. Davenport St. Rhinelander, WI (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *First National Bank of Adams, 322 Main St. Adams, MN (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *First State Bank of LeRoy, Main St. and Broadway LeRoy, MN (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Dr. J. W. S. Gallagher House, 451 W. Broadway St. Winona, MN (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Jump River Town Hall, S of WI 73 Jump River, WI (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Kasson Municipal Building, 12 W. Main Kasson, MN (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Mrs. Richard Polson House, N of Spooner Spooner, WI (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *William Gray Purcell House, 2328 Lake Pl. Minneapolis, MN (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Windego Park Auditorium/Open Air Theater, between S. Ferry St. and Rum River Anoka, MN (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/> *Woodbury County Courthouse, 7th and Douglas Sts. Sioux City, IA (Purcell & Elmslie), NRHP-listed<ref name=nris/>

==Photo gallery== <gallery mode=packed heights="170px"> File:Stewart Mem Church 2.jpg|Stewart Memorial Presbyterian Church; Minneapolis, Minnesota 1910, Purcell & Feick File:Oscar Owre.jpg|Oscar Owre House; Minneapolis, Minnesota 1911 File:Merchants National Bank Winona.jpg|Merchants National Bank (Winona, Minnesota), 1912 by Purcell and Elmslie File:Parker House 1.jpg|Parker House; Minneapolis, Minnesota 1912-13 File:Purcell and Elmslie Purcell-Cutts House MIA 9092.jpg|Edna S. Purcell House; Minneapolis, Minnesota 1913 by Purcell and Elmslie File:Hoyt House 1.jpg|E.S. Hoyt House; Red Wing, Minnesota 1913 File:McKinley Town Hall Jump River.jpg|Jump River Town Hall, now The McKinley Town Hall; Jump River, Wisconsin 1915 File:Woodbury-county-courthouse.jpg|Woodbury County Courthouse; Sioux City, Iowa 1916-18; with associated architect William L. Steele File:Exchange State Bank.jpg|Exchange State Bank in Grand Meadow, Minnesota </gallery>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * Brooks, H. Allen, ''The Prairie School'', W.W. Norton, New York 2006; {{ISBN|0-393-73191-X}} * Brooks, H. Allen (editor), ''Prairie School Architecture: Studies from "The Western Architect"'', University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Buffalo 1975; {{ISBN|0-8020-2138-7}} * Brooks, H. Allen, ''The Prairie School: Frank Lloyd Wright and his Midwest Contemporaries'', University of Toronto Press, Toronto 1972; {{ISBN|0-8020-5251-7}} * Gebhard, David (edited by Patricia Gebhard), ''Purcell & Elmslie: Prairie Progressive Architects'', Gibbs Smith, Salt Lake City 2006, {{ISBN|1-4236-0005-3}} * Hammons, Mark, "Purcell and Elmslie, Architects," in ''Art and Life on the Upper Mississippi: Minnesota 1900'', University of Delaware Press, 1994 {{ISBN|0-87413-560-5}}.

==External links== {{Commons category}} * [http://www.organica.org/purcellandelmslie.htm Purcell and Elmslie] at Organica

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Purcell and Elmslie}} Category:Architecture firms of the United States Category:Design companies established in 1907 Category:Prairie School architecture * Category:Fellows of the American Institute of Architects Category:Defunct architecture firms based in Minnesota Category:Defunct architecture firms based in Pennsylvania Category:Defunct architecture firms based in Illinois Category:Design companies disestablished in 1921 Category:1907 establishments in Minnesota Category:1921 disestablishments in Minnesota