Lawrence Bolton Valk (1838-1924), Architect
DBA: L. B. Valk; L. B. Valk & Son
Lawrence Bolton Valk was born in Florida in 1838. He was listed in New York City directories as an architect as early as 1859. He built a nationwide practice specializing in church design, including First Presbyterian Church of 1884-1885 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Valk and his wife Ellen E. had four children. Their son Arthur joined his father as L. B. Valk and Son in 1885. Valk & Son moved their practice to Los Angeles around 1900, where they emphasized residential design. [1][2][3][a] L. B. Valk died in Los Angeles in 1924.[11][12]
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.
Contents
[hide]Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings
none
Educational & Professional Associations
ca. 1859-1885: architect, New York City.
1885-ca. 1899: senior partner in L. B. Valk & Son, New York City.
ca. 1900-1924: architect with L. B. Valk & Son, Los Angeles.
Buildings & Projects
Dated
1880s
First Presbyterian Church (1884-1885), SW corner of 13th & M Streets, Lincoln, Nebraska.[4][a]
Notes
a. William M. Clark, "Secretary Board of Trustees" of First Presbyterian Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, placed a "Notice to Builders" in the Nebraska State Journal of April 10, 1884 (and several subsequent dates), soliciting bids "for the erection of a church edifice for the First Presbyterian church...according to the plans, specifications and detail drawings made by Valk..."[4]
References
1. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line], s.v. "Lawrence B. Valk." Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.
2. Catherine W. Bishir, "L. B. Valk & Son," 2016, in North Carolina Architects and Builders: A Biographical Dictionary, [database on-line at http://ncarchitects.lib.ncsu.edu/people/P000603], accessed July 20, 2018.
3. Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado Historical Society, "L. B. Valk & Son" in Architects of Colorado, on-line at http://legacy.historycolorado.org/sites/default/files/files/OAHP/Guides/Architects_valk.pdf, accessed July 20, 2018.
4. "Notice to Builders," (Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal (April 10, 1884), 8.
5. "L. B. Valk Architectural Co.," Los Angeles Herald (September 3, 1905), 2.
Page Citation
D. Murphy & E. Zimmer “Lawrence Bolton Valk (1838-1924), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, July 20, 2018. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, July 2, 2025.
Contact the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office with questions or comments concerning this page, including any problems you may have with broken links (see, however, the Disclaimers link at the bottom of this page). Please provide the URL to this page with your inquiry.
