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{{short description|American architect}}

{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Anna Wagner Keichline
| name = Anna Wagner Keichline
Line 24: Line 26:


==Early life==
==Early life==
Keichline was the youngest of four children,<ref name="Centre">[http://www.centrecountyhistory.org/history/keichline.html ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402074822/http://www.centrecountyhistory.org/history/keichline.html |date=April 2, 2012 }}</ref> born in [[Bellefonte, Pennsylvania]] to attorney John Keichline. Her parents gave her a workshop and carpentry tools, which she used to create furniture. She won a prize for a table and chest she made at a county fair in 1903, when she was 14, and her work was praised as comparing "favorably with the work of a skilled mechanic". She told a newspaper reporter that she expected to devote her life to [[industrial design]].<ref>{{cite book|page=270|title=Women Designers in the USA, 1900–2000|editor-last=Kirkham|editor-first=Pat|chapter=In "A Man's World": Women Industrial Designers|first=Ella|last=Howard|first2=Eric|last2=Setliff}}</ref> She graduated from [[Bellefonte Area High School|Bellefonte High School]] in 1906. She studied [[mechanical engineering]] for a year at [[Pennsylvania State University|Pennsylvania State College]], the only woman in her class, and moved to [[Cornell University]], graduating in 1911, their fifth female to receive an architecture degree.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Perkins|first=Nancy|title=Anna Wagner Keichline (1889–1943)|url=https://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/anna-wagner-keichline/|journal=Association of Woman Industrial Designers}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> She played basketball at Cornell, served as class officer, and was a sorority and drama club member.<ref name=":1" />
Keichline was the youngest of four children,<ref name="Centre">[http://www.centrecountyhistory.org/history/keichline.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402074822/http://www.centrecountyhistory.org/history/keichline.html|date=April 2, 2012}}</ref> born in [[Bellefonte, Pennsylvania]] to attorney John Keichline. Her parents gave her a workshop and carpentry tools, which she used to create furniture. She won a prize for a table and chest she made at a county fair in 1903, when she was 14, and her work was praised as comparing "favorably with the work of a skilled mechanic". She told a newspaper reporter that she expected to devote her life to [[industrial design]].<ref>{{cite book|page=270|title=Women Designers in the USA, 1900–2000|editor-last=Kirkham|editor-first=Pat|chapter=In "A Man's World": Women Industrial Designers|first1=Ella|last1=Howard|first2=Eric|last2=Setliff}}</ref> She graduated from [[Bellefonte Area High School|Bellefonte High School]] in 1906. She studied [[mechanical engineering]] for a year at [[Pennsylvania State University|Pennsylvania State College]], the only woman in her studio class, and moved to [[Cornell University]], graduating in 1911, their fifth female to receive an architecture degree.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Perkins|first=Nancy|title=Anna Wagner Keichline (1889–1943)|url=https://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/anna-wagner-keichline/|journal=Association of Woman Industrial Designers}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> She played basketball at Cornell, served as class officer, and was a sorority and drama club member.<ref name=":1" />
Keichline was definitely aware of the disadvantage and difficulty being a woman in architecture – a male-dominated field – but she was not discouraged. She was convinced that women could be just as successful because of their innate understanding of space in a home.<ref name=":0" />
Keichline was definitely aware of the disadvantage and difficulty being a woman in architecture – a male-dominated field – but she was not discouraged. She was convinced that women could be just as successful because of their innate understanding of space in a home.<ref name=":0" />


==Inventions==
==Inventions==
She became noted for working on "time- and motion-saving"<ref name="Jolly">Jolly, Bob. "Streetcar Windshield Wipers and Swinging Streetcleaning Carts." Tradeswomen Apr 30 1997: 20-. GenderWatch. Web. 31 May 2012</ref> design of kitchens and interiors. She owned seven patents.<ref name="Hengstler">Hengstler, Laura. "Trading on Tradition." Creative Woman Dec 31 1993: 10-. GenderWatch. Web. 31 May 2012.</ref> She had several inventions concerning home use, but her most noted invention was the "K Brick" in 1927. This type of hollow clay brick was less heavy and expensive than previous iterations and was an early form of the concrete block used in construction decades later.<ref name="About">{{cite web|author=mary bellis |url=http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blKeichline.htm |title=Anna Keichline – Architect and Inventor of the K Brick |publisher=Inventors.about.com |date=2015-06-12 |access-date=2015-10-15}}</ref> This led to her receiving honors from the [[American Ceramic Society]] in 1931.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050212034544/http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/keichline.html Lemelson-MIT "Inventor of the Week"]</ref>
She became noted for working on "time- and motion-saving"<ref name="Jolly">Jolly, Bob. "Streetcar Windshield Wipers and Swinging Streetcleaning Carts." Tradeswomen Apr 30 1997: 20-. GenderWatch. Web. 31 May 2012</ref> design of kitchens and interiors. She owned seven patents.<ref name="Hengstler">Hengstler, Laura. "Trading on Tradition." Creative Woman Dec 31 1993: 10-. GenderWatch. Web. 31 May 2012.</ref> She had several inventions concerning home use, but her most noted invention was the "K Brick" in 1927. This type of hollow clay brick was less heavy and expensive than previous iterations and was an early form of the concrete block used in construction decades later.<ref name="About">{{cite web|author=mary bellis |url=https://theinventors.org/library/inventors/blKeichline.htm |title=Anna Keichline – Architect and Inventor of the K Brick |publisher=Inventors.org |date=2015-06-12 |access-date=2022-08-24}}</ref> This led to her receiving honors from the [[American Ceramic Society]] in 1931.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050212034544/http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/keichline.html Lemelson-MIT "Inventor of the Week"]</ref>


Her first patent combined a sink and a washtub. She wanted to save space in kitchens and make them more comfortable to use. In 1924 she received a patent on one of her kitchen designs. Features of Keichline's kitchen-construction patent include an oven with a fireless cooker on one side and a steam cooker on the other side, which is located behind the cooking surface. The design was focused on "comfort and convenience, efficiency, and conservation of space."<ref name="Centre" /> This kitchen featured sloped countertops and cabinets with glass doors. In 1929 she received a patent on an apartment bed design. It could be flipped into the wall to save space.
Her first patent combined a sink and a washtub. She wanted to save space in kitchens and make them more comfortable to use. In 1924 she received a patent on one of her kitchen designs. Features of Keichline's kitchen-construction patent include an oven with a fireless cooker on one side and a steam cooker on the other side, which is located behind the cooking surface. The design was focused on "comfort and convenience, efficiency, and conservation of space."<ref name="Centre" /> This kitchen featured sloped countertops and cabinets with glass doors. In 1929 she received a patent on an apartment bed design. It could be flipped into the wall to save space.


Her most famous invention was the K Brick, which lead to the development of the concrete block. It was patented in 1927 and she was honored for it by the American Ceramic Society in 1931. The K Brick was made of clay and used for hollow wall construction. It can be described as an inexpensive, light, fireproof clay brick that could be filled with insulating or sound-proofing material. Keichline noted that her K Brick, “requires less to make than brick and because of its design takes less time to fire – the tile would reduce the weight of the wall by one-half.”<ref name=":0" />
Her most famous invention was the K Brick, which led to the development of the concrete block. It was patented in 1927 and she was honored for it by the American Ceramic Society in 1931. The K Brick was made of clay and used for hollow wall construction. It can be described as an inexpensive, light, fireproof clay brick that could be filled with insulating or sound-proofing material. Keichline noted that her K Brick, “requires less to make than brick and because of its design takes less time to fire – the tile would reduce the weight of the wall by one-half.”<ref name=":0" />


==Patents==
==Patents==
Line 38: Line 40:
* Toy (1916)<ref name=":1" />
* Toy (1916)<ref name=":1" />
* Components for Kitchen Construction (1926)<ref name=":1" />
* Components for Kitchen Construction (1926)<ref name=":1" />
* K Brick (1927)<ref name=":0" />
* K Brick (1927)<ref name=":0" /> Patent 1,653,771 filed March 16, 1926 and issued December 27, 1927.
* Child's Portable Partition (1927)<ref name=":1" />
* Child's Portable Partition (1927)<ref name=":1" /> Patent 1,647,733 filed July 14, 1924, and issued November 1, 1927
* Folding Bed for Apartments (1929)<ref name=":1" />
* Folding Bed for Apartments (1929)<ref name=":1" />
* Air System (1931)<ref name=":1" />
* Air System (1931)<ref name=":1" /> Patent 1,838,839 filed January 28,1927 and issued December 29,1931
<gallery>
File:1647733 Page 1.jpg|alt=Patent figure from the application showing features like a door and window|Child's Portable Partition (1927) Patent 1,647,733 filed July 14, 1924, and issued November 1, 1927
File:5.-keichline-05-700x1055.jpg|alt=Figures from patent applications showing various views and configurations|Anna Keichline, Patent for “Building Block,” #1,653,771 A, filed March 16, 1926, issued December 27, 1927
</gallery>


==Architecture==
==Architecture career==
Throughout her professional career, she designed seven patents that had great impact on day-to-day life. She also designed commercial buildings and homes in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. She was honored in 2002 with in an official state of Pennsylvania historical marker placed in front of the Plaza Theater, which she designed in 1925.<ref name=":0" /> Also, her great niece, Nancy Perkins carried on her legacy by establishing her own industrial design firm, Perkins Design Ltd.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/anna-keichline|title=Anna Keichline {{!}} Lemelson-MIT Program|website=lemelson.mit.edu|access-date=2016-06-26}}</ref> Keichline's designs can still be seen in Bellefonte, [[Mill Hall, Pennsylvania|Mill Hall]], [[Centre Hall, Pennsylvania|Centre Hall]], [[Huntingdon, Pennsylvania|Huntingdon]] and [[Mount Union, Pennsylvania|Mount Union]], PA. She designed the Plaza Theatre, the Cadillac Garage and Apartments, the Harvey Apartments, as well as multiple residences in Bellefonte.<ref name="Centre" />
Throughout her professional career, she designed seven patents that had great impact on day-to-day life. She also designed commercial buildings and homes in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. She was honored in 2002 with in an official state of Pennsylvania historical marker placed in front of the Plaza Theater, which she designed in 1925.<ref name=":0" /> Also, her great niece, Nancy Perkins carried on her legacy by establishing her own industrial design firm, Perkins Design Ltd.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/anna-keichline|title=Anna Keichline {{!}} Lemelson-MIT Program|website=lemelson.mit.edu|access-date=2016-06-26}}</ref> Keichline's designs can still be seen in [[Bellefonte, Pennsylvania|Bellefonte]], [[Mill Hall, Pennsylvania|Mill Hall]], [[Centre Hall, Pennsylvania|Centre Hall]], [[Huntingdon, Pennsylvania|Huntingdon]] and [[Mount Union, Pennsylvania|Mount Union]], PA.
Early in her career, Keichline taught within the Department of Home Economics at the [[Pennsylvania State University|Pennsylvania State College]].<ref name=":2" />

Keichline's early architectural projects "reflects a training steeped in historic precedent, drawing on past architectural forms to address modern needs."<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Davis |first=Laurin Goad |date=2020-10-01 |title=Making a Name for Herself: Anna Wagner Keichline, [Woman] Architect |url=https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/psup/pa-history/article/87/4/664/198326/Making-a-Name-for-Herself-Anna-Wagner-Keichline |journal=Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies |language=en |volume=87 |issue=4 |pages=664–689 |doi=10.5325/pennhistory.87.4.0664 |s2cid=226643903 |issn=0031-4528}}</ref>

=== Major Projects ===

==== Bald Eagle and Nittany Valley Presbyterian Church, Mill Hall, Penn., 1915 ====
This Gothic revival style church has an entry tower that is buttressed with oversized cross gables. Contemporary newspaper articles note that the kitchen used for gathering was a "unique feature" and the "exposed truss effect" of the sanctuary.<ref name=":2" />

==== Cadillac Garage and Apartments (County Chevrolet Garage), Bellefonte, Penn., 1916 ====
According to the Historical Building Marker, this building originally served as a car dealership with a showroom on first floor, a repair shop on the second, and an office and living space on the third floor. Damaged by a fire in December 2009, this building was remodeled into apartments in 2016 maintaining the original look of the exterior. <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Cadillac Building Historical Marker |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=134695 |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=www.hmdb.org |language=en}}</ref>

==== Plaza Theater, Bellefonte, 1925 ====
The theater encompassed a stage, orchestra pit, pipe organ as well as a "Cry Room" that was enclosed in glass for parents to watch movies with young children.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Virtual Walking Tour of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania |url=http://www.bellefontearts.org/Virtual_walk/Plaza.htm |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=www.bellefontearts.org}}</ref>

==== Juniata Colony Country Clubhouse, Mount Union, Penn., 1927 ====
While the Country Club itself was designed by Tom Bendelow of Chicago, the main clubhouse was designed by Keichline.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.alccgolf.com/history |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=www.alccgolf.com |language=en}}</ref> In a news articles the clubhouse was described as “30 × 45 feet in size with eighteen foot porches opening into the main club room through five pairs of French doors.”<ref name=":2" />


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Keichline had her own automobile, which was unusual for women at the time. She was also involved in [[World War I]] efforts, serving as a "special agent with military intelligence."<ref name="Centre" /> She was a delegate to President Hoover's, Better Housing Conference. On July 4, 1913 she led a march in Bellefonte of [[National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies|Suffragists]] during nationally organized protests.<ref name=":1" />
Keichline had her own automobile, which was unusual for women at the time. She was also involved in [[World War I]] efforts, serving as a "special agent with military intelligence."<ref name="Centre" /> She was a delegate to President Hoover's Better Housing Conference. On July 4, 1913 she led a march in Bellefonte of [[National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies|Suffragists]] during nationally organized protests.<ref name=":1" />


== Publications==
== Publications==
Keichline wrote the article: “Modern Wall Construction,” ''Clay Worker'', June 1, 1932.

Keichline has been mentioned in many publications. Her career and professional practices are discussed in ''Goddess in the Details: product design by women'', written by Erika Doering, Rachel Sivitzky, Rebecca Welz, and published by Association of Women Industrial Designers (AWID) in 1994. The book is published in conjunction with an exhibition organized by The Association of Women Industrial Designers and the Department of Exhibitions at Pratt Institute.<ref name="iawadb">{{Cite web|url=https://iawadb.lib.vt.edu/view_all.php?person_pk=23&table=bio|title=IAWA Biographical Database|website=iawadb.lib.vt.edu|access-date=2020-04-17}}</ref>
Keichline has been mentioned in many publications. Her career and professional practices are discussed in ''Goddess in the Details: product design by women'', written by Erika Doering, Rachel Sivitzky, Rebecca Welz, and published by Association of Women Industrial Designers (AWID) in 1994. The book is published in conjunction with an exhibition organized by The Association of Women Industrial Designers and the Department of Exhibitions at Pratt Institute.<ref name="iawadb">{{Cite web|url=https://iawadb.lib.vt.edu/view_all.php?person_pk=23&table=bio|title=IAWA Biographical Database|website=iawadb.lib.vt.edu|access-date=2020-04-17}}</ref>


Line 55: Line 81:


==World War I Involvements==
==World War I Involvements==
During World War I, Keichline served as a Special Agent in the Military Intelligence Division in Washington D.C. When talking about her qualifications for this duty she described herself as, <blockquote>...twenty-eight and physically somewhat stronger than the average. Might add that I can operate and take care of a car [she owned her own automobile]. The above might suggest a drafting or office job, but if you should deem it advisable to give me something more difficult or as I wish to say more dangerous, I should much prefer it. You have asked for my salary in order to rate me. ...last year my fees amounted to something over six thousand.<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>Today her fees amounted to over $92,000 and she received letters from her superiors for the quality of her service.<ref name=":1" />
During World War I, Keichline served as a Special Agent in the [[Military Intelligence Division (United States)|Military Intelligence Division]] in Washington D.C. When talking about her qualifications for this duty she described herself as, <blockquote>...twenty-eight and physically somewhat stronger than the average. Might add that I can operate and take care of a car [she owned her own automobile]. The above might suggest a drafting or office job, but if you should deem it advisable to give me something more difficult or as I wish to say more dangerous, I should much prefer it. You have asked for my salary in order to rate me. ...last year my fees amounted to something over six thousand.<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>Today her fees amounted to over $92,000 and she received letters from her superiors for the quality of her service.<ref name=":1" />


== Legacy ==
== Legacy ==
Keichline passed away in 1943. A small collection of her papers, including a copy of an article written by her, "''Modern Wall Construction''" from the 1932 issue of The Clay-Worker, as well as designs and drawings are collected at [[International Archive of Women in Architecture]], located at Newman Library, Virginia Tech. In 2002, Keichline's niece, Nancy Perkins, donated additional collection to [[International Archive of Women in Architecture|IAWA]], which includes a CD-ROM documenting Keichline's life and achievements.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://guides.lib.vt.edu/iawa/collections|title=Research Guides: International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA): Guide to Collections (A to Z)|last=Winn|first=Sam|website=guides.lib.vt.edu|language=en|access-date=2020-04-17}}</ref>
Keichline died on February 5, 1943. A small collection of her papers, including a copy of an article written by her, "''Modern Wall Construction''" from the 1932 issue of The Clay-Worker, as well as designs and drawings are collected at [[International Archive of Women in Architecture]], located at Newman Library, Virginia Tech. In 2002, Keichline's niece, Nancy Perkins, donated additional collection to [[International Archive of Women in Architecture|IAWA]], which includes a CD-ROM documenting Keichline's life and achievements.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://guides.lib.vt.edu/iawa/collections|title=Research Guides: International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA): Guide to Collections (A to Z)|last=Winn|first=Sam|website=guides.lib.vt.edu|language=en|access-date=2020-04-17}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External Links==
==External links==
* [https://pioneeringwomen.bwaf.org/anna-wagner-keichline/ Pioneering Women of American Architecture, Anna Wagner Keichline]
*[https://pioneeringwomen.bwaf.org/anna-wagner-keichline/ Pioneering Women of American Architecture, Anna Wagner Keichline]


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:1943 deaths]]
[[Category:1943 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American architects]]
[[Category:20th-century American architects]]
[[Category:Women inventors]]
[[Category:American women inventors]]
[[Category:People from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:People from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:American women architects]]
[[Category:American women architects]]

Latest revision as of 17:09, 8 March 2024

Anna Wagner Keichline
Keichline in 1903
Born(1889-05-24)May 24, 1889
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedFebruary 5, 1943(1943-02-05) (aged 53)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materCornell University, Pennsylvania State College
OccupationArchitect
DesignatedOctober 12, 2002
LocationBellefonte

Anna Wagner Keichline (May 24, 1889 – February 5, 1943) was an American architect, inventor, suffragist, and World War I Special Agent from Pennsylvania. She was the first woman to be registered as an architect in Pennsylvania[1] and she was "one of the first women to actually practice architecture professionally".[2] She was awarded seven patents, including one for a notched brick in 1927.

Early life

[edit]

Keichline was the youngest of four children,[3] born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania to attorney John Keichline. Her parents gave her a workshop and carpentry tools, which she used to create furniture. She won a prize for a table and chest she made at a county fair in 1903, when she was 14, and her work was praised as comparing "favorably with the work of a skilled mechanic". She told a newspaper reporter that she expected to devote her life to industrial design.[4] She graduated from Bellefonte High School in 1906. She studied mechanical engineering for a year at Pennsylvania State College, the only woman in her studio class, and moved to Cornell University, graduating in 1911, their fifth female to receive an architecture degree.[5][2] She played basketball at Cornell, served as class officer, and was a sorority and drama club member.[5] Keichline was definitely aware of the disadvantage and difficulty being a woman in architecture – a male-dominated field – but she was not discouraged. She was convinced that women could be just as successful because of their innate understanding of space in a home.[2]

Inventions

[edit]

She became noted for working on "time- and motion-saving"[6] design of kitchens and interiors. She owned seven patents.[7] She had several inventions concerning home use, but her most noted invention was the "K Brick" in 1927. This type of hollow clay brick was less heavy and expensive than previous iterations and was an early form of the concrete block used in construction decades later.[8] This led to her receiving honors from the American Ceramic Society in 1931.[9]

Her first patent combined a sink and a washtub. She wanted to save space in kitchens and make them more comfortable to use. In 1924 she received a patent on one of her kitchen designs. Features of Keichline's kitchen-construction patent include an oven with a fireless cooker on one side and a steam cooker on the other side, which is located behind the cooking surface. The design was focused on "comfort and convenience, efficiency, and conservation of space."[3] This kitchen featured sloped countertops and cabinets with glass doors. In 1929 she received a patent on an apartment bed design. It could be flipped into the wall to save space.

Her most famous invention was the K Brick, which led to the development of the concrete block. It was patented in 1927 and she was honored for it by the American Ceramic Society in 1931. The K Brick was made of clay and used for hollow wall construction. It can be described as an inexpensive, light, fireproof clay brick that could be filled with insulating or sound-proofing material. Keichline noted that her K Brick, “requires less to make than brick and because of its design takes less time to fire – the tile would reduce the weight of the wall by one-half.”[2]

Patents

[edit]
  • Sink for Apartments (1912)[5]
  • Toy (1916)[5]
  • Components for Kitchen Construction (1926)[5]
  • K Brick (1927)[2] Patent 1,653,771 filed March 16, 1926 and issued December 27, 1927.
  • Child's Portable Partition (1927)[5] Patent 1,647,733 filed July 14, 1924, and issued November 1, 1927
  • Folding Bed for Apartments (1929)[5]
  • Air System (1931)[5] Patent 1,838,839 filed January 28,1927 and issued December 29,1931
  • Patent figure from the application showing features like a door and window
    Child's Portable Partition (1927) Patent 1,647,733 filed July 14, 1924, and issued November 1, 1927
  • Figures from patent applications showing various views and configurations
    Anna Keichline, Patent for “Building Block,” #1,653,771 A, filed March 16, 1926, issued December 27, 1927

Architecture career

[edit]

Throughout her professional career, she designed seven patents that had great impact on day-to-day life. She also designed commercial buildings and homes in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. She was honored in 2002 with in an official state of Pennsylvania historical marker placed in front of the Plaza Theater, which she designed in 1925.[2] Also, her great niece, Nancy Perkins carried on her legacy by establishing her own industrial design firm, Perkins Design Ltd.[10] Keichline's designs can still be seen in Bellefonte, Mill Hall, Centre Hall, Huntingdon and Mount Union, PA.

Early in her career, Keichline taught within the Department of Home Economics at the Pennsylvania State College.[11]

Keichline's early architectural projects "reflects a training steeped in historic precedent, drawing on past architectural forms to address modern needs."[11]

Major Projects

[edit]

Bald Eagle and Nittany Valley Presbyterian Church, Mill Hall, Penn., 1915

[edit]

This Gothic revival style church has an entry tower that is buttressed with oversized cross gables. Contemporary newspaper articles note that the kitchen used for gathering was a "unique feature" and the "exposed truss effect" of the sanctuary.[11]

Cadillac Garage and Apartments (County Chevrolet Garage), Bellefonte, Penn., 1916

[edit]

According to the Historical Building Marker, this building originally served as a car dealership with a showroom on first floor, a repair shop on the second, and an office and living space on the third floor. Damaged by a fire in December 2009, this building was remodeled into apartments in 2016 maintaining the original look of the exterior. [12]

Plaza Theater, Bellefonte, 1925

[edit]

The theater encompassed a stage, orchestra pit, pipe organ as well as a "Cry Room" that was enclosed in glass for parents to watch movies with young children.[13]

Juniata Colony Country Clubhouse, Mount Union, Penn., 1927

[edit]

While the Country Club itself was designed by Tom Bendelow of Chicago, the main clubhouse was designed by Keichline.[14] In a news articles the clubhouse was described as “30 × 45 feet in size with eighteen foot porches opening into the main club room through five pairs of French doors.”[11]

Personal life

[edit]

Keichline had her own automobile, which was unusual for women at the time. She was also involved in World War I efforts, serving as a "special agent with military intelligence."[3] She was a delegate to President Hoover's Better Housing Conference. On July 4, 1913 she led a march in Bellefonte of Suffragists during nationally organized protests.[5]

Publications

[edit]

Keichline wrote the article: “Modern Wall Construction,” Clay Worker, June 1, 1932.

Keichline has been mentioned in many publications. Her career and professional practices are discussed in Goddess in the Details: product design by women, written by Erika Doering, Rachel Sivitzky, Rebecca Welz, and published by Association of Women Industrial Designers (AWID) in 1994. The book is published in conjunction with an exhibition organized by The Association of Women Industrial Designers and the Department of Exhibitions at Pratt Institute.[15]

Keichline's achievements are also discussed in The patents of a design pioneer: Anna Wagner Keichline, written by Nancy J Perkins, published by Innovation in 1991. This publication outlined the profile of Keichline as an American pioneer industrial designer and architect; also emphasizes Keichline's four design patents awarded for multiple-use - a kitchen sink (1912), kitchen 'units' (1926), a folding bed for apartments (1929) and the 'K Brick Building Block' (1927).[15]

World War I Involvements

[edit]

During World War I, Keichline served as a Special Agent in the Military Intelligence Division in Washington D.C. When talking about her qualifications for this duty she described herself as,

...twenty-eight and physically somewhat stronger than the average. Might add that I can operate and take care of a car [she owned her own automobile]. The above might suggest a drafting or office job, but if you should deem it advisable to give me something more difficult or as I wish to say more dangerous, I should much prefer it. You have asked for my salary in order to rate me. ...last year my fees amounted to something over six thousand.[5]

Today her fees amounted to over $92,000 and she received letters from her superiors for the quality of her service.[5]

Legacy

[edit]

Keichline died on February 5, 1943. A small collection of her papers, including a copy of an article written by her, "Modern Wall Construction" from the 1932 issue of The Clay-Worker, as well as designs and drawings are collected at International Archive of Women in Architecture, located at Newman Library, Virginia Tech. In 2002, Keichline's niece, Nancy Perkins, donated additional collection to IAWA, which includes a CD-ROM documenting Keichline's life and achievements.[16]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Internet Archive of Women in Architecture
  2. ^ a b c d e f Legaspl, Rexy. "TPC Salutes Great Women Architects: Anna Keichline". The Plan Collection. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  3. ^ a b c [1] Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Howard, Ella; Setliff, Eric. "In "A Man's World": Women Industrial Designers". In Kirkham, Pat (ed.). Women Designers in the USA, 1900–2000. p. 270.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Perkins, Nancy. "Anna Wagner Keichline (1889–1943)". Association of Woman Industrial Designers.
  6. ^ Jolly, Bob. "Streetcar Windshield Wipers and Swinging Streetcleaning Carts." Tradeswomen Apr 30 1997: 20-. GenderWatch. Web. 31 May 2012
  7. ^ Hengstler, Laura. "Trading on Tradition." Creative Woman Dec 31 1993: 10-. GenderWatch. Web. 31 May 2012.
  8. ^ mary bellis (2015-06-12). "Anna Keichline – Architect and Inventor of the K Brick". Inventors.org. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
  9. ^ Lemelson-MIT "Inventor of the Week"
  10. ^ "Anna Keichline | Lemelson-MIT Program". lemelson.mit.edu. Retrieved 2016-06-26.
  11. ^ a b c d Davis, Laurin Goad (2020-10-01). "Making a Name for Herself: Anna Wagner Keichline, [Woman] Architect". Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies. 87 (4): 664–689. doi:10.5325/pennhistory.87.4.0664. ISSN 0031-4528. S2CID 226643903.
  12. ^ "The Cadillac Building Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  13. ^ "A Virtual Walking Tour of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania". www.bellefontearts.org. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  14. ^ "History". www.alccgolf.com. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  15. ^ a b "IAWA Biographical Database". iawadb.lib.vt.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  16. ^ Winn, Sam. "Research Guides: International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA): Guide to Collections (A to Z)". guides.lib.vt.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
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