Gustav Maass (architect)
Encyclopedia
Gustav Adam Maass Jr. was an American
architect
working primarily in the Mediterranean Revival
style who designed public buildings and private homes in and around Palm Beach, Florida
from the 1920s
until his death in 1964.
Gustav Maass was born in New Orleans, the third of eight children of German immigrants. His father was a mechanical engineer
. Maass grew up in New Orleans and Birmingham, Alabama
. He received a degree in architecture
from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1917, and worked during World War I
in the U.S. Civil Service
at League Island Navy Yard
in Philadelphia. After the war Maass returned to Birmingham
, where he designed a variety of structures, including a Masonic
Temple, power plants, schools, churches, and houses.
In 1921 Maass joined Harvey and Clarke in West Palm Beach
, where he participated in the design of railroad stations
on Florida’s east and west coasts, including the Delray Beach Seaboard Air Line Railway Station, the Deerfield Beach Seaboard station
, and the Homestead Seaboard station
. Maass designed many buildings in Delray Beach
in the 1920s
; his Art Deco
style was reflected in commercial buildings along Atlantic Avenue.
Maass was partners with John L. Volk from 1927 to 1935 in Palm Beach
, when he started his own firm. He designed the American Red Cross
building in West Palm Beach
and the original Rehabilitation Center for Children and Adults facility in Palm Beach
and he also redesigned the interior of the First Presbyterian Church, West Palm Beach
.
The Palm Beach Town Council has designated several Maass-designed houses as landmarks to be preserved, many of which were in the Mediterranean Revival
style featuring simple windows, barrel clay tile roofs, and stucco
exteriors. Maass also used Neo-Classical
and Colonial Revival
styles.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
working primarily in the Mediterranean Revival
Mediterranean Revival Style architecture
The Mediterranean Revival was an eclectic design style that was first introduced in the United States about the end of the nineteenth century, and became popular during the 1920s and 1930s...
style who designed public buildings and private homes in and around Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
from the 1920s
1920s
File:1920s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Sean Hogan during the Irish Civil War; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, which made alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the entire decade; In...
until his death in 1964.
Gustav Maass was born in New Orleans, the third of eight children of German immigrants. His father was a mechanical engineer
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
. Maass grew up in New Orleans and Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. He received a degree in architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1917, and worked during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in the U.S. Civil Service
United States civil service
In the United States, the civil service was established in 1872. The Federal Civil Service is defined as "all appointive positions in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the Government of the United States, except positions in the uniformed services." . In the early 19th century,...
at League Island Navy Yard
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
in Philadelphia. After the war Maass returned to Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, where he designed a variety of structures, including a Masonic
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
Temple, power plants, schools, churches, and houses.
In 1921 Maass joined Harvey and Clarke in West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
, where he participated in the design of railroad stations
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
on Florida’s east and west coasts, including the Delray Beach Seaboard Air Line Railway Station, the Deerfield Beach Seaboard station
Deerfield Beach (Tri-Rail station)
Deerfield Beach Station, also known as the Old Deerfield Beach Seaboard Air Line Railway Station, is a train station in Deerfield Beach, Broward County, Florida, which is served by Amtrak intercity rail and Tri-Rail commuter rail....
, and the Homestead Seaboard station
Homestead Seaboard Air Line Railway Station
The Homestead Seaboard Air Line Railway Station is a historic Seaboard Air Line Railroad depot in Homestead, Florida. The station is located at 214 Northwest 9th Terrace, approximately three-quarters of a mile west of downtown Homestead....
. Maass designed many buildings in Delray Beach
Delray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,020. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S...
in the 1920s
1920s
File:1920s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Sean Hogan during the Irish Civil War; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, which made alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the entire decade; In...
; his 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...
style was reflected in commercial buildings along Atlantic Avenue.
Maass was partners with John L. Volk from 1927 to 1935 in Palm Beach
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
, when he started his own firm. He designed the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
building in West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
and the original Rehabilitation Center for Children and Adults facility in Palm Beach
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
and he also redesigned the interior of the First Presbyterian Church, West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
.
The Palm Beach Town Council has designated several Maass-designed houses as landmarks to be preserved, many of which were in the Mediterranean Revival
Mediterranean Revival Style architecture
The Mediterranean Revival was an eclectic design style that was first introduced in the United States about the end of the nineteenth century, and became popular during the 1920s and 1930s...
style featuring simple windows, barrel clay tile roofs, and stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
exteriors. Maass also used Neo-Classical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
and 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...
styles.
See also
- Mediterranean RevivalMediterranean Revival Style architectureThe Mediterranean Revival was an eclectic design style that was first introduced in the United States about the end of the nineteenth century, and became popular during the 1920s and 1930s...
- Palm Beach, FloridaPalm Beach, FloridaThe Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...