Emiel J. Christensen (1895-1988), Architect

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Omaha, 1923-1924, and Columbus, Nebraska, 1927-1970; Los Angeles, California, 1925-1926; Jacksonville, Florida, 1926

Emiel Christensen was born in Washington County, Nebraska on April 23, 1895, as the son of Lars Christensen and Maren Pedersen.[2][10][12] After marrying Clara Newmeyer on September 11, 1920, Emiel attended Washington University, at the age of 25, in the same year.[2][10][12] He attended until 1923, before serving with both British and American troops in France during World War I.[2][10] When Christensen returned, he began his career in architecture, first with Thomas Kimball in Omaha, from 1923-1924.[11]

In 1925, Christensen practiced with Jerrold Berry, the Bishop of Florida Diocese, for one year.[2][10] Christensen went on to establish his own private practice in architecture and community planning, Emiel J. Christensen & Associates, in Columbus, Nebraska in 1928, drafting plans for parks in both Columbus and Schuyler.[2][10] Christensen died on May 10, 1988, in Columbus, at the age of 93.[7]

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

Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings

Columbus, Nebraska, 1928-1976

Educational & Professional Associations

1918-1919: soldier, 4th Division, US Army.[2]

1920-1924: special work in architecture, Washington University, and private instruction with European Masters.[11][a]

1921-1923: student, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.[12]

1923-1924: draftsman and assistant superintendent, Thomas Rogers Kimball (1862-1934), Architect, Omaha, Nebraska.[11]

1924-1925: draftsman and geologist in the American Southwest.[11]

1925-1926: draftsman and superintendent, Frederick S. Stott (1889-1968), Architect, Los Angeles, California.[11]

1926: draftsman, spec writer, and superintendent, Jerrod A. Berry, Bishop of Florida Diocese, Jacksonville, Florida.[2][10][11]

1926-1927: private research, sketching, and general study.[11]

1927-1928: draftsman and designer, George Grabe (1883-1949), Architect, Columbus, Nebraska.[11]

1928-1962: architect and owner, Emiel J. Christensen, Architect, Columbus.[11]

1938: Registered Professional Architect, Nebraska, A-45.[11]

1949-1967: Instructor in architecture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln.[11]

1956-1961: member, State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Architects.[11]

1962-1970: architect and owner, Emiel J. Christensen & Associates, Columbus, Nebraska.[12]

Buildings & Projects

Columbus City Hall (1934-1935), Columbus, Nebraska.[8][9] (PT01-140)

Oak Ballroom (1935-1937), Schuyler, Nebraska.[5] (CX06-003)

Isaac Walton League Cabin (1937-1938), Columbus, Nebraska.[6] (PT00-262)

Pa-We-To (1954), Platte River bluffs, Polk County, Nebraska.[13][14][c] (PK00-221)

Writings

Emiel J. Christensen, Created Pawns or Creative Partners: Lecture Notes on Over-all Planning as a Tool of Community Development (Columbus, Nebr.: Author, 1961).

Notes

a. Another reference gives dates at Washington University as 1921-1923.[2]

b. Called the “father of planning” in Nebraska for his pioneering work in community planning across the state.[11]

References

1. Omaha Sunday World Herald (September 23, 1984), F4.

2. Nebraska Press Association, Who's Who in Nebraska (Lincoln: State Journal Printing Co., 1940), 906.

3. University of Nebraska News 38:8 (September 17, 1958).

4. Margaret Currey, The History of Platte County, Nebraska (Culver City, CA: Mucedy and Gee, 1950).

5. Schuyler Sun (May 12, 1977).

6. Columbus Telegram (March 11, 1988), 1, 3.

7. Social Security Death Index

8. “Plan of Columbus Fire Department Becomes Reality,” Columbus Daily Telegram (June 17, 1935).

9. “New Civic Home Adds to Burdens of City Council,” Columbus Daily Telegram (June 17, 1935).

10. Dust jacket from book, Created Pawns or Creative Partners.

11. “From the Files: Emiel J. Christensen, A-45,” The Nebraska Professional (May 1994), 5.

12. American Institute of Architects, comp., American Architects Directory Second Ed. (New York: R. R. Bowker Co., 1962), 117, accessed April 4, 2010, http://communities.aia.org/sites/hdoaa/wiki/Wiki%20Pages/1962%20American%20Architects%20Directory.aspx

13. [Emiel Christensen], "PaWiTo: A 30 Acre Tract Dedicated to the Creative Use of Leisure Time, Owned and Developed by the Bradley and Christensen Families of Columbus, Nebraska," 1969.

14. Bill [Christensen], "Pawito 68601-2," Geocaching, accessed November 14, 2014. https://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GCJQBQ&title=pawito-68601-2&guid=22e5f16c-4aa7-4999-8d30-cf4a72692d7a

Page Citation

D. Murphy, “Emiel J. Christensen (1895-1988), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, September 16, 2014. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, March 28, 2024.


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