Louis Adolphe Simon (1867-1958), Architect

Washington, D.C.

Louis Adolphe Simon was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1869, son of Margaret (nee Torney) and Adolph J. L. Simon. Adolph was a dry goods merchant. In 1894, Louis graduated from M. I. T. and opened a private archiectural practice in Baltimore, which he operated until 1896, when he was appointed to the Office of Supervising Architect at the U.S. Treasury Department. That same year he married Theresa McConnor. Simon served as Chief of the Supervising Architect's Architecture Division, during the long tenures of John Knox Taylor and James E. Wetmore, from 1905-1934. After Wetmore's retirement, Simon was appointed Supervising Architect of the Treasury, directing the designs of federal buildings--post offices, courthouses, customs houses, mints, assay offices, hospitals, and federal office buildings. When responsibility for the design and construction of federal buildings was transferred from the Treasury Department to the new Federal Works Agency in 1939, Simon was retained as Supervising Architect. He responsible for design of several Nebraska post offices between 1933 and his retirement in 1941. Simon was a Member and Fellow of the Association of Federal Architects, and he was an AIA Member Emeritus in the Washington-Metro Chapter. He also was affiliated with the National Institute of Arts & Letters, All Souls Church, the Cosmos Club, the American Planning and Civic Association, and the Committee of 100 on the Federal City. In his personal life, Simon was married and had 3 children. His foreign travel included primarily: England, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, and Switzerland.[3] Simon died May 11, 1958.[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

1891: completed course in architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston.[5][11][e]

1891-1892: study travel (3000 miles by bicycle) in Europe (Italy, France and England).[3][5][10][11]

1893-1896: architect (with J[ohn] Appleton Wilson) and draughtsman (for Wyatt & Nolting), Baltimore, Maryland.[3][5][12][13][e]

1896-1915: architect, Supervising Architect of the U. S. Treasury.[5]

1915-1934: chief, Engineering and Drafting Division, Supervising Architect of the U. S. Treasury.[5]

1934-1940: supervising architect, U. S. Treasury.[3][5]

1942: retired, reappointed consulting architect.[3]

1944: retired.[3]

Architectural Study Travel

England, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, and Switzerland.[3][11]

Buildings & Projects

U.S. Post Office (1934), 120 Pearl St., Wayne, Nebraska.[1] (WY05-053) National Register narrative

U.S. Post Office (1934-1935), 214 E. 4th St., Superior, Nebraska.[1][6][b] (NU13-003)

U.S. Post Office (ca. 1935), 411 Fourth St., David City, Nebraska. (BU05-066)

U.S. Post Office (ca. 1935), 203 E. 6th, Lexington, Nebraska. (DS07-052)

U.S. Post Office (1936), Eastside N. Main between 3rd & 4th , Valentine, Nebraska.[1] (CE14-090) National Register narrative

U,S. Post Office (1936-1937), 410 N. Minden, Minden, Nebraska.[1] (KN04-007) National Register narrative

U.S. Post Office (1936-1937), NW corner 4th & Clay, O’Neill, Nebraska.[1] (HT13-131) National Register narrative

U.S. Post Office (1936-1937), 1320 Courthouse Ave., Auburn, Nebraska.[1][7][c] (NH01-056) National Register narrative

U. S. Post Office (1936-1939), Seward, Nebraska.[4][a] (SW09-166)

U.S. Post Office (1937), 310 W. Church St., Albion, Nebraska.[1] (BO02-004) National Register narrative

U.S. Post Office (1937), SW corner Olive & 5th, Hebron, Nebraska.[1] (TY10-008) National Register narrative

U.S. Post Office (1937-1938), Eastside Spruce bet E 3rd &, Ogallala, Nebraska.[1] (KH04-080) National Register narrative

U.S. Post Office (1938), 144 Main, Crawford, Nebraska.[1] (DW04-007) National Register narrative

U.S. Post Office (1939), 300 N. Webster St., Red Cloud, Nebraska.[1] (WT07-195) National Register narrative

U.S. Post Office (1939-1940), 202 N. 9th, Geneva, Nebraska.[1][8][c] (FM05-126) National Register narrative

U.S. Post Office (1940), 119 E. 11th, Schuyler, Nebraska.[1] (CX06-076) National Register narrative

U.S. Post Office (1940-1941), 703 G, Pawnee City, Nebraska.[1][9][c] (PW06-117) National Register narrative

Notes

a. The cornerstone of the U. S. Post Office in Seward identifies Simon as the Supervising Architect, with Nebraskan Richard W. Grant inscribed as "Architect."[4]

b. At the dedication of the Superior Post Office, a U. S. P. O. representative noted "Superior ranks twenty-fourth in size among cities of Nebraska and your federal building is the twenty-eighth to be occupied."[6]

c. The cornerstones of the Auburn, Geneva, and Pawnee City post offices reflected the transfer of federal building design from the Treasury Department to the Public Works Administration in 1939-40. Auburn's inscription in 1936-1937 listed the Secretary of the Treasury above Louis A. Simon as Supervising Architect. At Geneva and Pawnee City in 1940 and 1941, Louis was still identified as "Supervising Architect," but immediately above his name were the Postmaster General, Federal Works Administrator, and Commissioner of Public Buildings.[7-9]

d. Simon obtained a passport in December of 1891. A brief account in the Baltimore Sun in December, 1892, reported: "Mr. Louis A. Simon, who completed the course in architecture at the School of Technology, Boston, has returned to Baltimore, his native city, after a year's absence in Europe, spent in sketching and studying. Over 3,000 miles through Italy, France and England were made on a bicycle."[10][11]

e. Simon was listed in Baltimore city directories as an architect from 1893 through 1897; previously "Lewis [sic] A. Simon" was listed as a student from 1888 through 1890.

References

1. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

2. "Louis A. Simon Dies; Retired U. S. Architect," Evening Star (Washington, D. C.) (May 12, 1958), 14 (illustrated).

3. "Simon, Louis A(dolphe)," in AIA Historical Directory of American Architects: A Resource Guide to Finding Information About Past Architects, s.v. "Louis A. Simon," database on-line, accessed December 21, 2024 at https://aiahistoricaldirectory.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AHDAA/overview

4. Building cornerstone; recorded January, 2013. Nebraska State Historical Society, Historic Preservation Division, image: SW09-166_NSHSstaff-PHaynes_Jan2013_01.jpg

5. Ancestry.com. U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current, s.v. "Louis Adolph Simon," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

6. "Federal Building Dedicated Here," Superior (Nebraska) Express (June 27, 1935), 4-A.

7. "Lay Cornerstone At New Postoffice," Nemaha County Herald (Auburn, Nebraska) (March 18, 1937), 1.

8. "Post Office Progress" (cornerstone placement), Nebraska Signal (Geneva, Nebraska) (May 2, 1940), 1.

9. "PO Corner Stone Laid Monday, No Ceremony," Pawnee Republican (Pawnee City, Nebraska) (March 13, 1941), 1.

10. Ancestry.com. U.S., Passport Applications, 1795-1925, s.v. "Louis Adolph Simon," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.

11. "Mr. Louis A. Simon,..." Baltimore (Maryland) Sun (December 8, 1892), 8.

12. "Simon-McConnor" (marriage announcement), Baltimore (Maryland) Sun (May 7, 1896), 7.

13. "From Norfolk...A handsome residence for Mr. John W. Burrow, from the designs of Messrs. J. Appleton Wilson and Louis A. Simon, Baltimore architects..." Baltimore (Maryland) Sun (August 22, 1893), 2.

Page Citation

D. Murphy & E. F. Zimmer, “Louis Adolphe Simon (1867-1958), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, March 16, 2015; updated December 21, 2024. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, December 5, 2025.

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