USHC Architects, Landscape Architects and Planners

designers

USHC employed many of the first city planners and landscape architects who later became the leading town planners throughout the country.  Renowned individuals such as Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., Henry Hubbard and Stephen Child were among the 120 professionals employed by USHC.  This unique group of reformers, who had successfully won recognition for their profession, was posed at the end of the war to establish the country’s leading urban planning institutions. In 1923, for example, many of the architects and planners who had worked for USHC during the war formed the Regional Plan Association of America (RPAA), which was responsible for both the spread of the Garden City Movement and the building of model developments across the country.

Notable Individuals

List of Landscape Architects who worked as Town Planners for the Planning Division of USHC between 1917-1919
Notes:
a. Most of the town/city planners of that area were educated as Landscape Architects. It was not until 1929, when faculty from the Landscape Architecture and Architecture departments at Harvard University formed, with the aid of the Rockefeller Foundation, the first independent department and graduate degree in City Planning in the United States.
b. Abbreviations are: U. S. H. C. UNITED STATES HOUSING CORPORATION; C. P. S. Camp Planning Section of the Construction Division, War Dept.; T. P. D. Town Planning Division of the U. S. H. C.
c. Source: Transactions of the American Society of Landscape Architects 1920

• ALDRICH, R. W. As principal assistant to Mr. Arthur Shurtleff, had charge of various projects for the U. S. H. C. at Bridgeport, Conn., 1918.
• BRINCKERHOFF, A. F. Camp Planner, War Dept, Const. Div., C. P. S. In charge of plans for Camp Gordon, Atlanta, Ga., Camp Humphreys, Va., during 1917 and 1918. Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. Projects at Staten Island, N. Y., and Elizabeth, N. J. Part time only. Private office maintained.
• CALDWELL, L. S. Assistant Town Planner for project of the U. S. H. C. at Bath, Maine, in association with Loring Underwood, Town Planner, May, 1918, to July, 1919. Part time. Office maintained. • CAPARN, H. A. Landscape Architect and Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. Projects at the Alabama Nitrate Towns of Florence, Shefield and Tuscumbia from August 8 to November 12, 1918. Private office maintained.
• CHILD, S. Landscape Architect, Town Planner, and later District Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. Projects at Indian Head, Md., Dahlgren, Va., Aberdeen, Md., Ilion, N. Y., Stamford, Conn. April 24, 1918, to June 30, 1919. Private office closed.
• COMEY, A. C. Assisting Housing Committee, Council of National Defense, January 2 to February 15, 1918. Assisting U. S. Shipping Board, checking plans, February 15 to April 15, 1918. Special Investigator, Town Planner and District Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C., May 15, 1918, to July 15, 1919. Helped organize the work,—member of many Preliminary and Second Investigation Teams and as District Town Planner had charge of the progress of many projects including several at Washington, D. C. Private office closed.
• DESMOND, T. H. Landscape Architect, Town Planner and District Town Planner, U. S. H. C. Also acted on Second Investigating Committee as to needs of housing in various cities, and as to available sites for such developments. July 24, 1918, to December 31, 1918. Private office closed.
• GREENLEAF, J. L. Camp Planner, War Dept, Const. Div., C. P. S. part time 19181919. Plans for Camp Lee, Petersburg, Va. Town Planner for T. P. D., U. S. H. C. project at Charleston, West Virginia, part time 1918-1919. Maintained office.
• HALL, G. D. Camp Planner, War Dept, Const. Div., C. P. S. March 2, 1918, to March 3, 1919. Plans, Inspections and Supervision for Remount Depots, Veterinary Hospitals, at Camps Jackson, Lee and Humphrey, etc. Supervision work, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. project at Craddock, Va., March 3 to May 1, 1919.
• HARE, S. H. Camp Planner, War Dept., Const. Div., D. P. S. Plans and supervision Camp Funston, Kan., June to November, 1917. Inspection trip to Camps and Cantonments in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas, planning Civic Centres, Hospital extensions. Fire Protection, etc. Town Planner and District Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. In charge of thirteen different projects, June, 1918, to January, 1919. All private work given up during that time.
• HUBBARD, H. V. Surveyor and later Assistant Engineer in charge of construction at Camp Devens, Mass., 1917. Designer, War Dept., Const. Div., C. P. S., 1917. Designer, Emergency Fleet Corp., U. S. Shipping Board. Expert with Housing Commission, Council of National Defense. Assistant Manager, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. and Editor of its Technical Report (i. e. Vol. II) May, 1917, to July, 1919. Private office closed.
• KELLAWAY, H. J. Camp Planner, War Dept., Const. Div., C. P. S., for Camp Devens, Ayer, Mass., March 25, 1917, to October 19, 1917, also for additions to Camps Meade, Upton, Dix and Devens. February 8 to March 7, 1918. Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C., for their projects at Quincy, Mass., and at Port Penn, Pa., May 13, 1918, to November 19, 1919. Maintained private office, during this time, largely for the above work.
• KESSLER, G. E. Camp Planner, War Dept., Const. Div., C. P. S., for various projects in the middle west. 1917-1918. Project Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C., for mid-west projects. 1917-1918. Part time only. Office maintained.
• KRUSE, A. M. Town Planning Assistant, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. Serving as Investigator on various projects, and Town Planner on projects at Milton, Penn. 1918-1919. Part time. Office closed.
• LAY, C. D. Town Planner for T. P. D., U. S. H. C, for three of their projects at Erie, Penn., and for one project at Butler, Penn., during the summer of 1918. Private office maintained.
• McCRARY, I. J. Camp Planner, War Dept., Const. Div., C. P. S. Projects at Washington, D. C., and Camps Custer and Sherman. April-October, 1918. Assistant Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. Neville Island project near Pittsburg, Penn. Plans for this project stopped soon after the Armistice (October-November, 1919). Private office closed.
• McFARLAND, J. H. Treasurer Commission on Living Conditions of War Workers, organized October, 1918, to speed-up production of war materials by improving living conditions for workers. Commission attached to the Dept. of Labor through the U. S. H. C. but independent as regards funds. Investigated many cases of bad housing, advised in regard to hospital facilities in Washington and the so-called "government hotels" opposite the Union Station, supporting the Corporation during the Senatorial Investigation. (October 15, 1918, to June 30, 1919). Private business maintained.
• NICHOLS, A. R. Landscape Architect and Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C., for project at Portsmouth, Ohio, during the summer of 1918. Office maintained. • NOLEN, J. Member of Advisory Housing Committee, Emergency Fleet Corp. Member of Committee on War Time Housing, National Housing Association. Member of conference group that prepared the original draft of the Standards Recommended for Permanent Industrial Housing Developments. Town Planner for Union Park Gardens, Wilmington, Del., U. S. Shipping Board, Emergency Fleet Corp. Town Planner, Town Planning Division, U. S. H. C. Projects at Niagara Falls, N. Y., Eddystone, Penn., and Ridley Park, Philadelphia. Chief of Bureau of Housing and Community Planning, Army Education Commission, American Expeditionary Forces, Dept. of Citizenship. Work overseas. 1917-1918 1919. Office maintained.
• NOYES, J. Assistant Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. Projects at Davenport, Iowa. Moline, East Moline and Rock Island, 111., for three months, July, August, and September, 1918. Resident representative T. P. D., and supervised grading and planting for their projects until June, 1919.
• OLMSTED, F. L. With Committee on Emergency Construction, advising Cantonment Div. of Army in the preparation of plans and selecting Town Planners and Engineers for laying out Camps and for designing and supervising their water supplies, sewerage and other utilities. Assisting Mr. Otto Eidlitz, who as a Committee of One on Emergency Construction under the Council of National Defense was endeavoring to get government action for relief of industrial housing shortage. Manager of T. P. D., U. S. H. C., created to deal with the above problem, one of the Directors of this Corporation, and continued work for it until June, 1919. While private office was maintained by partners, had no connection with its activities.
• OUTHET, R. A. Building Inspector for Dominion Bridge Co., Munition Work, Canada, contracted typhoid fever on work, unfit to "carry on" for another year. (1916-1917) Landscape Architect and Town Planner, Town Planning Div., U. S. H. C. Project at Charleston, S. C., and Tacomy near Philadelphia and in the office of the above mentioned corporation. (1918-1919). Office maintained but not continuously.
• PARKER, C. R. War Dept., Const. Div.. C. P. S. In charge of office assistants and outside men, in all matters excepting those of general policies and matters pertaining to design. December, 1917, to July, 1918. Assistant to manager, and later manager of T. P. D., U. S. H. C. Duties similar to those outlined above in connection with War Dept. July, 1918, to December, 1919. Private office closed.
• PRAY, J. S. Camp Planner, War Dept., Const. Div., C. P. S., projects at Camp Funston, Fort Riley, Kansas; Camp Johnston, Jacksonville, Florida; Camp Upton, Yaphank, N. Y. May 30 to September 18, 1917. Landscape Architect and Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. projects at Seven Pines, (Fair Oaks), Va., and at Ernston (near Perth Amboy), N. J. May 30, 1918, to January 25, 1919.
• RAMSDELL, C. H. Landscape Architect and Town Planner, and District Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. Projects at South Bend, Ind., Indianapolis, Ind., Lyles, Tenn. August 15 to December 15, 1918. Camp Business Secretary for U. S. A., Y. M. C. A., Fort Snelling, Minn. Secretary attached to 36th Regulars and later attached to Base Hospital, No. 29, Fort Snelling, Minn. November 1, 1917, to August 15, 1918, and January 1 to March 15, 1919. Office closed.
• SHURTLEFF, A. A. Landscape Architect and Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. On projects at Bridgeport, Conn., also at Newport, R. I. and Stamford, Conn. Worked on plans for grounds for U. S. Naval Hospital at Chelsea, for another hospital at Parker Hill (near Boston) and at Newport, R. I. 1918 and 1919. Private office maintained.
• TAYLOR, A. D. Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. Project at Muskegon, Mich. Part time, 1917-1918. Office maintained.
•UNDERWOOD, L. Landscape Architect and Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. for their project at Bath, Maine. Also member of the U. S. Fuel Administration working under J. J. Storrow on problems of Fuel Distribution for New England. Private office maintained.
• VITALE, F. Project Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. Projects at Watertown, N. Y.. and Dayton, Ohio. 1918. Part time. Office maintained.
• WHITING, E. C. Camp Planner, War Dept., Const. Div., C. P. S., project at Camp Humphreys and various additions and extensions for Camps Jackson, Dix, Meade, Lee, Sherman and several others. Preliminary work for the Town Planning Div., U. S. H. C. The above work part time only, during 1918; with the Olmsted office balance of time.
• WYMAN, P. Town Planner and District Town Planner, T. P. D., U. S. H. C. Supervising at the Washington office and on the ground several housing projects until the Armistice.