Mihran Mesrobian | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 10 May 1889 |
| Died | 21 September 1975 (aged 86) Chevy Chase, Maryland, U.S. |
| Resting place | Rock Creek Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Awards | Iron Cross (Germany) Ottoman War Medal (Ottoman Empire) Liakat Medal (Ottoman Empire) Iftikhar Sanayi Medal (Ottoman Empire) |
| Buildings | The Carlton Hotel (now The St. Regis Washington, D.C.), 1926 Hay-Adams Hotel, 1927 Wardman Tower (now Marriott Wardman Park Hotel), 1928 Dupont Circle Building, 1931 Calvert Manor, 1948 |
Mihran Mesrobian (Armenian: Միհրան Մեսրոպեան; 10 May 1889 – 21 September 1975) was an Armenian-American architect whose career spanned over fifty years and in several countries. Having received an education in the Academy of Fine Arts in Constantinople, Mesrobian began his career as an architect in Smyrna and in Constantinople. While in Constantinople, Mesrobian served as the palace architect to the last Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed V.
During World War I, Mesrobian was drafted into the Ottoman army and became a decorated soldier. He participated in the Gallipoli Campaign and served in the Eastern front against the Russians during the Caucasus Campaign and the Arabs during the Arab Revolt. During this time, the Armenian genocide began, and his family in his native Afyonkarahisar were deported and never to be heard of again. Mesrobian lost fifteen members of his family as a result of the genocide. He was held captive under the Arabs but was ultimately freed with the help of T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia).
Mesrobian immigrated to the United States in 1921 and became a prominent architect in the Washington, D.C. area. He became the primary in-house architect for Washington developer Harry Wardman. Much of his architecture reflected an Art Deco style, however a few of his projects were done in the Italian Renaissance and Moderne styles as well. Among his most noted works are the Hay–Adams Hotel, the Dupont Circle Building, The Carlton Hotel, Sedgwick Gardens, Calvert Manor, and Glebe Center.