naa013 William Channing Whitney collection Archives Staff University of Minnesota Libraries undated

University of Minnesota Libraries Minneapolis, MN 55455

EAD encoding by Karen Spilman, May 2005 English Whitney, William Channing, 1851-1945 William Channing Whitney collection 1890-1913 University of Minnesota Libraries. Northwest Architectural Archives, Manuscripts Division [naa] 3.5 cubic feet Collection contains renderings and elevations for residences and buildings designed by architect William Channing Whitney. N 13 English Mezzanine; A-V Room; High Bay Administrative Information Restrictions on Access

Available for use in the Manuscripts Division reading room. Advance notice is requested.

Restrictions on Use

There are no restrictions on the use of materials in this collection. Copies can be requested if the condition of the originals warrants it.

Preferred Citation

William Channing Whitney collection (N 13), Northwest Architectural Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically by commission name.

Biographical Note

William Channing Whitney was born on April 11, 1851 in Worcester County, Massachusetts. He was educated at Lawrence Academy (Groton, CT), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received his B.S. from the Massachusetts Agricultural College in 1872. He worked in the Boston architectural firm of Emerson and Fehmer for five years before moving to Minneapolis in 1877. From 1879 to 1885, Whitney was in partnership with James C. Plant. The firm of Plant and Whitney designed many buildings and residences, including the E.A. Merrill house (1884) and the Dyer Music Store (1884).

Starting in 1885, Whitney began his own practice and soon became one of the Twin Cities’ most fashionable residential architects, designing homes for William Dunwoody (1905), Frank Heffelfinger (1902), and Thomas Irvine (1910-1911); the Irvine house is now the Governor’s Mansion in St. Paul. Whitney was a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts and a strong proponent of city parks and beautification. His office was a training center for many young architects, such as C.B. Chapman, Adam L. Dorr, and Serenus Colburn. His designs were never really innovative and tended to follow all of the currently popular style trends, which made him fashionable with upper-income families. William Whitney died on August 23, 1945.

Scope and Content Note

The collection contains renderings and elevations for many houses executed in watercolor and pen and ink, including the residences of Thomas Irvine, Rufus Rand, E.J. Phelps, W.H. Dunwoody and C.C. Bovey. There are also renderings for the Minneapolis Club (1892) and the Minnesota Building at the Chicago World's Fair (1893), plus 11 photographs, mainly taken from contemporary architectural publications, depicting Whitney's designs for the Dunwoody and Smith residences, the Minneapolis Club and the Minnesota Building.

The collection also includes sets of original plans for the W.H. Lee residence (1913) and H.H. Leavitt residence (1905), as well as bluelines of the plans for the George B. Lane residence (1907), all located in Minneapolis. In addition to the plans and renderings, the collection contains photo albums of Whitney-designed buildings.

Additional Finding Aid

An unpublished finding aid with detailed contents is available in the Manuscripts Division.

Related Material in the Northwest Architectural Archives

The Northwest Architectural Archives has a CD-ROM of the images from Whitney's photo albums available for use in the Reading Room.

McEnary Krafft Birch andamp; Kilgore papers (N 18).

Index Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Whitney, William Channing, 1851-1945 -- Archives Architecture -- Minnesota -- Designs and plans Detailed Contents

The following section contains a detailed list of the materials in the collection.

Working drawings

The drawings in this collection represent original sketches and drawings of some of the major commissions produced by Wm. Ch. Whitney.

Ames, Mrs. D. A.

Apartment house n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Andrews, A. C., esq.

Residence 1902

245 Clifton

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Baltimore Court House

Alternate perspective n.d.

Baltimore, MD

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Baltimore Court House

Perspective n.d.

Baltimore, MD

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Bell, J. [S.?] [F.?]

Residence n.d.

Lake Minnetonka, MN

William Channing Whitney

watercolor; color transparency available

Bennett, R. M., esq.

Lake house n.d.

Lake Minnetonka, MN

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Bovey, C. C.

Residence n.d.

Ferndale-Minnetonka, [MN]

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Bull, B. S.

Residence n.d.

300-04 Ridgewood Avenue

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

photostat

Burton, H[azen] J.

Residence 1890

Lake Minnetonka, MN

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Burton, Hazen J.

Residence n.d.

Lake Minnestonka, MN

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Church

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Culbertson, S. A., esq.

Residence 1896

Louisville, KY

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink; negative available

Cummings, Dr.

Residence n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

DCM Company

Gymnasium and Library n.d.

Morenci, AZ

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

DeLaittre, John

Residence; see also Roper residence n.d.

122 West Franklin Avenue

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

watercolor; negative available

Dunwoody, H. H.

Billiard room n.d.

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Dunwoody, W. H.

Residence n.d.

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

photograph

Dunwoody, W. H.

Residence n.d.

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Hapgood Memorial

1903

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Harrison, P., esq.

Lake house (sketch) n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Heffelfinger, [F.]

Residence: "Highcroft" 1894

[Lake Minnetonka, MN]

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Heffelfinger, Frank

Residence n.d.

21st St. and Park Avenue

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Kingman, J. R., esq.

Residence (sketch) 1903

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Koon, Judge

Residence (sketch) n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Lafayette Club

Suggested addition n.d.

[Lake Minnetonka?, MN?]

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Lane, Geo.

Residence 1909

309 Clifton Avenue

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Langdon, Mrs. R. B.

Residence n.d.

2201 Pillsbury Avenue

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Martin, C. J.

Residence n.d.

Mount Curve Avenue

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

McMillan, J. D.

Residence n.d.

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

McMillan, J. D.

Residence (sketch) n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Minneapolis Club House

1892

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Minneapolis Club House

1892

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Minneapolis Club House

"Design for Minneapolis Club House" n.d.

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney; Gordon, Tracy and Swartout

watercolor

Minnesota Building

World's Columbian Exposition (World's Fair) 1893

Chicago, IL

William Channing Whitney

watercolor; negative available

Minnesota Building

World's Columbian Exposition (World's Fair) n.d.

Chicago, IL

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink; negative available

Minnesota Building

World's Columbian Exposition (World's Fair) n.d.

Second story plan

Chicago, IL

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Minnesota Building

World's Columbian Exposition (World's Fair) n.d.

First story plan

Chicago, IL

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Minnesota Building

World's Columbian Exposition (World's Fair) 1893

Chicago, IL

William Channing Whitney

photograph, neg. available

Minnesota Building

World's Columbian Exposition (World's Fair) n.d.

Perspective

Chicago, IL

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Northrup, W. G.

Residence 1893

"Bonsyde" [?]

Ferndale, MN

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Northwest Miller Publishing Company

commercial building n.d.

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Northwest Miller Publishing Company

commercial building n.d.

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Office Building

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Office Building

"Design for an Office Building" 1892

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Phelps, E. J.

House n.d.

Lake Minnetonka, MN

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Phelps, E. J.

House n.d.

Lake Minnetonka, MN

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Public Library

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Rand, Mr. R. R.

Residence n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink; negative available

Residence

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

pastel

Residence

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Residence

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Residence

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

pencil on paper

Residence

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Residence

1917?

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Residence

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Residence

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Residence

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

photostat

Residence

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

pencil on paper

Residence or Clubhouse

Interior rooms - perspective 1899

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Robertson, A.M.

Lake residence n.d.

Howards Point

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Roper, Horace

Residence; see also DeLaittre n.d.

W. Franklin and Pillsbury Avenues

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

photograph

Semple, F. B.

Residence n.d.

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

Small Depot

"Sketch for small depot" n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

pencil on paper

Smith, H. Alden

Residence 1890

1403 Harmon Place

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

photograph

Stanley Library

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

watercolor

Stores or flats building

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

photostat

Townhouse residence [?]

n.d.

n.l.

William Channing Whitney

pencil on paper

Tuttle, Mr. G. E.

House n.d.

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink

U. S. Post Office, Court House and Customs House

n.d.

Superior, WI

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink, watercolor

Winter, T. G.

Residence n.d.

418 Groveland Avenue

Minneapolis, MN

William Channing Whitney

pen and ink; negative available