Baumann family (architects)

  • Joseph F. Baumann
    Joseph F. Baumann
  • Albert B. Baumann, Sr.
    Albert B. Baumann, Sr.

The Baumann family was a family of American architects who practiced in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the surrounding region, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It included Joseph F. Baumann (1844–1920), his brother, Albert B. Baumann, Sr. (1861–1942), and Albert's son, Albert B. Baumann, Jr. (1897–1952).[1] Buildings designed by the Baumanns include the Mall Building (1875), the Church of the Immaculate Conception (1886), Minvilla (1913),[2] the Andrew Johnson Building (1930), and the Knoxville Post Office (1934).

Joseph Baumann, the son of a carpenter, began working as an architect in Knoxville in 1872, when he designed the city's first opera house, Staub's Theatre. In 1887, his brother, Albert, became a full partner in the firm, which then began operating under the name, Baumann Brothers.[3] Joseph left the firm in 1913, and Albert worked alone until 1922, when his son joined the firm, which then changed its name to Baumann and Baumann.[4] The firm continued working under different partners following the death of Albert Baumann, Jr., in 1952. It currently operates as Kaatz Binkley Jones and Morris (KBJM).

The Baumanns have been called Knoxville's first architectural "dynasty."[5] They designed many of the major buildings constructed in the city during the late 19th century.[5] Several of their works, which range from downtown high-rises to suburban cottages, have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

  1. ^ East Tennessee Historical Society, Lucile Deaderick (ed.), Heart of the Valley: A History of Knoxville, Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.: East Tennessee Historical Society, 1976), pp. 493-495.
  2. ^ Holly Beth Cook, National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form for Minvilla, 14 July 2010.
  3. ^ Michael Tomlan, Joseph F. Baumann, 1844-1920: Architect of the First Knoxville (Thesis submitted to the University of Tennessee School of Architecture, 1973).
  4. ^ The American Contractor, Vol. 43 (25 March 1922), p. 36.
  5. ^ a b Jack Neely, Wallace Baumann, 1925–2009, Metro Pulse, 19 August 2009. Accessed at the Internet Archive, 2 October 2015.