Difference between revisions of "Paul O. Moratz (1866-1939), Architect"

Revision as of 15:43, 18 January 2018

Paul Moratz was born on April 14, 1866 in Granwitz, Posen, Germany. He was the oldest of seven children born to Herman and Emelie (Eisner) Moratz. In 1868 Herman sent for his wife and their two year old son Paul, to join him in Bloomington, Illinois, which became the family’s permanent home. Paul assisted with his father's carpentry work. He went to study architectural drawing at Illinois Industrial School from 1888-1889. To pay his own way, Moratz did many small carpentry jobs for people that he knew. He likely graduated in 1892 but it is unconfirmed. Afterwards, Moratz returned to Bloomington. By the late 1880s Paul took over work for his father, and the shop now offered counters, furniture, shelving, plans for remodeling, buildings, as well as repair work. Moratz built planing mills and woodworking factories in Bloomington. He married his wife Emma Riebsame, daughter of German immigrants, on December 28, 1893. The couple lived with their two sons, Roland and Armin, in two Wood St. homes that Paul built in Bloomington. [2]

Moratz was licensed to practice architecture in the State of Illinois in 1897. Moratz built not only many homes in Bloomington, but also 28 to 60 libraries, several churches, schools, and the original "Coliseum" convention center in Bloomington. After four and a half city blocks (45 buildings) burned in a fire in 1900, Moratz and 2 other Bloomington architects helped rebuild the entire downtown area in 18 months in a "harmonious style." By 1909, Moratz's planing mill had grown to employ 80 "experienced wood workers" during the busy season. His building was destroyed by a fire in 1925, and he rebuilt with his business focus on his patented ready-to-install hardwood flooring. Again partially destroyed by fire in 1931, Moratz repaired the plant once more, which he then operated until his death. Paul Moratz died on March 4, 1939.[2]

This page is a contribution to the publication, Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. See the format and contents page for more information on the compilation and page organization.

Educational & Professional Associations

ca. 1900: employed A.T. Simmons, Architect [2]

Buildings & Projects

Home for John Van Schoick (1892), 103 W. Wood St., Bloomington, Illinois.[2]

St. Patrick's Church (1893), W. Locust St., Bloomington, Illinois.[2]

Home for Henry Miller (1895), 909 S. Center St., Bloomington, Illinois.[2]

Moratz 2nd Home (1895-1896), 108 W. Wood St., Bloomington, Illinois.[2]

Home for William Van Schoick (1896), 302 W. Wood St., Bloomington, Illinois.[2]

Addition to Withers Public Library (1897), Bloomington, Illinois.[2]

Original Coliseum (1897), Front St & Roosevelt Ave., Bloomington, Illinois.[2][3]

A. Herr & E.E. Smith Public Library (1897), Loda, Illinois.[2]

Main Iron & Rock gates to "Whites Place" (1898), White's Place Nbhd., Bloomington, Illinois.[2][3]

Home for Phineas and Mattie Stubblefield (1898), 518 E. Chestnut St., Bloomington, Illinois.[2][3]

Home for John & Ada Bertoni (1898), 807 S. Main St., Bloomington, Illinois.[2]

Home for Everett & Christine Oglevee (1898), 1107 E. Monroe St., Bloomington, Illinois.[2]

Home for Samuel White (1899), 27 White Pl., Bloomington, Illinois.[2][3]

Klemm building for C.W. Klemm (1901), 105-107 W Jefferson St., Bloomington, Illinois.[2]

Bridge across Eastern end of Miller Park (ca. 1901), Bloomington, Illinois.[2]

School for St. Patrick's Church (1902), W. Locust St., Bloomington, Illinois.[2]

School and Convent for St. Mary's Parish (1902), Pontiac, Nebraska.[2]

St. John's parish Church (1902), Fairbury, Illinois.[2]

Edwards School (1902-1904), 801-804 W. Market St., Bloomington, Illinois.[2]

Pekin Library (1903), Pekin, Illinois.[2]

Tuscola Public Library (1903), Tuscola, Illinois.[2]

Moratz 3rd Home (1903-1904), 210 W. Wood St., Bloomington, Illinois.[2]

Paxton Carnegie Library (1904), Paxton, Illinois.[2]

Sullivan Public Library (1909), Sullivan, Indiana.[2]

Dominy Memorial Library (1905), Fairbury, Illinois.[2]

Downs Public Library (1905), Downs, Kansas.[2]

Whiting Public Library (1906), Whiting, Indiana.[2]

Russell Public Library (1906), Russell, Kansas.[2]

El Paso Public Library (1906), El Paso, Illinois.[2]

"Broadview" Home for Bird & Margaret Van Leer (now Van Leer Academy of Music & Arts) (1906), 1301 S. Fell Ave., Normal, Illinois.[2]

Harriman Public Library (1908), Harriman, Kansas.[2]

Adrian Public Library (1909), Adrian, Michigan.[2]

Neligh Carnegie Library (1908-1911) 510 Main, Neligh, Illinois.[1][a] (AP04-011)

Writings & Publications

Paul O. Moratz, Up-to-date Homes, Bloomington, Illinois, 1899. 2][3]

Paul O. Moratz, Artistic Homes, Bloomington, Illinois, monthly, ca. 1890s.2][3]

Patent for Ready-to-install Hardwood Flooring, received April 3, 1934. 2]

Notes

References

1. State Library Commission files.

2. Candace Summers, "Paul Moratz (1866-1939)" McLean County Museum of History Website. Accessed January 12 via https://web.archive.org/web/20170306144921/http://www.mchistory.org/research/resources/paul-moratz.php

3. "Paul O. Moratz Collection" McLean County Museum of History Website. Accessed January 18 via https://web.archive.org/web/20160624021958/http://www.mchistory.org/old/find/paulmoratz.html

Page Citation

Patrick Haynes, “Paul O. Moratz (1866-1939), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, January 18, 2018. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, June 24, 2025.

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