Kelly Hayes McAlonie - Louise Blanchard Bethune: Every Woman Her Own Architect

LOUISE
BLANCHARD
BETHUNE

LOUISE
BLANCHARD
BETHUNE

every woman her own architect

Kelly Hayes McAlonie

Cover image: Original image by Michael Galen of Inkwell Studios. Michael Galen.

This book is freely available in an open access edition thanks to TOME (Toward an Open Monograph Ecosystem)a collaboration of the Association of American Universities, the Association of University Presses, and the Association of Research Librariesand the generous support of the State University of New York and the University at Buffalo Libraries. Learn more at the TOME website, available at:openmonographs.org.

The text of this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), except where otherwise noted.

2023 Kelly Hayes McAlonie

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

Excelsior Editions is an imprint of State University of New York Press

For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY

www.sunypress.edu

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Name: Hayes McAlonie, Kelly, author.

Title: Louise Blanchard Bethune / Kelly Hayes McAlonie.

Description: Albany : State University of New York Press, [2023] | Series: Excelsior Editions | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2022035321 | ISBN 9781438492872 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781438492896 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Bethune, Louise, 18561913. | ArchitectsUnited StatesBiography. | Women architectsUnited StatesBiography.

Classification: LCC NA737.B485 H385 2023 | DDC 720.92 [B]dc23/eng/20220824

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022035321

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For Brian
with whom all things are possible

This book represents a twenty-year journey for me. Along the way, many people helped me in my research, analysis of the details that I uncovered, and reviewing my manuscript while it was in development. First, I am grateful to Adriana Barbasch for endowing me with her twenty-five years of research on Bethune. I will be eternally grateful to you for entrusting me with your significant body of research. Thanks to Kathy Less, Adrianas longtime colleague, for providing analysis and context. Nancy Herlan Brady found the second known photo of Louise and the first photo of Bethune, Bethune & Fuchs. In addition to the other images of Nancys ancestor, Will Fuchs, this photo provides a beautiful glimpse into the lives of the Fuchs family and their friendship with the Bethune family. Zina Bethune provided wonderful anecdotal stories about Louise that she learned from her grandparents. Zinas husband, Sean Feeley, generously donated Zinas family records and other ephemera to the University at Buffalo. This is the Zina Bethune collection on Louise Bethune. I am deeply grateful to Sean for this invaluable gift.

The UB Libraries staff have been incredible colleagues and supporters. Austin Booth, Karen Senglaup, and Beth Adelman suggested my project as a candidate for the TOME project, for which I am incredibly grateful. Amy Vilz was my great collaborator in collecting the materials for the Zina Bethune collection on Louise Bethune. Amy, I miss you very much. I hope that your new adventure in the next life is as wonderful as you projected. Chris Hollister is the best cheerleader in academic publishing. I am indebted to his assistance in navigating the publishing world. Rose Orcutt was a tremendous help in tracking down architectural periodicals and in other areas of my research. UB colleagues Doug Levere and Jeff Smith have been terrific in providing Dougs photographs of Bethunes existing buildings for the book. These beautiful photographs bring her buildings to life and contextualize them in their contemporary surroundings. The UB Gender Institute has long supported me and this project. Thank you to the Executive Committee and especially Kari Winter, Carrie Braemen, and Becky Burke for facilitating the various symposia that featured Bethunes legacy, and for the awards I was lucky to receive from the institute. My colleagues and staff at University Facilities and Campus Planning provided invaluable support while writing this book.

My partners at State University of New York Press have been very supportive of me and my project. Tim Stookesberry has guided me through the process. My editor, Richard Carlin, gave me the critical feedback, advice, and confidence to tell my version of Louises story. Thank you, Richardwithout your guidance, I would not have completed this project and personal goal.

The entire staff at the Buffalo History Museum have been dear friends, and we have worked together to tell Bethunes story to the people of Western New York and beyond. Melissa Brown invited me to co-curate the first exhibit, Buffalos Bethune, which was held during the National Trust Conference in Buffalo in 2011. Cynthia Van Ness has always been generous with her time, knowledge, and research. In 2007, when she showed me the 1892 article on the Buffalo Womens Wheel and Athletic Club that included Bethune, it opened a new avenue of exploration for me. It demonstrated that there was more to Louise Bethunes story than simply the buildings that she designed.

My dear friends in Buffalo have provided critical support to me. Despina Stratigakos has been a devoted friend and colleague for many years. Her astute perspective on the impact of societal norms on turn-of-the-century professional women has been pivotal in how I have approached my manuscript and interpreted the research. Roxanne Button provides me with endless support and perspective on the considerations for women owners of small architectural firmsand Canadian tea when my inventory runs low. Barbara Campagna is my go-to architectural historian who assisted me in unraveling the stylistic changes and making sense of the undercurrents behind them. Barbaras insight and critical editorial eye on my manuscript kept me direct and on point. Mike Chadwick and Paul McDonnell were also helpful in reading specific chapters and offering their perspective as practicing architects in Buffalo. Karen King has championed my work for years and is leading the local effort to tell womens hidden histories through the Trailblazing Women of Western New York Monuments project. Lillian Williams, my UB colleague and friend (and fellow Trailblazing scholar!), provided valuable insight on the fight for womens suffrage in Buffalo.

Martin Wachadlo generated the first comprehensive list of Bethune, Bethune & Fuchs buildings. I used Martins list as my starting point and added to it to create the list of buildings in the appendix. Martin was also a great sounding board for questions I had on some of Bethunes local contemporaries in architecture. Additionally, Martins articles on Richard Waite were a great resource for me. Jon Morris was generous in sharing his research on the Hotel Lafayette that he conducted while leading the restoration of the building in 2010. Rocco Termini has always supported my research and graciously hung our exhibit on Bethune in the restored Hotel Lafayette. Jake Schneider shared his research on the Jacob Dold Warehouse from his restoration of that building. Dana Saylor provided additional information on the Bricka & Enos Building (the John Greiner Estate project). Chuck LaChiusas excellent website, https://buffaloah.com, has been a valuable resource while conducting my research.