ESENWEIN, August Carl (1855-1926), active in Buffalo, N.Y. where he was in partnership with James A. Johnson (1865-1939) from 1898 until 1926. Their firm specialised in the design of large hotel projects for the United Hotels Co. chain, and their names can be linked to over 30 hotel buildings in New England, the American Midwest, as well as several commissions in Ontario. Their most important commercial work was the striking Beaux-Arts design for the General Electric Tower in Buffalo (1911-12; still standing as of 2019). This 300-foot tall office tower was clad entirely in gleaming white terra cotta tile, and topped with a series of three octagonal lanterns which have become an indelible symbol and fixture on the skyline of downtown Buffalo. Their firm can also be credited with designs for educational, institutional and residential landmarks in western New York, often executed in a Renaissance Revival or carefully composed Beaux-Arts style.
Esenwein was born in the town of Esenwein-Virnsberg, Germany on 7 November 1856 and was educated and trained there. He emigrated to the United States in 1880 and settled in Buffalo, N.Y. where he joined the engineering department of the Delaware & Lackawanna Railroad Co., While working in that office, he entered the architectural competition for the new Music Hall in Buffalo and won First Prize, launching his career as an architect. In 1897 Esenwein formed a partnership with James Addison Johnson, a native of Brewerton, N.Y., who was born there on 7 October 1865. Johnson had trained in the office of Marling & Burdett in Buffalo, then moved to New York City where he worked as an assistant to Richard M. Hunt, a leading American architect, and later joined the well-known firm of McKim, Mead & White. After returning to Buffalo, he was in partnership with James H. Marling (as Marling & Johnson, 1893-94), and later with William H. Boughton (as Boughton & Johnson, 1895-97).
Esenwein died in Buffalo, N.Y. on 29 June 1926 (obituary Buffalo Courier Express, 30 June 1926, 11, with editorial p. 16; obit. and port. Buffalo Evening Times, 30 June 1926, 3, with editorial p. 10; biog. for Esenwein in Louis B. Lane, Memorial And Family History of Erie County1906-08, Vol. 1, 196-98; biog. Merton M. Wilner, History of The Niagara Frontier, 1931, Vol. 4, 389-91; biog. of the firm in H. Withey, Biographical Dictionary of American Architects, 1956, 199-200, 325; inf. Martin Wachaldo, Groton, Conn.). Johnson, who was credited with much of the design work of the firm, continued the work of the office after 1926, and he later died in Buffalo, N.Y. on 5 April 1939 (obituary & port. Buffalo Evening News, 5 April 1939; obit. & port. Buffalo Courier-Express, 6 April 1939; biog. Merton M. Wilner, History of the Niagara Frontier, 1931, Vol. 3, 580-85; biog. Buffalo Artists Register, 1926, Vol. 1, 334)
ESENWEIN & JOHNSON (works in Canada)
TORONTO, ONT., Stewart Hartshorn Co., River Street, north of Queen Street East, factory, 1906; demol. c. 1975 (C.R., xvii, 25 July 1906, 6; blueprints City of Toronto Archives)
TORONTO, ONT. project for an 11 storey hotel, Yonge Street, for Angus Gordon, E. Clark King, Col. H.W. Pratt, H.M. Deyo and J.M. Smart, 1909, but not built (C.R., xxiii, 7 April 1909, 23)
(with A.W. Peene, Hamilton) HAMILTON, ONT., Royal Connaught Hotel, King Street, 1915-16 (C.R., xxx, 9 Feb. 1916, 125-26, illus. & descrip.; Architecture & Building [New York], xlviii, August 1916, 130-33, illus. & descrip.; Construction [Toronto], xii, March 1919, 66-70, illus. & descrip.)
POINT ABINO, ONT. [near Port Colborne], residence for U.S. Thomas of Buffalo, N.Y., 1917 (Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society, Esenwein & Johnson Coll., Account Book, Item 336, 1917)
(with Watt & Blackwell, London) TORONTO, ONT., major addition to the King Edward Hotel, King Street East at Leader Lane, and backing onto Colborne Street, 1919-21 (C.R., xxxiii, 20 Aug. 1919, 47; xxxv, 2 March 1921, 26, illus.; Construction [Toronto], xiii, July 1920, 202, 215, illus.; xv, Feb. 1922, 36-45, illus. & descrip.; Canadian Engineer [Montreal], xxxix, 9 Dec. 1920, 585-87, illus. & descrip.)
(with Watt & Blackwell, London, & A.H. McPhail, Windsor) WINDSOR, ONT., Prince Edward Hotel, Ouellette Avenue at Park Street, 1920-21 (Border Cities Star [Windsor], 4 Feb. 1920, 7, illus. & descrip.; 30 June 1920, 3, descrip.; C.R., xxxiv, 17 March 1920, 60; xxxvi, 26 July 1922, 735-36; 749, illus. & descrip.; Construction [Toronto], xiv, May 1921, 142; Nov. 1921, 344-48, illus. & descrip.; xv, Oct. 1922, 300-06, 311, illus. & descrip.; Canadian Engineer [Montreal], xliii, 18 July 1922, 149-51, illus. & descrip.)
RIDGEWAY, ONT., Cherry Hill Country Club House, Cherry Hill Boulevard, 1923-24, still standing as of 2019 (list of works by James A. .Johnson in Merton Wilner, History of the Niagara Frontier, 1931, Vol. 3, 580-83)
(works in the United States)
BUFFALO, N.Y., The Temple of Music Pavilion, for the Pan Am Exposition, 1899-1900 (Engineering & Building Record [New York], xl, 29 July 1899, 206)
BUFFALO, N.Y., Iroquois Hotel, Main Street at Eagle Street, major addition of three full floors and 150 rooms above the existing building, 1899 (Buffalo Evening News, 18 Feb. 1899, 1, descrip.)
BUFFALO, N.Y., West Side High School, won in a competition, 1900-01 (Buffalo Courier, 2 Nov. 1900, 6, illus. & descrip.)
BUFFALO, N.Y., Lafayette High School, Lafayette Avenue, 1903 (Reyner Banham, Buffalo Architecture: A Guide, 1981, 165, illus. & descrip.)
BUFFALO, N.Y., Statler Hotel, Swan Street at Washington Street, 1905-08
BUFFALO, N.Y., Calumet Building, West Chippewa Street, 1906 (Reyner Banham, Buffalo Architecture: A Guide, 1981, 95, illus. & descrip.)
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Hotel Seneca, Clinton Avenue, 1908; demol. 1969
BUFFALO, N.Y., Castle Theatre, West Genesee Street at Pearl Street, 1910 (Buffalo Evening Times, 5 Feb. 1910, 4, descrip.)
SYRACUSE, N.Y., Onondaga Hotel, South Warren Street at East Jefferson Street, 1910; demol. 1970 (list of works by James A. .Johnson in Merton Wilner, History of the Niagara Frontier, 1931, Vol. 3, 580-83)
JAMESTOWN, N.Y., Hotel Samuels, Cherry Street, 1910-11 (Buffalo Times, 14 June 1910, 6, descrip.; Architecture & Building [New York], Oct. 1912, illus.)
PEORIA, ILL., Jefferson Hotel, South Jefferson Avenue, 1911-12; demol. 1979 (list of works by James A. .Johnson in Merton Wilner, History of the Niagara Frontier, 1931, Vol. 3, 580-83)
UTICA, N.Y., Utica Hotel, Lafayette Street at Seneca Street, 1912 (list of works by James A. .Johnson in Merton Wilner, History of the Niagara Frontier, 1931, Vol. 3, 580-83)
AKRON, OHIO, Portage Hotel, North Main Street, 1912; demol. 1992 (inf. National Register of Historic Places, USA)
WORCESTER, MASS., Bancroft Hotel, Franklin Street, 1912 (inf. National Register of Historic Places, USA)
BUFFALO, N.Y., Buffalo Zoo, Amherst Street at Colvin Street, The Elephant House Pavilion, 1912 (Reyner Banham, Buffalo Architecture: A Guide, 1981, 204-05, illus. & descrip.)
BUFFALO, N.Y., Col. Francis G. Ward Water Pumping Station, Porter Avenue at D.A.R. Drive, 1912-16 (Reyner Banham, Buffalo Architecture: A Guide, 1981, 109)
BUFFALO, N.Y., General Electric Tower (later called the Niagara Mohawk Building), Washington Street at East Huron Street, 1911-12 (Buffalo Courier, 24 Sept. 1912, 6, descrip.; Buffalo Express, 24 Sept. 1912, 8, descrip.; Reyner Banham, Buffalo Architecture: A Guide, 1981, 90-91, illus. & descrip.)
ERIE, PENN., Lawrence Hotel, West 10th Street at Peach Street, 1913; demol. 1968 (list of works by James A. .Johnson in Merton Wilner, History of the Niagara Frontier, 1931, Vol. 3, 580-83)
HOLYOKE, MASS., Nonotuck Hotel, 1915 (list of works by James A. .Johnson in Merton Wilner, History of the Niagara Frontier, 1931, Vol. 3, 580-83)
HARRISBURG, PENN., The Penn-Harris Hotel, Third Street at Walnut Street, 1916-17 (Harrisburg Telegraph, 11 Dec. 1916, 1 & 5, descrip.)
ALBANY, N.Y., Ten Eyck Hotel, State Street at Pearl Street, a major 17 storey addition to existing hotel, 1916-17; demol. 1971 (Harrisburg Telegraph, 11 Dec. 1916, 5, list of hotels by Esenwein & Johnson)
FLINT, MICH., Durant Hotel, East 2nd Avenue, 1919 (list of works by James A. .Johnson in Merton Wilner, History of the Niagara Frontier, 1931, Vol. 3, 580-83)
TRENTON, N.Y., Stacy-Trent Hotel, West State Street at William Street, 1920-21 (list of works by James A. .Johnson in Merton Wilner, History of the Niagara Frontier, 1931, Vol. 3, 580-83)
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y., Hotel Niagara, Rainbow Boulevard, 1923-25 (inf. National Register of Historic Places, USA).