Emma (née Gruetzke) Brunson (1887–1980) was an American architect and the state of Minnesota's first registered woman architect.[1]

Emma Brunson
Oshkosh Daily Northwestern Feb 1, 1923
Born
Emma Gruetzke

1887
Died1980(1980-00-00) (aged 92–93)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationArchitect

Life and work

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Brunson was probably born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nothing is known of her education and training, however, she worked as a drafter and specifications writer for Augustus F. Gauger for 15 years before she opened her own firm in 1920. She became Minnesota's First registered woman architect on December 23, 1921, soon after the enactment of the Minnesota law requiring registration for architects and engineers. She did primarily residential work until her retirement in 1968. Brunson died in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1980.[2]

Projects

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Some of her buildings are:[3]

  • Hugo Koch residence, Osceola Avenue between Albert and Hamline Avenues, Saint Paul, Minnesota (1923)
  • Emma Brunson residence, Maryland Street between Arcade and Mendota Streets, Saint Paul
  • Theodore Maier residence, 616 Gotzian, St. Paul (1926)
  • C.E. Smith residence, 673 Nebraska Avenue, St. Paul (1926)
  • George E & Anne N Olson House, 203 Montrose Pl, St. Paul (1936)[1]

Legacy

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Her papers are held in the Northwest Architectural Archives[4] at the University of Minnesota.[2]

References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b Troute-Oertel, Diane (Fall 2007). "Emma F. Brunson: The first woman registered as an architect in Minnesota" (PDF). Ramsey County History. Vol. 52, no. 3. Ramsey County Historical Society. p. 15. ISSN 0485-9758. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b Allaback, Sarah (23 May 2008). The first American women architects. University of Illinois Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-252-03321-6. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  3. ^ Lathrop, Alan K. (2010). Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. University of Minnesota Press.
  4. ^ "Emma F. Brunson papers, N123, Northwest Architectural Archives, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN".

Sources

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