Edwin B. Cromwell | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 13, 1909 |
| Died | September 22, 2001 (aged 91) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Awards | Fellow, American Institute of Architects (1967); Fay Jones Gold Medal Award (1987) |
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Edwin B. Cromwell FAIA (November 13, 1909 – September 22, 2001) was an American architect in practice in Little Rock, Arkansas from 1936 until his retirement in 1984. In 1941 he became junior partner in the firm of Ginocchio & Cromwell, which had been originally established in 1890 by his father-in-law, Charles L. Thompson. From 1969 until his retirement Cromwell was senior partner of the firm, now (2024) known as Cromwell Architects Engineers.
Life and career
editEdwin Boykin Cromwell was born November 13, 1909 in Manila to Ellis Cromwell, collector of internal revenue for the Philippines, and Ada Cromwell, nee Henley. After the death of Ellis Cromwell in 1912, the family moved to West Point, Mississippi, the hometown of Ada Cromwell. Cromwell was educated in the West Point public schools and Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania before going on to Princeton University. He graduated in 1931 with an AB, followed by a year of graduate study. Having left school during the Great Depression, Cromwell took on a variety of work, both architectural and non architectural. In 1935 he joined the Resettlement Administration and was sent to work in Little Rock. He left government service in 1936 to join the architectural firm of Wittenberg & Delony. While employed by Wittenberg & Delony he married the daughter of Little Rock architect Charles L. Thompson and in 1941 became a partner in the firm Thompson had led from 1890 until his retirement in 1937.
As a partner in the firm of Ginocchio & Cromwell, Cromwell was in charge of "inside work," chiefly design and drafting, while senior partner Frank J. Ginocchio Jr. was in charge of "outside work," construction supervision and client services. In 1947 the firm was renamed Ginocchio, Cromwell & Associates and began work on one of their best known projects, the Arkansas Governor's Mansion, completed in 1950.
Though Cromwell was well regarded for his personal design skills, he believed that architecture was an inherently collaborative activity and strived to develop a,. Seeing the change in the architectural landscape, in 1950 Cromwell hired Dietrich Neyland, a young architect who had been trained in the office of Richard Neutra.
Though primarily a regional firm, the firm also completed projects further afield, including buildings for the former Mackinac College in Michigan and the residence of the United States Consul General in Chennai.
Named partners:
- Frank J. Ginocchio Jr. AIA (1941-1969)
- Edwin B. Cromwell FAIA (1941-1984)
- Charles B. Carter AIA (1961-1969)
- Ben W. Dees PE (1961-1962)
- Dietrich Neyland AIA (1961-1980)
- John J. Truemper Jr. FAIA (1969-2000)
- Robert H. Millett AIA (1969-1974)
- Oliver W. Gatchell Jr. PE (1969-1980)
- Eugene P. Levy FAIA (1974-2000)
- Ray K. Parker FAIA (1980-1988)
- William M. Woodsmall Jr. PE (1980-2000)
- J. Brent Thompson AIA (1988-2000)
Name changes:
- 1941: Ginocchio & Cromwell
- 1947: Ginocchio, Cromwell & Associates
- 1961: Ginocchio, Cromwell, Carter, Dees & Neyland
- 1962: Ginocchio, Cromwell, Carter & Neyland
- 1969: Cromwell, Neyland, Truemper, Millett & Gatchell
- 1974: Cromwell, Neyland, Truemper, Levy & Gatchell
- 1980: Cromwell, Truemper, Levy, Parker & Woodsmall
- 1988: Cromwell, Truemper, Levy, Thompson & Woodsmall
- 2000: Cromwell Architects Engineers
Personal life
editIn 1937 Cromwell was married to Henrietta Thompson, daughter of Little Rock architect Charles L. Thompson. They had three children, all daughters. Their eldest daughter, Gertrude, was married to Eugene P. Levy, a partner in the Cromwell firm from 1974 until 2018.[1]