Thorp Grade School
Encyclopedia
Thorp Grade School is a notable building located in Thorp, Washington
.
On July 16, 2009, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
as a significant example of American
rural
education.
Built at a cost of $41,000 during the depths of the Great Depression
using WPA
funds, the building still stands and has been used continuosly by Thorp School District No. 400 since its construction. A finely crafted red brick Colonial Revival
structure, it was designed by the noted Northwest architect John W. Maloney.
in 1896. His family moved to the Puget Sound
area in the early 1900s. He attended the University of Washington
and Stanford University
, and established an architectural practice in Yakima, Washington in 1922. His most notable building in Yakima is the A. E. Larson Building (1931), an eleven-story Art Deco
masterpiece and the city’s first skyscraper.
In 1943, Maloney opened an architectural office in Seattle
, where he went on to design a number of high profile schools, hospitals, and office buildings. He designed projects for several universities including Washington State University
, Central Washington University
, and Gonzaga
. He also designed the entire campus of buildings at the Perry Technical Institute
in Yakima (1940). Maloney also designed a number of buildings for the Seattle Public Schools
system including Edmond S. Meany Middle School
(1955), Jefferson Park Junior High School (1956), Asa Mercer Junior High School (1957), an addition to Grover Cleveland High School (1958), and Rainier Beach Junior-Senior High School (1960).
Maloney had a strong connection to the Catholic Church
and designed dozens of churches and schools for the Archdiocese of Seattle
. His designs in the Seattle area include St. Benedict Catholic Church in Wallingford (ca. 1958), Holy Family Church in West Seattle (ca. 1956), Sacred Heart Church in Lower Queen Anne (ca. 1959), and St. Anne Church and Rectory
on Queen Anne Hill (1960). His chapel
for St. Thomas Seminary in Kenmore
(1958), now home to Bastyr University
, is considered one of the premiere film scoring
stages in the nation due to its superb acoustics.
As a sole practitioner, Maloney designed a number of forward-looking buildings using innovative structural technologies and modern design elements. Notable buildings include the Northwestern Life Insurance Co.
office (1952), a warehouse for the Seattle School District (1955), the Kittitas County Courthouse (1955), the Seattle First National Bank
Denny Way Branch (1950), and the Blue Cross Insurance
Building on Seattle's First Hill (1958).
In 1963, Maloney partnered with other architects to form Maloney, Herrington, Freesz & Lund. Among Maloney’s notable buildings during this time was the Lemieux Library at Seattle University
(1966). Maloney retired from the firm in 1970.
He died in Seattle on January 23, 1978.
Thorp, Washington
Thorp is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 240 at the 2010 census...
.
On July 16, 2009, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as a significant example of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
education.
Built at a cost of $41,000 during the depths of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
using WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
funds, the building still stands and has been used continuosly by Thorp School District No. 400 since its construction. A finely crafted red brick Colonial Revival
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
structure, it was designed by the noted Northwest architect John W. Maloney.
Architect John W. Maloney
Maloney was born in Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
in 1896. His family moved to the Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
area in the early 1900s. He attended the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
and Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, and established an architectural practice in Yakima, Washington in 1922. His most notable building in Yakima is the A. E. Larson Building (1931), an eleven-story Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
masterpiece and the city’s first skyscraper.
In 1943, Maloney opened an architectural office in Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle 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...
, where he went on to design a number of high profile schools, hospitals, and office buildings. He designed projects for several universities including Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
, Central Washington University
Central Washington University
Central Washington University, often abbreviated CWU, is a public university in Ellensburg, Washington in the United States.This location was selected by the state legislature as a consolation prize after Ellensburg lost its bid to be state capital...
, and Gonzaga
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
. He also designed the entire campus of buildings at the Perry Technical Institute
Technical school
Technical school is a general term used for two-year college which provide mostly employment-preparation skills for trained labor, such as welding, culinary arts and office management.-Associations supporting technical schools:...
in Yakima (1940). Maloney also designed a number of buildings for the Seattle Public Schools
Seattle Public Schools
Seattle Public Schools is the school district serving Seattle, Washington, USA. Its headquarters are in the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence.-List of schools:...
system including Edmond S. Meany Middle School
Edmond S. Meany Middle School
Edmond S. Meany is a public secondary school in Seattle, Washington serving students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Seattle Public Schools school district....
(1955), Jefferson Park Junior High School (1956), Asa Mercer Junior High School (1957), an addition to Grover Cleveland High School (1958), and Rainier Beach Junior-Senior High School (1960).
Maloney had a strong connection to the Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and designed dozens of churches and schools for the Archdiocese of Seattle
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle
The Archdiocese of Seattle is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of Washington. Headquartered in Seattle, the archdiocese encompasses all counties in the state west of the Cascade Range. Its cathedral is St. James Cathedral, and its present archbishop is J...
. His designs in the Seattle area include St. Benedict Catholic Church in Wallingford (ca. 1958), Holy Family Church in West Seattle (ca. 1956), Sacred Heart Church in Lower Queen Anne (ca. 1959), and St. Anne Church and Rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
on Queen Anne Hill (1960). His chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
for St. Thomas Seminary in Kenmore
Kenmore, Washington
Kenmore is a city in King County, Washington, United States, along the northernmost shores of Lake Washington...
(1958), now home to Bastyr University
Bastyr University
Bastyr University was established as the John Bastyr College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1978 in Seattle, Washington by Sheila Quinn, Joseph Pizzorno, ND, LM; William Mitchell, ND; and Les Griffith, ND, LM...
, is considered one of the premiere film scoring
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
stages in the nation due to its superb acoustics.
As a sole practitioner, Maloney designed a number of forward-looking buildings using innovative structural technologies and modern design elements. Notable buildings include the Northwestern Life Insurance Co.
Mutual Life Insurance Company
Mutual Life Insurance Company may refer to:* Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company* Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company* The Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance Company* Asahi Mutual Life Insurance Co...
office (1952), a warehouse for the Seattle School District (1955), the Kittitas County Courthouse (1955), the Seattle First National Bank
Seafirst Bank
Seafirst Corporation was a bank holding company based in Seattle, Washington. Formed on November 11, 1929, from the merger of Seattle's three largest banks, the First National Bank Group, the Dexter Horton National Bank , and Seattle National Bank, the bank was originally named First Seattle Dexter...
Denny Way Branch (1950), and the Blue Cross Insurance
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a federation of 39 separate health insurance organizations and companies in the United States. Combined, they directly or indirectly provide health insurance to over 100 million Americans. The history of Blue Cross dates back to 1929, while the history of...
Building on Seattle's First Hill (1958).
In 1963, Maloney partnered with other architects to form Maloney, Herrington, Freesz & Lund. Among Maloney’s notable buildings during this time was the Lemieux Library at Seattle University
Seattle University
Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member...
(1966). Maloney retired from the firm in 1970.
He died in Seattle on January 23, 1978.
See also
- Thorp High SchoolThorp High School (Thorp, Washington)Thorp High School is a secondary school in Thorp, Kittitas County, Washington.Long a point of pride and center of community life in the town, it was established in 1895...
- Kittitas County, Washington
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Kittitas County, Washington
External links
- Thorp Mill Town Historical Preservation Society
- Thorp School District No. 400
- Docomomo, John W. Maloney A complete biographical account of the life and career of John W. Maloney.