SCHWARZ, Joseph (1858-1927), active in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for over forty years, is almost certainly the architect of the First Baptist Church, Regina, Saskatchewan, built 1911, and still standing in 2023.
Schwarz was born in New York City in 1858 but moved west with his family in 1881 and settled in South Dakota where he became a successful architect and designer of local landmarks in Sioux Falls. He opened an office there in September 1886 (Daily Argus [Sioux Falls], 9 Sept. 1886, 4). His major works there include the Masonic Temple, the Carnegie Library, the Minnehaha County Courthouse, the Carpenter Hotel, the Cataract Hotel, and several churches for the Congregational, the Presbyterian, and the Baptist sects in that city. His classical design for the First Baptist Church in Sioux Falls, completed in 1910, drew praise from many groups, and in early 1911 a delegation of Baptists from Regina, Saskatchewan travelled to South Dakota to view this building (Morning Leader (Regina), 14 Jan. 1911, 6).
Just five days later, it was announced in Regina that the local Baptist congregation there would build a new church which "…..will be almost identical with that recently erected by the Baptist denomination in Sioux Falls, South Dakota" (Morning Leader (Regina), 19 Jan. 1911, 4). Although the architect was not named, the Regina church is a virtual replica of the earlier church designed by Joseph Schwarz in Sioux Falls, and the elevational treatment, floor plan, and footprint of the Regina church matches that of the church completed just one year earlier. Both churches are still standing in 2023. In South Dakota, Schwarz also designed buildings at the State College at Brookings, the Lyon County Courthouse at Rock Rapids, and several buildings on the campus of the University of South Dakota at Vermillion, S.D. Schwarz continued to practice until after 1920, and later died in Sioux Falls on 26 December 1927 (obituary and biography, with selected list of works, in The Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 27 Dec.. 1927, 13; inf. from Frank Korvemaker, Regina)
(works in Canada)
REGINA, SASK., First Baptist Church, Victoria Avenue at Lorne Street, 1911; roof damaged during the Regina Tornado of June 1912; repaired and rebuilt; interiors altered c. 1955; still standing in 2023 (Morning Leader (Regina), 7 July 1911, 8, stating that the new church "...is modelled after the Baptist Church of Sioux Falls, South Dakota" ; and 25 Dec. 1911, 7, detailed architectural descrip., with photo of identical church in Sioux Falls, S.D.; inf. Frank Korvemaker, Regina)
(works in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA)
unnamed street, a large residence for Arthur McGrath, 1886 (Daily Argus [Sioux Falls], 9 Sept. 1886, 4)
ELKS FRATERNAL LODGE, a 4 storey block for the Elks Fraternal Lodge, 1901 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 27 June 1901, 8, t.c.)
CARNEGIE LIBRARY, West 10th Street at South Dakota Avenue, 1901-02; still standing in 2022 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 3 Aug. 1901, 8, t.c.; U.S.A, National Register of Historic Places, designated in 1973)
KUEHN GROCERY CO., wholesale warehouse, 1902 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 16 June 1902, 6)
9TH STREET, east of Germania Hall, a two storey commercial block for an unnamed client, 1902 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 30 June 1902, 6)
SUMMIT AVENUE, residence for J.H. Ramsey, 1902 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 1 July 1902, 8)
WEST 9th STREET, residence for Charles Fantle, Jr., 1902 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 2 July 1902, 5)
LUTHERAN NORMAL SCHOOL, a new Dormitory for Girls, 1904 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 17 Sept. 1904, 3, t.c.)
MASONIC TEMPLE, 1905 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 21 Aug. 1905, 2, t.c.)
SIOUX FALLS, S.D., First Baptist Church, 8th Street at Spring Avenue, 1909-10; still standing in 2023 and now called Faith Family Church (The Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 18 Aug. 1909, 9, t.c.)
(works in South Dakota and Nebraska, USA)
SALEM, S.D., a two storey commercial block for Schneider Brothers, 1900 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 11 Aug. 1900, 6)
PARKSTON, S.D., a large brick church, 1902 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 11 June 1902, 6, descrip.)
ABERDEEN, S.D., a 4 storey grocery warehouse for Jewett Bros., 1902 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 21 June 1902, 8)
GARRETSTON, S.D., a stone bank building for E.E. Cross, 1902 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 23 June 1902, 6)
BOW VALLEY, NEBRASKA, St. Peter & St. Paul Roman Catholic Church, West 889th Road at Church Street, 1902-03; still standing in 2022 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 12 July 1902, 6; U.S.A., National Register of Historic Places, designated in May 2000, but incorrectly credited to "Josef Schwartz [sic], Architect")
FREEMAN, S.D., Mennonite College, 1903 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 16 May 1903, 8)
ALEXANDRIA S.D., Roman Catholic rectory, 5th Street at Cedar Street, 1903 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 21 Oct. 1903, 6)
ABERDEEN, S.D. The Ward Hotel, 1904; burned November 1926, and replaced by new hotel building (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 29 April 1904, 8)
MILLER, S.D., Masonic Temple, Broadway at West 2nd Street, 1904 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 20 July 1904, 6)
VERMILLION, S.D., Carnegie Library, Church Street, 1904; still standing in 2022 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 21 July 1904, 8; U.S.A., National Register of Historic Places, designated 1983)
FORESTBURG, S.D., a residence on the ranch of R.O. Richards, near Forestburg, 1904 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 2 Aug. 1904, 6; and 11 Feb. 1905, 6)
LENNOX, S.D., commercial block for W. Smith, 1904 (Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 3 Aug. 1904, 6)
BROOKINGS, S.D., Carnegie Library at the State University of South Dakota, 1910 (The Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls), 28 Feb 1910, 3)