George W. Maher

Infobox Architect


name=George Washington Maher
nationality=American
birth_date=birth date|1864|12|25|df=y
birth_place=Mill Creek, West Virginia, U.S.
death_date=death date and age|1926|9|12|1864|12|25|df=y
death_place=Douglas, Michigan
practice_name=
significant_buildings=
significant_projects=
awards=|

George Washington Maher (December 25 1864—September 12 1926) was a significant contributor to the Prairie School-style of architecture, during the first-half of the 20th century. He also was known for blending the traditional with the Arts & Crafts-style. Maher was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1916.

Biography

George Maher was born in Mill Creek, West Virginia, but moved as a small boy with his family to New Albany, Indiana, where he attended public elementary school.

At the age of 13 he was apprenticed at the Chicago architectural firm of Augustus Bauer and Henry Hill. In 1887 he joined the office of residential architect Joseph L. Silsbee as a draftsman where he worked with Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1888 Maher formed a partnership with Cecil Corwin; however, that same year he began his own practice in Chicago.

Maher had strong ties to Kenilworth, Illinois. His own home was built there in 1893, which was only one of about 40 homes he designed in Kenilworth. Along with the homes he also designed the entrance to the village as well as a number of other public embellishments.

Along with his son Philip Maher under the name of "George W. Maher & Son" he designed multiple buildings and landscapes throughout the Chicago area. From 1924 to the winter of 1925, George Maher was in a Wisconsin hospital due to depression. His final work was commissioned by the Gary Heat, Light, and Water Company of Gary, Indiana. They requested for him to design their new warehouse. This design embodied the last set of drawings to hold his name and architectural registration. In the fall of 1926, George W. Maher took his own life at the age of 61.

By the time of his death he had designed over 270 projects; from houses to parks to public buildings. One of the largest concentrations of his work is along Hutchinson Street, on Chicago's North Side lakefront.

References

*"George W. Maher - Prairie style Architect of the Pleasant Home in Oak Park, Illinois", by Paul E. Sprague ^{[http://www.oprf.com/Maher/]}
*"George Washington Maher", by John Edward Powell ^{[http://historicfresno.org/bio/maher.htm]}
*"George W. Maher & Son", by Christopher Meyer ^{[http://www.chameyer.net/maher.html]}
*"Chicago Landmarks - George Maher", ^{[http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/Architects/Maher.html]}

Further reading

* Brooks, H. Allen, "The Prairie School", W.W. Norton, New York 2006; ISBN 039373191X
* Brooks, H. Allen (editor), "Prairie School Architecture: Studies from "The Western Architect", University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Buffalo 1975; ISBN 0802021387
* Brooks, H. Allen, "The Prairie School: Frank Lloyd Wright and his Midwest Contemporaries", University of Toronto Press, Toronto 1972; ISBN 0802052517