View source for John M. Van Osdel

{{short description|American architect}}

'''John Mills Van Osdel''' (July 31, 1811 – December 21, 1891)<ref name=EOCbio>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/browse/bioshell.html?bioV&VanOsdelJohnM|access-date=2007-09-14|title=Biographical Dictionary: V-Vol|encyclopedia=Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago |year=2005 |publisher=Chicago Historical Society}}</ref> was an American architect who is considered the first Chicago architect.<ref name=RU>{{cite web|url=http://www.auditoriumtheatre.org/the-national-landmark-building-history/timeline/ |access-date=2018-06-06 |year=2006 |publisher=Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University |title=HISTORICAL TIMELINE }}</ref> He is considered a peer of the most prominent architects in the [[history of Chicago]]. He has also done significant work throughout [[Illinois]] and the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]], although much of it no longer exists.{{Vague|date=June 2018}}

==Biography==
John M. Van Osdel was born in [[Baltimore, Maryland]] on July 31, 1811, the eldest son of carpenter James H. Van Osdel. During John's teenage years, James was temporarily paralyzed in an accident and the family thereafter struggled through poverty. To help the family, John began to work as a carpenter himself. He moved to [[New York, New York]] to work with his father once recovery was complete. In the city, Van Osdel found the Apprentice's Library, a catalogue of books related to carpentry and architecture. He returned to Baltimore in 1829 to work. The next year, Van Osdel began a profitable school for prospective draftsmen.<ref name=chicago>{{cite book|title=Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men of Chicago|url=https://archive.org/details/biographicalsket00chic|year=1868|publisher=Wilson & St. Clair|place=Chicago, IL|pages=[https://archive.org/details/biographicalsket00chic/page/90 90]–95}}</ref>

In 1836, after another relocation to New York, Van Osdel met [[New York State Assembly]]man [[William B. Ogden]]. When Ogden moved west to [[Chicago, Illinois]], he requested that Van Osdel follow him and design his house. After its completion, Van Osdel became engaged in steamboat construction, building the ''James Allen'' and ''George W. Dole''. After construction began on the [[Illinois and Michigan Canal]], Van Osdel built several water pumps and a horizontal [[windmill]]  to aid with excavation. He returned to New York in 1840 to tend to his sick wife and to work as an associate editor for [[Rufus Porter (painter)|Rufus Porter]]'s ''American Mechanic''. The next year, after Van Osdel fell ill, he returned to Chicago.<ref name=chicago/>

Van Osdel built some of the city's first [[grain elevator]]s upon his return. In 1843, he co-founded an iron foundry and machine factory with Elihu Granger. With his health continuing to fail, he left the partnership two years later to focus on his architecture.<ref name=chicago/> Van Osdel opened an office on Clark Street, the first architectural office in Chicago.<ref name=NWIN>{{cite web|url=http://www.northwestindiana.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=0|access-date=2007-09-15|title= La Porte County's Second Court House, c. 1848.|publisher=northwestindiana.com}}</ref> During his time there he designed the Cook County Courthouse, the Chicago City Hall, and the [[Tremont House (Chicago)|Tremont House]]. He also designed a house for Governor [[Joel Aldrich Matteson]] which later saw use as the [[Illinois Executive Mansion]]. By 1859, Van Osdel was making over {{US$|32,000|1859|round=-3}} in profit per year.<ref name=chicago/>
[[Image:Palmer House Hotel.jpg|thumb|left|[[Palmer House Hotel]] Ladies Entrance (1903-09-19)]]
Van Osdel married Caroline Gailer in 1832. After her death, he married Martha McClellan. Van Osdel had no biological children, although he did adopt a few. He was named a trustee of the Illinois Industrial University, now known as the [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign|University of Illinois]]. As a member of its Committee on Buildings and Grounds, he was instrumental in the founding of a branch university in Chicago, today known as the [[University of Illinois at Chicago]]. Upon completion of the branch, he was named its treasurer. Politically, Van Osdel was active in the [[abolitionism in the United States|abolition movement]]. Previously unaffiliated, Van Osdel became a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] in 1860, printing pamphlets supporting the party.<ref name=chicago/>

From 1876 through 1878, he served as a [[Chicago Alderman]] from the 9th ward.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm |title=Centennial List of Mayors, City Clerks, City Attorneys, City Treasurers, and Aldermen, elected by the people of the city of Chicago, from the incorporation of the city on March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1937, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the years during which each official held office. |access-date=December 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904052355/http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Reputation==
He is considered a [[Chicago school (architecture)|Chicago school]] architect and a peer of [[William LeBaron Jenney]], [[Dankmar Adler]], [[Louis Sullivan]], [[Daniel Burnham]], [[John Wellborn Root]] and [[Frank Lloyd Wright]].<ref name=RU2>{{cite web|url=http://www.auditoriumtheatre.org/wb/pages/home/education/chicagos-landmark-stage/chicago-the-world.php|access-date=2007-09-14|year=2006|publisher=Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University|title=Chicago & The World: America in 1889|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417220220/http://auditoriumtheatre.org/wb/pages/home/education/chicagos-landmark-stage/chicago-the-world.php|archive-date=2008-04-17}}</ref> In fact, he and [[William W. Boyington]] are considered the most prominent Chicago architects of the period from the city's incorporation in 1837 until the [[Great Chicago Fire]] of 1871.<ref name=Ar>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2464.html|access-date=2007-09-14|encyclopedia=Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago |year=2005 |publisher=Chicago Historical Society|title=Architecture}}</ref>

[[Image:La Porte County's Second Court House, c 1848.jpg|187px|thumb|right|[[La Porte County, Indiana]] Second Court House c.1848]]

==Other buildings==
Much of his work has been destroyed by fire,<ref name=Ar/> but remaining structures stand as local landmarks, with many listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. Van Osdel designed the [[Palmer House Hilton|Palmer House]], [[Tremont House (Chicago)|Tremont House]] and [[Page Brothers Building]] in Chicago,<ref name=EOCbio/><ref name="ChicagoLandmark">{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/P/PageBrothers.html |title=Chicago Landmarks - Page Brothers Building |date=2007-07-21 |work=Chicago Landmarks |publisher=City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division |access-date=2007-09-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930023749/http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/P/PageBrothers.html |archive-date=2007-09-30 }}</ref> the [[Illinois Executive Mansion]] in [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]], the state capital,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.il.us/gov/mansion2/htmls/ground.html|access-date=2007-09-14|title=Executive Mansion Tour|publisher=State of Illinois |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070815084755/http://www.state.il.us/gov/mansion2/htmls/ground.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-08-15}}</ref> the [[Old McHenry County Courthouse]], [[Old Main (University of Arkansas)|Old Main]] at the [[University of Arkansas]], and some [[courthouse]]s in Indiana.<ref name=NWIN/> He also designed the first [[cast-iron]] building for the Lake Street central business district.<ref name=RU/> [[Chicago City Hall]] sits on the site of a former Van Osdel building that housed a county courthouse and city hall.<ref name=PBiL>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1019.html|access-date=2007-09-15|encyclopedia=Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago |year=2005 |publisher=Chicago Historical Society|title=Public Buildings in the Loop}}</ref>  Van Osdel's 1872 [[McCarthy Building (Chicago, Illinois)|McCarthy Building]] was demolished along with the rest of [[Block 37]] in 1987 despite its [[Chicago Landmark]] status.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20060117/ai_n16002907 |date=2006-01-17 |title=An Old Tradition: Do federal shenanigans lurk behind Berghoff |publisher=FindArticles |work=Chicago Sun-Times |author=Roeder, David |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080108073057/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20060117/ai_n16002907 |archive-date=2008-01-08 }}</ref> Another work is [[Second St. Joseph County Courthouse]], 1854; South Bend St. Joseph County, Indiana.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

Van Osdel died at age 80 in Chicago in 1891.

==References==
;Notes
{{Reflist}}

;Bibliography
*Clark, Herma, ''Let's Walk Along Rush Street'', Tribune Company, 1952.

==External links==
*{{commons category-inline}}

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{{Chicago}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Vanosdel, John M.}}
[[Category:1811 births]]
[[Category:1891 deaths]]
[[Category:Architects from Chicago]]
[[Category:19th-century American architects]]
[[Category:Chicago school architects]]
[[Category:Architects from Baltimore]]
[[Category:Illinois Republicans]]
[[Category:Chicago City Council members]]