Difference between revisions of "Matthew John McBird (1818-1903), Architect"

Revision as of 14:05, 13 December 2016

DBA: M. J. McBird, Architect

Matthew J. McBird [c] was born June 28, 1818 in Manchester, Oneida County, New York, to Matthew McDonald McBird, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Elizabeth Lockwood. He appeared as an architect in Logansport, Indiana as early as 1855, and was still in practice there in 1869 when he designed the first building for the University of Nebraska. He moved his practice to Council Bluffs, Iowa during his Lincoln work, and for a time also had an office in Omaha. By 1880 he was practicing in Denver, Colorado, where he remained until his death on April 23, 1903.

McBird gained some unwelcomed notoriety as a subpoenaed witness in the impeachment trial of Governor David Butler, 1871, where Butler was alleged to have compelled McBird to deliver to him a portion of the warrant due McBird (as approved by Butler) for his work on the State University building. McBird was not to be found; the prosecutor alleged that W. H. B. Stout had gone to Council Bluffs to urge McBird to flee the state.[6:66, 69-70][9]

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.

Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings

1855-1870: architect, Logansport, Indiana.[2][5:4][7: n.137, p.74][8]

1870-1880: architect, Council Bluffs, Iowa.[5:4][6:69-70][9][d]

1874-1875: architect, Omaha, Nebraska.

1881-1900: architect, Denver, Colorado.[3][4][9]

Educational & Professional Associations

Buildings & Projects

Carroll County Courthouse (1855-1859), Delphi, Indiana.[8]

Pulaski County Courthouse (1861), Winamac, Indiana.[8]

State University Building (1869-1871), 11th & S, Lincoln, Nebraska.[5][6][9][a][b]

Notes

a. D. J. Silver & Son, contractors (formerly of Logansport, Indiana).[5:4]; Morton gives the name of “Robert D. Silver” of Logansport, perhaps the son of D. J. Silver.[6:69]

b. Roberts mistakenly attributes the building to “Bird.”[6]

c. Both the 1860 and 1900 United State federal census very clearly spell his name, “Mathew.” In 1880 he is listed as “M. J.,” and he was not found in the 1870 census.[2][3][4]

d. Directory listings are sporadic during these years.[9]

References

1. Nebraska State Journal (August 14, 1869).

2. 1860 United States Census, s.v. “Mathew J. McBird,” Eel Township, Cass County, Indiana, accessed through HeritageQuestOnline.com.

3. 1880 United States Census, s.v. “M. J. McBird,” Denver, Arapahoe County, Colorado, accessed through HeritageQuestOnline.com.

4. 1900 United States Census, s.v. “Mathew J. McBird,” Denver, Arapahoe County, Colorado, accessed through HeritageQuestOnline.com.

5. John Q. Magie, II, “Notes on John K. Winchell, Kennard House Architect,” TS, July, 1967. Nebraska State Historical Society, Museum Collections, Kennard file.

6. Artemus Roberts, “Memoirs,” TS, courtesy of Mrs. A. H. Sorensen, Tecumseh, Nebraska. Nebraska State Historical Society, Museum Collections, Fairview file.

7. Julius Sterling Morton, Illustrated History of Nebraska Vol. 3 (Linoln: J. North, 1913).

8. Allen County Public Library, Genealogy Center website, “Indiana County Courthouse Histories-results,” accessed September 12, 2012, http://www.genealogycenter.info/results_incourthousehistories.php?county=8

9. Charles O. Brantigan, MD, comp. “Summary of Biographical Information: Matthew John McBird (and his children),” TS (Denver, Colorado: 1995). Copy in Nebraska State Historical Society, Historic Preservation, Architect files.

Page Citation

D. Murphy, “Matthew John McBird (1818-1903), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, February 24, 2015. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, April 29, 2024.

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.