Reed and Stem
Encyclopedia
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
ure firm based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was a partnership between Charles A. Reed (1858–1911) and Allen H. Stem (1856–1931). Formed in 1891, the successful partnership captured a wide range of commissions. One early work was Medical Hall on the campus of the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. They were, however, most widely known for their work on railways over the course of two decades. Through Reed's relationship, by marriage, to the president of the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
, they gained a high profile commission for New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Grand Central Terminal with the architecture firm of Warren and Wetmore, and the newly hired Alfred T. Fellheimer
Alfred T. Fellheimer
Alfred T. Fellheimer was an American architect who was lead architect for New York Grand Central Terminal and Cincinnati Union Terminal....
as lead architect. In addition, Reed and Stem undertook many significant projects for the Great Northern Railway and Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
. After Reed's death, Stem continued to practice with Fellheimer until his retirement in 1920.
The firm continues to practice in New York City as WASA/Studio A.
Major Commissions
- Grand Central TerminalGrand Central TerminalGrand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
, New York, New York, 1913 - King Street StationKing Street Station (Seattle)King Street Station is a train station in Seattle, Washington. Located between South King and South Jackson streets and Second and Fourth Avenue South in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle, the station is just south of downtown...
, Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, 1906 - Livingston DepotLivingston DepotThe Livingston Depot is a restored 1902 Northern Pacific Railroad train station anchoring the downtown historic district of Livingston, Montana...
, Livingston, MontanaLivingston, Montana-Geography:Livingston is located at , at an altitude of 4.501 feet .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 0.38% is waters.-Climate:-Demographics:...
, 1902 - Michigan Central StationMichigan Central StationMichigan Central Station , built in mid-1912 through 1913 for the Michigan Central Railroad, was Detroit, Michigan's passenger rail depot from its opening in 1913 after the previous Michigan Central Station burned, until the cessation of Amtrak service on January 6, 1988...
, Detroit, MichiganDetroit, MichiganDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, 1913 - Tacoma Union Station, Tacoma, WashingtonTacoma, WashingtonTacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, 1911 - Wulling Hall (Medical Hall), University of MinnesotaUniversity of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, 1892 - Northern Pacific Depot, Ellensburg, WashingtonEllensburg, WashingtonEllensburg is a city in, and the county seat of, Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 18,174 at the 2010 census. The population was 18,250 at 2011 Estimate from Office of Financial Management. Ellensburg is located just east of the Cascade Range on I-90 and is known as the...
, 1910
Work with the Northern Pacific Railway
During the tenure of Northern Pacific Railway President Howard ElliottHoward Elliott
Howard Elliott was president of Northern Pacific Railway 1903-1913, and president of New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad beginning in 1913.-Biography:...
(1903–1912), the company engaged in the upgrading of numerous depots across its system, from Minnesota to Washington. Many of these depots bear common architectural stamps, and are likely to be Reed and Stem designs. There is also the possibility the designs for smaller stations were drawn up by the Northern Pacific's Engineering Department, based on the design elements of Reed and Stem. In addition to major works, such as the Tacoma Union Station and the former Montana Division Headquarters at Livingston, Montana, these lesser structures like Ellensburg, Washington, likely include:
- Aitkin, MinnesotaAitkin, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 1,984 people, 892 households, and 434 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,150.3 people per square mile . There were 969 housing units at an average density of 561.8 per square mile...
- Beach, North DakotaBeach, North DakotaAs of the 2000 Census, there were 1,116 people, 470 households, and 292 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 570 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.66% White, 0.18% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.54% from other races, and...
- Belgrade, MontanaBelgrade, MontanaBelgrade is a city in Gallatin County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,728 at the 2000 census.The original townsite of Belgrade was established and filed in the Gallatin County Clerk and Recorder's Office by Thomas B. Quaw, a businessman from the midwest, in July 1881...
- Billings, MontanaBillings, MontanaBillings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
- Butte, MontanaButte, MontanaButte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
- Centralia, WashingtonCentralia, Washington (Amtrak station)The Centralia Union Depot is an Amtrak station in Centralia, Washington. It is served by the Coast Starlight and Amtrak Cascades passenger trains....
- Chehalis, WashingtonChehalis, WashingtonChehalis is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,259 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County.-History:...
- Detroit Lakes, MinnesotaDetroit Lakes, Minnesota-Demographics:As of the official census of 2000, there were 7,348 people, 3,319 households, and 1,845 families permanently residing in the city. The population density was 980.4 people per square mile . There were 3,782 housing units at an average density of 504.6 per square mile...
(built 1908) - Fergus Falls, MinnesotaFergus Falls, MinnesotaFergus Falls is a city in and the county seat of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,138 at the 2010 census.-Today:...
- Garrison, MontanaGarrison, MontanaGarrison is a census-designated place in Powell County, Montana, United States. The population was 112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Garrison is located at ....
(razed 2000) - Helena, MontanaHelena, MontanaHelena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
(Reed and Stem, built 1904) - Missoula, MontanaMissoula, MontanaMissoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
(Reed and Stem Renaissance Revival, built 1901) - Ritzville, WashingtonRitzville, WashingtonRitzville is a city in Adams County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,673 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Adams County.-History:...
(built 1910) - Sandpoint, IdahoSandpoint (Amtrak station)Sandpoint, Idaho is a station stop for the Amtrak Empire Builder in Sandpoint, Idaho, and the only stop the Builder makes in Idaho. The station, parking lot, platforms and track are owned by BNSF Railway....
(circa 1916) - Staples, MinnesotaStaples (Amtrak station)Staples is a train station in Staples, Minnesota served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. It was built in December, 1909, by the Northern Pacific Railway. The architects of the station were Charles A. Reed and Allen H...
(built 1909) - Toppenish, WashingtonToppenish, WashingtonToppenish is a city in Yakima County, Washington, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,949.-History:The General Allotment Act of 1887 granted an allotment of land to a woman of half Indian ancestry, Josephine Bowser Lillie, known as "The Mother of Toppenish"...
(built 1911) The Northern Pacific's Toppenish depot is now run as the Northern Pacific Railway Museum -- http://www.nprymuseum.org. - Trident, Montana (built 1909, moved to Three Forks, MontanaThree Forks, MontanaThree Forks is a city in Gallatin County, Montana, United States and is located within the watershed valley system of both the Missouri and Mississippi rivers drainage basins — and is historically considered the birthplace or start of the Missouri River. The population was 1,728 at the 2000 census...
in July 27, 2011, for rehabilitation into a museum) - Wallace, IdahoWallace, IdahoWallace is a historic city in the Panhandle region of the U.S. state of Idaho and the county seat of Shoshone County in the Silver Valley mining district...
(built 1902) - Yakima, WashingtonYakima, WashingtonYakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
circa 1912: The Northern Pacific built at least three depots in Yakima. The first when they began their construction across Stampede PassStampede PassStampede Pass is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range just south of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington.-Discovery of the Pass:The pass was discovered by Virgil Bogue, a civil engineer working for the Northern Pacific Railway...
circa 1884, a second, larger wood structure with what was to have been a large clock tower in 1901, and a final depot in a style similar to that in nearby Ellensburg, Washington, circa 1912. The last was the likely Reed and Stem design. Ironically, the 1901 depot was designed by another noted architect -- Cass GilbertCass Gilbert- Historical impact :Gilbert is considered a skyscraper pioneer; when designing the Woolworth Building he moved into unproven ground — though he certainly was aware of the ground-breaking work done by Chicago architects on skyscrapers and once discussed merging firms with the legendary Daniel...
. This structure was later relocated to another part of town, and converted into an apartment building. As of 2010, it was still standing in Yakima, minus the clock tower. The Northern Pacific never installed clocks in the tower, instead placing their large Monad trademark (the ying-yang), adopted by the road in 1896. In addition to the 1901 depot at Yakima, Gilbert designed the Northern Pacific's depots at Little Falls, MinnesotaLittle Falls, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 7,719 people , 3,197 households, and 1,899 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,232.5 people per square mile . There were 3,358 housing units at an average density of 536.2 per square mile...
, as well as Bismarck, North DakotaBismarck, North DakotaBismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
, and Fargo, North DakotaFargo, North DakotaFargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
.