Charles C. Rittenhouse (ca.1852-1937), Architect
Charles C. Rittenhouse was born in Ohio, circa 1852. He worked as an architect in Nebraska and Colorado, notably functioning as half of Rittenhouse & Brage, an architectural firm in Grand Island. He is noted as Adam County's first practicing architect, designing many buildings and projects between 1877 and 1895. One of these was the Adams County Courthouse. He also designed over 40 public buildings and homes across the state of Nebraska. He was also the Hastings city councilman and mayor for over 10 years. [8] Rittenhouse was married to Elvira, and he had at least four children with her.[4][5] Rittenhouse died in Glendale, California in 1937. [8]
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
Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings
Hastings, Nebraska, 1879-1880, 1882-1891, 1893, 1894-1895
Educational & Professional Associations
1877-1895: architect, Hastings, Nebraska.[4][8]
ca.1880-ca.1890: city councilman and mayor, Hastings, Nebraska.[8]
1888-1891: architect and partner, Rittenhouse & Brage, Architects, Grand Island, Nebraska.
1900: architect, Canon City, Colorado.[5]
Buildings & Projects
Farrell Block (1880, ca. 1890), 533-537 W 2nd, Hastings, Nebraska.[3][6][8] (AD04-012) NRHP form and photos
Enterprise Building (1887), 1st & Burlington, Hastings, Nebraska.[1]
Keith County Courthouse (1888), Ogallala, Nebraska.[2]
Adams County Courthouse (1889) (Demolished 1964) 3rd to 4th between Hastings and Denver Avenues, Hastings, Nebraska.[#References|[7][8]]]
Undated
Nebraska Loan and Trust, Downtown, Hastings, Nebraska.[#References|[6][8]]]
McCormick Hall at Hastings College, Hastings, Nebraska.[#References|[6][8]]]
Notes
a. Not found in federal census in Nebraska in 1870 or in U.S. in 1910.
References
1. Hastings Gazette-Journal (March 23, 1887), 8:3.
2. Oliver B. Pollak, Nebraska Courthouses: Contention, Compromise, and Community [Images of America Series] (Chicago: Arcadia Publishing, 2002), 46. [725.1.P771n]
3. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
4. 1880 United States Census, s.v. “C. C. Rittenhouse,” Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska, accessed through HeritageQuestOnline.com.
5. 1900 United States Census, s.v. “Chas C. Rittenhouse,” Canon City, Fremont County, Colorado, accessed through HeritageQuestOnline.com.
6. Catherine Renschler and Elizabeth Spilinek, “Central Hastings Historic District,” Historical News (Adams County Historical Society) 36:5 (2003), 9.
7. Hastings: A Walking Tour Guide of the Historic Downtown Area (Hastings: Cornhusker Press, for the Adams County Historical Society, [1980]).
8. "Rittenhouse & Way: Architects of Hastings' First Half Century," (Adams County Historical Society), accessed on April 25, 2017 via http://www.adamshistory.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43:architects&catid=2:history&Itemid=42
Page Citation
D. Murphy, “Charles C. Rittenhouse (ca.1852-1937), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, March 10, 2015. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, May 3, 2024.
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