Elise Mercur
American architect / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Elise Mercur, also known as Elise Mercur Wagner (November 30, 1864 – March 27, 1947), was Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's first female architect. She was raised in a prominent family and educated abroad in France and Germany before completing training as an architect at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Her first major commission, for the design of the Woman's Building for the Cotton States and International Exposition of Atlanta, was secured in 1894, while she was apprenticed to Thomas Boyd. It was the first time a woman had headed an architectural project in the South. After completing a six-year internship, she opened her own practice in 1896, where she focused on designing private homes and public buildings, such as churches, hospitals, schools, and buildings for organizations like the YMCA/YWCA.
Elise Mercur | |
---|---|
Born | (1864-11-30)November 30, 1864 Towanda, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Died | March 27, 1947(1947-03-27) (aged 82) Sewickley, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Other names | Elise Mercur Wagner |
Occupation | Architect |
Years active | 1890–1905 |
Notable work | The Women's Building, Cotton States and International Exposition (1895) |
Spouse | Karl Rudolph Wagner |
Children | 1 |
Mercur was a popular lecturer and not only designed, but supervised the construction of her projects. In 1897, she designed the Marshalsea Poor Farm hospital for children in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania and her design of the Washington Female Seminary building led by contractor Clara Meade was completed in 1898. Before she retired in 1905, Mercur designed over a dozen projects, many of which have since been demolished. St. Paul Episcopal Church (1896) at 2601 Center Avenue in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, designed by Mercur, was recognized by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation as a historic landmark.