David Riebel

Elroy, David, and Frederick Riebel, architects for Riebel & Sons

David Riebel (August 7, 1855 – July 29, 1935) was a German-American architect in Columbus, Ohio. He was the head architect for the Columbus public school district from 1893 to 1922.[1] In 1915, The Ohio Architect, Engineer and Builder considered his firm, David Riebel & Sons, to be the oldest and among the best architects in Columbus.[2]

Early life and career

Avondale Elementary School

David Riebel was born on August 7, 1855, in Blenheim, Canada West. He was married in Bosanquet Township on November 3, 1875. At the time, he was described as a carpenter.[3] With his wife, Margaret Ann Clemens, by 1895 he had four children: Laura, Elroy, Frederick, and Mary Edna.[4]

Riebel began practicing architecture around 1878. His first major commissions were in Forest, Ontario: its town hall (built 1883-84, demolished in 1982) and the Second Empire-style mansion of Dr. James Hutton (built in 1887 and demolished in 1935).[3]

Riebel moved with his family to Columbus, Ohio, in February 1888 to open up a new architectural office. He became the first head of the architectural department of the Columbus Board of Education (the lead architect for Columbus City Schools) in 1893.[3][2] In that position, Riebel designed about 40 Columbus public school buildings between 1891 and 1921; the remaining buildings are some of Columbus's most notable landmarks.[5] His two sons joined him in designing buildings in 1904, after thorough training, giving the firm the name "David Riebel & Sons".[2] Riebel continued in the position until 1922.[3]

For a time, Riebel had his offices in the William J. Lhota Building, originally known as the New First National Bank Building.[6]

David Riebel died on July 29, 1935.[3] He is buried at Green Lawn Cemetery.

Works

In Columbus

Riebel was involved in the design of numerous Columbus buildings:[2][3]

Name Image Address Date completed Status Notes
Beck Street School
387 E. Beck Street 1884 In use Used by the South Columbus Preparatory Academy
Avondale Elementary School
141 Hawkes Avenue 1892 In use In use by Columbus City Schools
Medary Avenue Elementary School
2500 Medary Avenue 1892 Vacant Bridgeway Academy vacated in 2021
Felton School
920 Leonard Avenue 1893 Demolished Nearly identical to the extant Southwood Elementary School
The Ohio Street School / Ohio Avenue Elementary School
505 S. Ohio Avenue 1893 In use In use by Columbus City Schools
The Great Southern Hotel & Theatre
310 S. High Street 1894 In use Credited to Dauben, Krumm, and Riebel
Hubbard Avenue School / Hubbard Mastery School
104 W. Hubbard Avenue 1894 In use In use by Columbus City Schools
Southwood Elementary School
1500 S. Fourth Street 1894 In use In use by Columbus City Schools
Highland Avenue Elementary School
40 S. Highland Avenue 1895 In use In use by Columbus City Schools
The Schlee-Kemmler Building
328 S. High Street 1895 In use Credited to Dauben, Krumm, and Riebel
Chicago Avenue School
40 Chicago Avenue 1897 In use Operated by Franklinton Prep High School
Ninth Avenue Elementary School
221 W. 9th Avenue 1897 Demolished [7][8]
North Side High School addition
100 W. Fourth Avenue 1899 Demolished (original building)
In use (additions) 		C. 1899 addition by Riebel,[9][10] in use by Columbus City Schools.[11]
East High School / Franklin Junior High School
1390 Franklin Avenue 1899 Demolished Visually similar to the extant Charles S. Barrett Building
South High School / the Charles S. Barrett Building
345 E. Deshler Avenue 1900 In use Used as an apartment building[12]
Livingston Elementary School
825 E. Livingston Avenue; 744 Heyl Avenue 1901 Demolished Replaced with a new structure
Mansion Day School / William A. Miller Residence
72 Woodland Avenue 1904 In use
Bellows Avenue Elementary School / Bellows School
725 Bellows Avenue 1905 Vacant Under renovation, at risk of demolition[13]
Fourth Avenue School / Michigan Avenue School
1200 Michigan Avenue 1905 In use In use as the Michigan Avenue Apartments
Shepard School
873 Walcutt Avenue 1906 In use Closed 1977; now used as offices
Eastwood Avenue Elementary School
1355 Eastwood Avenue 1907 Demolished Closed in 1974. David Riebel design.[14][15]
West High School / Starling Middle School
120 S. Central Avenue 1908 Vacant Under renovation into apartments
Indianola Junior High School / Graham Elementary and Middle School
140 E. 16th Avenue 1909 In use Part of the Graham Family of Schools
Reeb Avenue Elementary School / the Reeb Avenue Center
280 Reeb Avenue 1909 In use Multi-use building operated by a nonprofit
Champion Elementary School
1270 Hawthorne Avenue 1909 Demolished Formerly in the center of Poindexter Village, demolished c. 2008[16][17][18]
West Broad Street School / West Broad Elementary School
2744 W. Broad Street 1910 In use In use by Columbus City Schools
Heyl Elementary School
760 Reinhard Avenue 1910 Demolished Replaced with affordable housing[19]
Lane Avenue School / Laneview School
2366 Kenny Road 1910 Demolished Used as OSU farm storage later in its history[20]
The Stoddart Block
260 S. 4th Street 1911 In use Renovated for micro-apartments
Dana Avenue School
300 Dana Avenue 1912 In use Part of Columbus Collegiate Academy
Hotel Columbus
235 E Long Street 1912 Demolished Site of an apartment building today
Holy Family School
57 S. Grubb Street 1913 Vacant
Crestview School / Indianola Informal K8 School
251 E. Weber Road 1915 In use In use by Columbus City Schools
Roosevelt Junior High School / Studer Avenue School
1046 Studer Avenue 1916 Demolished
Budd Dairy Company
1086 N. 4th Street 1917 In use Active as a food hall
The Seneca Hotel
367 E. Broad Street 1917 In use Co-designed by Frank Packard.[21] Active as apartments.
Fulton Street Elementary School
450 E. Fulton Street 1921 Demolished Closed in 1974[22][23]
Burroughs Elementary School / John Burroughs School / Sullivant Avenue School
551 S. Richardson Avenue 1921 In use In use by Columbus City Schools[22][23]
Linden Elementary School Non-free image 2626 Westerville Road 1921 Demolished Replaced by Linden S.T.E.M. Academy in 2004[22][23][24]
Pilgrim Elementary School
440 Taylor Avenue 1922 Vacant Closed 2008 and sold PACT in 2015[25][23]

Outside Columbus

Works in other areas included:

  • Public school (Worthington, Ohio, 1896)[3]
  • Town Hall (Forest, Ontario, 1883-4)[3]
  • Dr. James Hutton mansion (Forest, Ontario, 1887)[3]
  • St. Mary's School (Lancaster, Ohio, 1910)[2]
  • First Church of Christ Scientist (Lancaster, Ohio, 1921)[2]
  • Public school (Crooksville, Ohio, 1923)[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Columbus Crossroads: I-70/I-71 South Innerbelt Study: Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation" (PDF). www.dot.state.oh.us. December 22, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Architectural Work of D. Riebel & Sons". The Ohio Architect, Engineer and Builder: 12–29. 1915. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hill, Robert G. "Riebel, David". Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  4. ^ A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and Other Townships of the County: Being a History of the Early Settlers and Their Descendants, Mostly All of Pennsylvania Dutch Origin, as Also Much Other Unpublished Historical Information Chiefly of a Local Character. Éditeur non identifié. 1895.
  5. ^ "Beck Street School – Columbus Landmarks".
  6. ^ "The Ohio Architect and Builder". Cleveland Engineering Society. March 16, 1907 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form". National Park Service. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  8. ^ "School Dedication". The Columbus Dispatch. May 25, 1897. p. 11. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  9. ^ "Annual Report of the Board of Education of the Columbus Public Schools: For the School Year Ending". 1899.
  10. ^ Bruce, William George; Bruce, William Conrad (1898). "The American School Board Journal".
  11. ^ "Columbus schools takes Victorian Village school off the market".
  12. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: South High School". Archived from the original on 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  13. ^ "Phase I History/Architecture Survey for the I-70/71 South Innerbelt Study" (PDF). Ohio Department of Transportation. February 20, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 28, 2017.
  14. ^ https://infoweb-newsbank-com.webproxy3.columbuslibrary.org/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=&sort=_rank_%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=%22Eastwood%20Avenue%20school%22&docref=image/v2%3A1467499E363272B3%40EANX-NB-16328AD3778B07D6%402417295-163283E735A41551%4032-163283E735A41551%40 [bare URL]
  15. ^ https://infoweb-newsbank-com.webproxy3.columbuslibrary.org/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3A1467499E363272B3%21Columbus%2BDispatch&sort=_rank_%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=%22East%20main%20street%22%20school&fld-nav-0=YMD_date&val-nav-0=1905%20-%201909&docref=image/v2%3A1467499E363272B3%40EANX-NB-16327D69497039F8%402417822-163203951268C9D1%401-163203951268C9D1%40 [bare URL]
  16. ^ https://infoweb-newsbank-com.webproxy3.columbuslibrary.org/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=favorite%3ACOLUMBUS%21Columbus%2520Dispatch%2520Historical%2520and%2520Current/decade%3A2000%212000%2B-%2B2009&sort=_rank_%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=champion%20school&docref=news/10DADDEA39DD6A60 [bare URL]
  17. ^ https://infoweb-newsbank-com.webproxy3.columbuslibrary.org/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=favorite%3ACOLUMBUS%21Columbus%2520Dispatch%2520Historical%2520and%2520Current/decade%3A2000%212000%2B-%2B2009&sort=_rank_%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=champion%20school&docref=news/11E53E9C984EB7A0 [bare URL]
  18. ^ https://infoweb-newsbank-com.webproxy3.columbuslibrary.org/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=favorite%3ACOLUMBUS%21Columbus%2520Dispatch%2520Historical%2520and%2520Current/decade%3A2000%212000%2B-%2B2009&sort=_rank_%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=champion%20school&docref=news/10DC8585889BE738 [bare URL]
  19. ^ https://columbusunderground.com/affordable-housing-proposed-for-heyl-school-site-on-south-side-bw1/ [bare URL]
  20. ^ https://kb.osu.edu/bitstream/handle/1811/24357/Herrick_Laneview_School.pdf?sequence=5&isAllowed=y [bare URL]
  21. ^ https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/83004300.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  22. ^ a b c https://infoweb-newsbank-com.webproxy3.columbuslibrary.org/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=&sort=_rank_%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=fulton%20school%20architect&fld-nav-0=YMD_date&val-nav-0=1920%20-%201923&docref=image%2Fv2%3A1467499E363272B3%40EANX-NB-16403567757808CA%402422839-16402EA978FFEC27%4018&origin=image%2Fv2%3A1467499E363272B3%40EANX-NB-16403567757808CA%402422839-16402EA978FFEC27%4018-16402EA978FFEC27%40 [bare URL]
  23. ^ a b c d https://infoweb-newsbank-com.webproxy3.columbuslibrary.org/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=&sort=_rank_%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=fulton%20school%20architect&fld-nav-0=YMD_date&val-nav-0=1920%20-%201923&docref=image/v2%3A1467499E363272B3%40EANX-NB-163AFA1213D14953%402422663-163AF107E9B2A4C1%404-163AF107E9B2A4C1%40 [bare URL]
  24. ^ https://infoweb-newsbank-com.webproxy3.columbuslibrary.org/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3A1467499E363272B3%21Columbus%2BDispatch/decade%3A1920%211920%2B-%2B1929&sort=_rank_%3AD&page=1&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=%22linden%22%20school%20complete&fld-nav-1=YMD_date&val-nav-1=1921%20-%201922&docref=image/v2%3A1467499E363272B3%40EANX-NB-1639FCC0B08530B4%402422744-1639CFB3EA858324%4010-1639CFB3EA858324%40 [bare URL]
  25. ^ "Taylor Ave. School site sold to aid Near East Side redevelopment".