Pond and Pond
Encyclopedia
Pond and Pond was an American architecture firm established by the Chicago architects Irving Kane Pond
and Allen Bartlitt Pond.
idiom, the brothers gained renown for elaborately detailed brickwork and irregular massing of forms. One of their earliest projects, in 1885, was a building for the Ladies Library Association of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Only the dated cornerstone survives—preserved in a stairwell of the present Ann Arbor Public Library.
Irving K. and Allen B. Pond were born in Ann Arbor, Michigan
. Their father was newspaperman Elihu Pond, editor of the weekly Ann Arbor Argus. Jokingly called by friends "Ikey" and "Abie", after their initials, the two brothers attended the University of Michigan
, where in 1879 they were pupils in architectural classes given by William LeBaron Jenney, who commuted from Chicago to deliver the first courses in architecture at Michigan. [Later, in the Home Insurance Building, Jenney developed the steel skeleton framework that made highrise buildings possible.]
The Pond brothers were part of an active artists' scene in Chicago that included Lorado Taft
, Bert Leston Taylor
, Jane Addams
, and Harriet Monroe
. The brothers were founding members of the Eagle's Nest Art Colony
in Ogle County, Illinois, and associated with Jane Addams
' Hull House
in Chicago, for whom they designed various buildings.
The firm was considered among the "earliest modernizers in architecture" in the period after the Great Chicago Fire
.
The firm was also notable for its success in a new field of architectural design, that of large university student union
buildings. Pond and Pond built student unions for the campuses of Purdue University
, University of Michigan
, Michigan State
, and University of Kansas
. One interesting note is that their most significant student union building, the Michigan Union, was built on the site of the brothers' boyhood home.
Allen Bartlitt Pond was born in Ann Arbor, MI, on November 21, 1858, and died in Chicago on March 17, 1929. Irving Kane Pond was born in Ann Arbor on May 1, 1857, and died in Washington, D. C., on September 29, 1939.
Architects trained through the firm of Pond and Pond include Andrew Willatsen
. The firm's papers are housed in the Art Institute of Chicago
.
Irving Kane Pond
Irving Kane Pond was an American architect, college athlete, and author.Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Pond attended the University of Michigan and received a degree in civil engineering in 1879...
and Allen Bartlitt Pond.
Overview
Working in the Arts and CraftsArts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
idiom, the brothers gained renown for elaborately detailed brickwork and irregular massing of forms. One of their earliest projects, in 1885, was a building for the Ladies Library Association of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Only the dated cornerstone survives—preserved in a stairwell of the present Ann Arbor Public Library.
Irving K. and Allen B. Pond were born in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
. Their father was newspaperman Elihu Pond, editor of the weekly Ann Arbor Argus. Jokingly called by friends "Ikey" and "Abie", after their initials, the two brothers attended the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, where in 1879 they were pupils in architectural classes given by William LeBaron Jenney, who commuted from Chicago to deliver the first courses in architecture at Michigan. [Later, in the Home Insurance Building, Jenney developed the steel skeleton framework that made highrise buildings possible.]
The Pond brothers were part of an active artists' scene in Chicago that included Lorado Taft
Lorado Taft
Lorado Zadoc Taft was an American sculptor, writer and educator. Taft was born in Elmwood, Illinois in 1860 and died in his home studio in Chicago in 1936.-Early years and education:...
, Bert Leston Taylor
Bert Leston Taylor
Bert Leston Taylor was an American columnist, humorist, poet, and author.Bert Leston Taylor became a journalist at seventeen, a librettist at twenty-one, and a successfully published author at thirty-five...
, Jane Addams
Jane Addams
Jane Addams was a pioneer settlement worker, founder of Hull House in Chicago, public philosopher, sociologist, author, and leader in woman suffrage and world peace...
, and Harriet Monroe
Harriet Monroe
Harriet Monroe was an American editor, scholar, literary critic, poet and patron of the arts. She is best known as the founding publisher and long-time editor of Poetry Magazine, which made its debut in 1912. As a supporter of the poets Ezra Pound, H. D., T. S...
. The brothers were founding members of the Eagle's Nest Art Colony
Eagle's Nest Art Colony
The Eagle's Nest Art Colony, the site known in more modern times as the Lorado Taft Field Campus, was founded in 1898 by American sculptor Lorado Taft on the bluffs flanking the east bank of the Rock River, overlooking Oregon, Illinois...
in Ogle County, Illinois, and associated with Jane Addams
Jane Addams
Jane Addams was a pioneer settlement worker, founder of Hull House in Chicago, public philosopher, sociologist, author, and leader in woman suffrage and world peace...
' Hull House
Hull House
Hull House is a settlement house in the United States that was co-founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. Located in the Near West Side of , Hull House opened its doors to the recently arrived European immigrants. By 1911, Hull House had grown to 13 buildings. In 1912 the Hull...
in Chicago, for whom they designed various buildings.
The firm was considered among the "earliest modernizers in architecture" in the period after the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
.
The firm was also notable for its success in a new field of architectural design, that of large university student union
Student activity center
A student activity center is a type of building found on university campuses. In the United States, such a building is more often called a student union, student commons, or student center...
buildings. Pond and Pond built student unions for the campuses of Purdue University
Purdue Memorial Union
The Purdue Memorial Union is a student union building located on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. It opened in 1924 as a memorial to the Purdue students who had fought in World War I...
, University of Michigan
Michigan Union
The Michigan Union is a student union at the University of Michigan. It is located at the intersection of South State Street and South University Avenue in Ann Arbor, Michigan....
, Michigan State
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, and University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
. One interesting note is that their most significant student union building, the Michigan Union, was built on the site of the brothers' boyhood home.
Allen Bartlitt Pond was born in Ann Arbor, MI, on November 21, 1858, and died in Chicago on March 17, 1929. Irving Kane Pond was born in Ann Arbor on May 1, 1857, and died in Washington, D. C., on September 29, 1939.
Architects trained through the firm of Pond and Pond include Andrew Willatsen
Andrew Willatsen
Andrew Willatsen was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.-Early life and emigration:...
. The firm's papers are housed in the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
.
Selected commissions
- Victor Clarence Vaughan House - Ann Arbor, MI (1882) Irving Pond
- West Physics Building (demolished 1966) - University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, Ann Arbor, MI (1887) - J.C. Coonley House - Chicago, IL (1894)
- Paul C. Freer House - Ann Arbor, MI (1898)
- James Westfall Thompson House (now Faculty Housing) - Hyde Park, Illinois (1899)
- Eugene R. Hutchins Residence, 1429 N. Astor St. Chicago, IL 1890s
- Fred W. Job Residence, 4575 S. Oakenwald Ave. Chicago, IL 1890s
- Kasson Residence, 1442 Astor St. (formerly 148 Astor) Chicago, IL 1900s
- Chicago Commons Building - Chicago, IL (1901)
- Howe House - Evanston, IllinoisEvanston, IllinoisEvanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
1905 - Kent Building/KuppenheimerKuppenheimerB. Kuppenheimer & Co., or simply Kuppenheimer, was a mens clothing manufacturing and retail operation based in Chicago, Illinois and later Atlanta, Georgia.- History :...
Warehouse - Chicago, Illinois (1905) - Hull HouseHull HouseHull House is a settlement house in the United States that was co-founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. Located in the Near West Side of , Hull House opened its doors to the recently arrived European immigrants. By 1911, Hull House had grown to 13 buildings. In 1912 the Hull...
Dining Halls - Chicago, Illinois (1905) - Hull House, Coffee House - 800 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL (1905)
- American School of Correspondence Building - University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, Hyde Park, Illinois (1907) - Lorado Taft Midway StudiosLorado Taft Midway StudiosThe Lorado Taft Midway Studios consist of a converted and relocated barn that became the art studio of one of the early 20th century's most important sculptors, Lorado Taft. It is located in the Woodlawn community area of Chicago, Illinois and is now owned by the University of Chicago. It was...
- Hyde Park, Illinois (1909) - Thalfried Estate - 565 East Deerpath, Park Ridge, IL (1909)
- Post Office - Kankakee, IL (1908)
- Oregon Public LibraryOregon Public LibraryThe Oregon Public Library is located in Oregon, Illinois, United States, the county seat of Ogle County. The building is a public library that was constructed in 1909. Prior to 1909, Oregon's library was housed in different buildings, none of which were designed to house a library. The library was...
- Oregon, IllinoisOregon, IllinoisOregon is a city located in Ogle County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 3,721, down from 4,060 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ogle County.- History :...
(1909) - City Club Building - Chicago, Illinois (1910)
- Park Ridge Public LibraryPark Ridge Public LibraryThe Park Ridge Public Library serves residents and businesses of the village of Park Ridge, Illinois. Park Ridge is a northwest suburb of Chicago. The library serves a population of 37,775 residents and is located at 20 S. Prospect Ave, Park Ridge, IL 60068 in the Uptown neighborhood...
- Park Ridge, IL (1912) - Soldiers' MonumentThe Soldiers' Monument (Oregon, Illinois)The Soldiers' Monument is a memorial consisting of three statues, one in bronze and two in marble by sculptor Lorado Taft, grouped around an exedra designed by the architectural firm of Pond and Pond. It is located in Oregon, Illinois, the county seat of Ogle County, Illinois. It was dedicated in...
- Oregon, IL (1916) - Michigan UnionMichigan UnionThe Michigan Union is a student union at the University of Michigan. It is located at the intersection of South State Street and South University Avenue in Ann Arbor, Michigan....
Building - University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, Ann Arbor, MI (1917) - Big House, Los Alamos Ranch SchoolLos Alamos Ranch SchoolLos Alamos Ranch School was a private boarding school for boys in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, near Otowi, in what would eventually become Los Alamos, New Mexico...
- Los Alamos, New MexicoLos Alamos, New MexicoLos Alamos is a townsite and census-designated place in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States, built upon four mesas of the Pajarito Plateau and the adjoining White Rock Canyon. The population of the CDP was 12,019 at the 2010 Census. The townsite or "the hill" is one part of town while...
(1917) - Purdue Memorial UnionPurdue Memorial UnionThe Purdue Memorial Union is a student union building located on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. It opened in 1924 as a memorial to the Purdue students who had fought in World War I...
- West Lafayette, IN (1924) - Student Union Building - Michigan State UniversityMichigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, East Lansing, MI (1924) - Student Union Building - University of KansasUniversity of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, Lawrence, KansasLawrence, KansasLawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
(1927) - Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind Building - Chicago, Illinois (1927)
- Michigan League Building - University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, Ann Arbor, MI (1929) - Student Publications Building - 420 Maynard Street, University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, Ann Arbor, MI - YMCA Building, 110 North Fourth Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI
- Illinois Carnegie Libraries Multiple Property SubmissionIllinois Carnegie Libraries Multiple Property SubmissionIllinois Carnegie Libraries Multiple Property Submission was a National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Submission in the U.S. state of Illinois in 2002. The submission included a group of sixteen Illinois libraries whose construction was funded by early 20th century philanthropist...
- Baptist Home Missionary Training School - Chicago, IL
- Franklin Head Residence - Chicago, IL
- Highland Park Club House - Highland Park, IL