Joseph Bell DeRemer Papers, 1887-1986

Joseph Bell DeRemer Papers

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Collection Overview

Title: Joseph Bell DeRemer Papers, 1887-1986

Predominant Dates:1887-1942

ID: OGLMC744

Primary Creator: DeRemer, Joseph Bell (1871-1944)

Other Creators: DeRemer, Samuel Teel (1894-1967)

Extent: 13.5 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 03/11/1982. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Architecture and Historic Preservation, Grand Forks

Languages: English

Abstract

1871-1944; Prominent Grand Forks architect. Also includes items of his son, Samuel Teel DeRemer

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Joseph Bell DeRemer Papers are from 1887 to 1986, although the bulk of the materials are from 1887 to 1942. The collection includes biographical information, architectural blueprints and drawings, newspaper clippings, and photographs. In addition, there are DeRemer's architectural tools, his tophat, and other artifacts. Various plans from Samuel T. DeRemer and his architectural firm of DeRemer, Harrie, and Kennedy Architects are included as well.

Collection Historical Note

Joseph Bell DeRemer was born September 14, 1871, in Montana, Warren County, New Jersey, the son of James K. and Nancy (Bell) DeRemer. Joseph Bell DeRemer sprung from a tradition in carpentry and building which his family had practiced for six generations. It was not a coincidence that he too would show talents and skills in this profession that would eventually take him to Grand Forks, North Dakota, where he created for himself an illustrious and prosperous architectural practice.

He was a carpenter from 1886 to 1896 in Warren County and became a master of the trade working with his father and brothers. His skills and talents in carpentry so impressed friends that they encouraged DeRemer to pursue architecture. Interested by the idea, DeRemer enrolled at Columbia University in a special one year course in architecture taught by Professor William R. Ware. In June 1897, DeRemer left the university and returned to Warren County to establish an architectural practice.

It is believed that between his return to Warren county in 1897 and his departure westward in 1902, DeRemer had already completed 78 commissions in New Jersey. His relocation to Grand Forks was an accidental one prompted by an initial resolve to move to the West Coast in order to find better architectural opportunities. But upon arriving in Grand Forks on March 3, 1902, DeRemer was convinced by D.H. Beecher to stay and participate in the town’s growth and booming economy. Several months later, DeRemer secured the commission to build the Oxford House.

By 1904, DeRemer had become such a prominent member of the Grand Forks community that he was featured in the Silver Anniversary issue of the Grand Forks Herald. In 1906, he joined the town’s influential people by moving to a residential home on Belmont road. By 1912, his buildings were crowning achievements throughout North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.

His Grand Forks buildings, 1902-1912, exhibited classical and renaissance revival details and proportions. These included the YMCA, the Clifford Building, the Grand Forks Public Library (all of which have been razed), the Ontario Store (Griffiths), the Corliss Block (Panovitz Store), the Widlund Block, the Masonic Temple, the New Hampshire Apartments, the Elks Lodge, Central High School Gym, and the addition to First Presbyterian Church. DeRemer residences included his own home at 625 Belmont, the McCoy home at 401 Reeves Drive, and the 1906 remodeling of the Clifford house at 406 Reeves Drive.

In 1912, DeRemer left Grand Forks for Los Angeles, California, to expand upon his architectural vision. However, this move did not completely sever ties with North Dakota, as he designed the North Dakota State Building for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition held in San Francisco, California, in 1915. In November 1917, DeRemer returned to New Jersey and worked with his brothers in the Washington Casket Company, which they operated.

DeRemer returned to Grand Forks in 1919 and began a partnership with his son, Samuel Teel DeRemer. Their architectural firm designed many Art Deco and Art Modern buildings during this period, such as Whitey's Bar in East Grand Forks, the New Ryan Hotel, the United Lutheran Church, the administration building for the Grand Forks Municipal Airport, the addition to the Grand Forks County Courthouse, and the first California-style bungalow in Grand Forks at 706 Belmont Road.

Joseph Bell DeRemer designed several of the buildings at the University of North Dakota including the President's House (now Oxford House), Woodworth Hall, Commons Building, Liberal Arts Building (Merrifield Hall), Delta Gamma Sorority, and Sigma Nu Fraternity. DeRemer, and William F. Kurke were the architects for the new North Dakota State Capitol in Bismarck begun in 1932. DeRemer designed many other buildings in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota communities.

Joseph Bell DeRemer married Miss Elizabeth Myers November 11, 1891, in Stewartsville, Warren County, New Jersey. The couple had a daughter, Delores, and a son, Samuel Teel. Joseph Bell DeRemer retired from active practice in 1937 and died February 16, 1944, in Grand Forks.

Subject/Index Terms

Architecture and Historic Preservation
Grand Forks

Administrative Information

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Accruals:

Additional materials were donated by:

Joe B. DeRemer, East Grand Forks, Minnesota, March 25, 1982 (82-967)

Margery McCanna, McCanna, North Dakota, May 29, 1990 (90-1703)

William Harrie, Grand Forks, July 13, 1990 (90-1713) and February 6, 1992 (92-1809)

The Book Fair, Grand Forks (via Al and Alice Thureen, East Grand Forks), September 15, 1999 (99-2401) and October 3, 2000 (2001-2508)

Lee Furman, Grand Forks, June 6, 2000 (2000-2442)

Royce Yeater, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Chicago, IL, May 30, 2002 (2005-2782)

Sandy Slater, Grand Forks, June 2007 (2011-3145)

Mount St. Benedict Academy, Crookston, MN, June 2023 (2023-3481)

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Source: Stanley Johnson, UND Art Department

Acquisition Method: Donation; 82-964

Separated Materials:

Several items from Joseph DeRemer's personal library were cataloged and added to Special Collections Stacks:

Josiah Allen's Wife. Samantha at the World's Fair. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1893 (DeRemer gave this to his wife)

Palmer, Bertha Rachael. Beauty Spots in North Dakota. Boston: Richard Badger, 1928 (DeRemer's personal copy and signed by the author)

American Homes and Gardens volumes 1-2, 1905-1906

American Homes and Gardens volume 4, 1907

House and Garden volumes 8-20, 1905-1911

Indoors and Out volumes 3-5, 1905-1907

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Joseph Bell DeRemer Papers. OGLMC 744, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid added to Archon in July 2015.

Box and Folder Listing

Box 1

Folder 1: American Institute of Architects Certificate, August 1921

Folder 2: Architecture class materials

Folder 3: Biographical Information

Folder 4: Blueprints - Tau Sigma Rho Fraternity

Folder 5: Building specifications - McCanna Farming Company House

Folder 6: Building Surveys, 1981-1992

625 Belmont Road (Joseph DeRemer residence)

511 Reeves Drive (Alexander Griggs residence)

United Lutheran Church

722 Belmont Road (E.J. Lander residence)

1518 Riverside Drive (Joseph DeRemer residence)

Folder 7: Class notes and certificate, 1896-1897

Folder 8: Correspondence, 1926 and 1931

Folder 9: Courthouse Renovations - Polk County, MN, and Grand Forks County, ND, 1938

Folder 10: Doughboy Service Oil Company Advertisement Drafts

Folder 11: Drawings - Dwelling Schemes for Otto J. Eickhof, Crookston, MN and Assorted Sketches

Folder 12: Drawings - Eagles Building, Crookston, MN, new Ryan Hotel, Grand Forks, and St. Catherine's Church, Lomice, ND

Folder 13: Drawings - Wilshire Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles, CA

Folder 14: Drawings/Plans of Schools - Devils Lake, Hamilton, and Park River, ND

Folder 15: Drawings/Sketches - Assorted

Proposed home of Dr. P.W. Smith

Kelly & Palmer Filling Station

Merrifield Hall Tower

South Side Elementary School

Utzinger Grocery

Kenney Olson Glass Co. and Larson Bros. Painters

St. Vincent's Hospital, Crookston, MN (2)

Unidentified (3)

Folder 16: Financial records, 1906-1915

Folder 17: Hariman Sanitorium, Grand Forks

Folder 18: Hariman Sanitorium, Grand Forks - George Hariman materials

Folder 19: Joseph Bell DeRemer stationery and business advertisements

Folder 20: Library Book Plate and Eyeglasses

Folder 21: Mrs. Joseph Bell (Lizzie) DeRemer - Autograph book and newspaper article

Folder 22: Loose scrapbook pages

Folder 23: Miscellaneous

Folder 24: Mount Saint Benedict Academy, Crookston, MN

Includes a flash drive with image files of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, proposed women's junior college, Mount Saint Benedict Academy, and St. Francis Hospital

Folder 25: National Register nomination - George B. Clifford House, 406 Reeves Drive, 1986

Folder 26: Newspaper clippings - Houses and Buildings

Folder 27: Oxford House

Folder 28: Photographs and Articles - Assorted Houses and Buildings

Folder 29: Postcards

St. Mary's Church and School, Grand Forks (7)

Houses along Belmont Avenue, Grand Forks

School, Cando, ND

Folder 30: Printing plates - assorted

Folder 31: Specifications - Teachers College Building (aka Woodworth Hall), UND

Folder 32: The Improvement Bulletin, May 19, 1928

Profile of three UND Fraternity and Sorority houses (p. 7)

Contracts for UND Liberal Arts Building (p. 31)

Folder 33: United Lutheran Church, Grand Forks

Drawings and plans

Dedication programs, 1932 and 1942

Item 1: Scrapbook, 1909-1955

Box 2

Folder 1: Joseph DeRemer's spats
Folder 2: Lizzie DeRemer's beaded blouse
Folder 3: Lizzie DeRemer's black skirt

Box 3

Item 1: Large Architectural Tools

Box 4

Item 1: Small Architectural Tools

Box 5

Item 1: Black tophat

Items 1-4: Framed sketches and drafting tools

Item 1: Framed sketch of the Bellevue Apartments, J.A. Dinne Co. and Oscar C.G. Knudson, owners, ca. 1923

Item 2: Framed sketch of high-rise building by Samuel DeRemer, 1932

Item 3: Framed sketch by Samuel DeRemer of Joseph DeRemer's book plate, 1922

Item 4: Assorted architectural tools

Photographs 1-75

Separated and placed in the Photograph File Cabinets.

Photograph 1: Joseph Bell DeRemer at work, undated
Photograph 2: Jo’bel and Joseph Bell DeRemer, 1939
Photograph 3: Joseph Bell and Elizabeth DeRemer, June 1942
Photograph 4: Joseph Bell DeRemer at work, undated
Photograph 5: Joseph Bell DeRemer and unidentified, undated
Photograph 6: Joseph Bell DeRemer and his father, James, at the home in Montana, New Jersey, where Joseph was born in 1871
Photograph 7: House on North 25th Street, by alley of sorority facing University
Photograph 8: Samuel Teel DeRemer, undated
Photograph 9: Samuel Teel DeRemer and grandmother, January 1951
Photograph 10: Joseph Bell DeRemer at his desk, undated
Photograph 11: Joseph Bell and Elizabeth DeRemer at their cabin, 1941
Photograph 12: The DeRemer family, (Joseph and Elizabeth; Samuel Teel DeRemer and family), 1933
Photograph 13: Joseph Bell and Elizabeth DeRemer
Photograph 14: Joseph Bell DeRemer's office, undated
Photograph 15: Towner County Memorial Building (Joseph Bell DeRemer, architect), undated
Photograph 16: F.W. Mann & Sons, Devils Lake, North Dakota
Photograph 17: St. Mary's Church and school, Grand Forks (postcard)
Photograph 18: Grand Forks Deaconess Hospital (Samuel T. DeRemer, architect)
Photograph 19: United Presbyterian Church (First Presbyterian), 308 S 5th, Grand Forks, undated
Photograph 20: North Dakota State Building for Panama-Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, California., 1915
Photograph 21: McCanna Family Home, McCanna, North Dakota
Photograph 22: United Lutheran Church, Grand Forks
Photograph 23: United Lutheran Church, Grand Forks
Photograph 24: United Lutheran Church, Grand Forks
Photograph 25: United Lutheran Church, Grand Forks
Photograph 26: United Lutheran Church, Main Auditorium looking toward altar: Grand Forks
Photograph 27: Cando School
Photograph 28: Unidentified
Photograph 29: Unidentified
Photograph 30: Unidentified
Photograph 31: Unidentified
Photograph 32: Architectural drawing: "Low cost dwelling scheme for West lot, Otto J. Eickhof, Crookston, Minnesota" by Sam T. DeRemer
Photograph 33: Architectural drawing: "Low cost dwelling scheme for East lot, Otto J. Eickhof, Crookston, Minnesota" by Sam T. DeRemer
Photograph 34: Cando School
Photograph 35: Compiegne-L'Hotel de Ville
Photograph 36: Geo H. Olmsted Residence, Grand Forks (built in 1920)
Photograph 37: Grand Forks Deaconess Hospital
Photograph 38: Joseph Bell DeRemer Residence
Photograph 39: Joseph Bell DeRemer Residence
Photograph 40: Joseph Bell DeRemer Residence - Flower Garden
Photograph 41: Joseph Bell DeRemer Residence - Reception Hall
Photograph 42: Joseph Bell DeRemer Residence - Dining Room
Photograph 43: Joseph Bell DeRemer Residence - Living Room
Photograph 44: Joseph Bell DeRemer Residence
Photograph 45: Joseph Bell DeRemer Residence
Photograph 46: Joseph Bell DeRemer Residence - Mrs. DeRemer's Pitcher Collection
Photograph 47: Ruettell Clothing Company
Photograph 48: Towner County Memorial
Photograph 49: Joseph Bell DeRemer Family, 1893
Photograph 50: Samuel T. DeRemer
Photograph 51: Delores DeRemer
Photograph 52: Elizabeth DeRemer
Photograph 53: Elizabeth, Samuel, and Delores DeRemer, 1895
Photograph 54: Samuel T. DeRemer, 1898
Photograph 55: Four Generations: Grandma, Mamma, Lizzie, and Delores, 1899
Photograph 56: Family Group at Aunt Alice's New Village, 1905
Photograph 57: Samuel T. DeRemer, 1912
Photograph 58: Elizabeth DeRemer on the day Delores was married, 1915
Photograph 59: Joseph and Samuel DeRemer on the day Sam came home from war, 1918
Photograph 60: Joseph DeRemer and C. Turner, 1926
Photograph 61: Joseph DeRemer
Photograph 62: Joseph DeRemer in his office
Photograph 63: Mr. and Mrs. Joseph DeRemer, taken by Dr. Barr of UND Art Department
Photograph 64: Unidentified
Photograph 65: Unidentified
Photograph 66: Unidentified
Photograph 67: Unidentified
Photograph 68: Unidentified
Photograph 69: Unidentified
Photograph 70: Unidentified
Photograph 71: Unidentified
Photograph 72: Unidentified
Photograph 73: Joseph Bell DeRemer in his library, ca. 1905
Photograph 74: R.B. Griffith and Joseph Bell DeRemer
Photograph 75: Joseph Bell DeRemer Portrait

Oversize Folder 1: Architecture School Drawings by Joseph DeRemer and Sketches by Samuel DeRemer

Six panels of plants and trees on one sheet, July 10, 1896

Six panels of plants and trees on one sheet, January 9, 1897

"A Naples" Plate VIII, July 28, 1896

"The Tuscan Order" Plate X, August 1, 1896

"Balusters and Balustrade" Plate XII, August 28, 1896

Four mounted sketches of high-rise buildings

Oversize Folder 2: Drawings and Floor Plans

Street Front of Proposed Building for Jacob Lampert, Chicago Bakery, Grand Forks (1 sheet)

Sketches of Joseph and Josie DeRemer with Poetry (1 sheet)

Proposed Administration Building, Grand Forks Municipal Airport (4 sheets)

Proposed New State Theatre, Red Lake Falls, MN (2 sheets)

Gymnasium (2 sheets - Ground and First Floor Plans)

Church (1 sheet - First Floor Plan)

Church (2 sheets - labeled A and B)

Oversize Folder 3: Drawings

Project 702 - Lukkason Bar and Café, East Grand Forks, MN (4 sheets)

Gymnasium and Auditorium, Crookston, MN (2 sheets)

Polk County State Bank (1 sheet)

Proposed Modernizing Treatment for Hotel Crookston, Crookston, MN (1 sheet)

Crookston High School Auditorium - Interior Decorative Design (1 sheet)

Elks Lodge and Clubhouse, Thief River Falls, MN (3 drawings on 1 sheet)

Elks - Interior Treatments (1 sheet)

Hotel Francis, East Grand Forks, MN (3 sheets)

Oversize Folder 4: Drawings

Color Schemes for First Presbyterian Church, Grand Forks (2 sheets)

Four Schemes for Redecorating Bobby's Cafe (1 sheet)

Decorative Scheme for United Lutheran Church, Grand Forks (1 sheet divided into 2 separate sections)

Possible Rock Garden at Sunnyrest Sanatorium for Mrs. James K. Anderson (1 sheet)

Home of L.M. Mondry (2 sheets)

Winship Elementary School, Grand Forks (2 sheets)

Dr. Pepper Bottling Plant, Grand Forks (1 sheet)

Proposed Gymnasium, Petersburg, ND (1 sheet)

Proposed Liberal Arts Building (Merrifield Hall), UND (1 sheet)

Sketch of Merrifield Hall Entryway, UND (1 sheet)

Proposed Fraternity House for Epsilon Kappa of Sigma Nu, UND (1 sheet)

Unidentified Building (1 sheet)

Oversize Folder 5: Drawings and Floor Plans

Goebel Motors, Grand Forks (1 sheet)

Public School, Enderlin, ND (2 sheets)

Nestor Tap Room, F.J. Hughes Owner, Fargo, ND (5 sheets)

Lealos (1 sheet)

Oscar's - similar to Lealos plan (1 sheet)

Proposed Memorial Building, Lakota, ND (1 sheet)

Proposed Building for Grand Forks Steam Laundry Co. (1 sheet)

Proposed Filling Station for Kelly and Palmer (1 sheet)

Unidentified Houses - Elevations and Floor Plans (7 sheets)

Oversize Folder 6: Building Sketches, probably by Samuel DeRemer

High-rise building sketches (9)

Interior Drawing - Fireplace and Bench (1)

Oversize Folder 7: Blueprints

Proposed Administration Building, Grand Forks Municipal Airport (4 sheets)

Public School, Cando, ND (5 sheets)

Project 505 - McCanna Farming Company House (copies of blueprints), August 1920 (10 sheets consecutively numbered)

County Courthouse, Jail, and Sheriff's House, Grand Forks (9 sheets consecutively numbered)

Project 246 - House, September 1906 (3 sheets)

Crookston Hotel Cafe and Lounge, Crookston, MN (1 sheet)

Project 607 - St. Mary's School, Grand Forks, 1927? (7 sheets with 5 numbered 1S through 5S)

Project 520 - Grafton State School Dormitory, May 1922 (15 sheets)

Oversize Folder 8: Building Plans, 1904-1926

Project 137 - Grand Forks Public Library, February 1904 (10 sheets)

Project 139 - Panovitz Furniture Building, 31 South 3rd Street, March 1904 (14 sheets)

Project 581 - Delta Gamma Sorority, March 1926 (9 sheets)

Oversize Folder 9: House Plans - 401 Reeves Drive, 1904-1955

Project 165 - House of Robert H. McCoy, 401 Reeves Drive, September 1904 (14 sheets)

Project 218 - Garage at 401 Reeves Drive, October 1905 (1 sheet)

Interior remodeling of Leslie "Bill" Larson house, 401 Reeves Drive, October-December 1955 (11 sheets total with 5 larger sheets consecutively numbered and 6 smaller sheets)

Oversize Folder 10: Building Plans

YMCA Addition, Grand Forks, 1945-1946 (10 sheets plus 5 smaller sheets in a folder)

Project 125 – YMCA, October 1903 (14 sheets)

YMCA Repairs, July 1911 (1 sheet)

United Lutheran Church – Bulletin Boards, ca. 1950 (4 sheets)

United Lutheran Church (5 smaller sheets in folder)

United Lutheran Church (21 sheets of varying dimensions – some torn)

Project 131 - Whitey’s Café, East Grand Forks, September 1946 (5 sheets consecutively numbered)

Whitey’s Café, East Grand Forks (8 blueprint sheets, 7 of which are consecutively numbered)

Project 367 - Masonic Temple, January 1913 (20 sheets consecutively numbered)

Oversize Folder 11: Building Plans

Project 152 - Francis Hotel, East Grand Forks (19 sheets with 1-17 consecutively numbered)

Project 316 - First Presbyterian Church, March 1910 (13 sheets numbered 2-14)

Project 575 - Central High School Addition, February 1926 (15 sheets consecutively numbered with sheet 15 smaller than the rest)

Oversize Folder 12: Building Plans

Project 537 - Bellevue Apartments, June 1923 (18 sheets)

Project 639 – Williston High School (16 sheets consecutively numbered)

Oversize Folder 13: Building Plans - Mount St. Benedict Academy, Crookston, MN

Sketch - Mount St. Benedict Academy Addition, July 27, 1953 (1 sheet)

Plans - Revisions to Chapel, November 14, 1962 (1 sheet)

Proposed Addition and Remodeling, September 28, 1953 (8 blueprint sheets)

Proposed Addition and Remodeling, July 28, 1953 (2 sheets - plans and elevations)

Oversize Folder 14: Building Plans - Mount St. Benedict Academy, Crookston, MN

Colored, Mounted Drawing of MSB Campus, undated

Project 5914, 1958-1962 (20 sheets consecutively numbered, but with two sheets each numbered 2, 7, and 8 – 23 sheets total; 8 of the sheets are blueprints).

Oversize Folder 15: Building Plans - Mount St. Benedict Academy, Crookston, MN

Job 281 - Residence Hall Mechanical Plans, June 5, 1961 (5 sheets numbered M-2 through M-6)

Project 5914 - Residence Hall, May 29, 1961 (18 sheets numbered 3 through 20)

Job 302, Southwestern Engineering Co. – Aluminum Railings, November 1961 (4 sheets numbered 1A through 4A)

Fargo Food & Equipment Co. – Kitchen Plans, August-September 1961 (7 sheets consecutively numbered)

Job 4898, Northern Woodwork Co. – Shelving, doors, etc., 1962 (26 sheets numbered 1, D-1, then 2 through 25)

Miscellaneous Details, November 10, 1961 (1 sheet numbered 37)

Project 5914 - Residence Hall, May 29, 1961 (14 sheets numbered S-1 through S-14)

Residence Hall First Floor Slab (1 sheet labeled B-16)

Project 5914 - Residence Hall, May 29, 1961 (14 blueprint sheets numbered S-1 through S-14)

Oversize Folder 16: Building Plans, 1917

Project 489 – Modesto High School, Modesto, CA, February 1917 (14 sheets numbered 0 through 13 plus 2 smaller, unlabeled sheets)

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