Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Willis Webb Polk - Architect and Father of Famous Architect


Willis Webb Polk (1836-1906) was the father of famed architect Willis Polk (1867-1924). He was a builder and architect of some note. In 1885, the elder Polk along with his son Willis opened W.W. Polk & Son in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1892, along with another son, Daniel, they opened Polk & Polk in San Francisco. The younger Willis Polk was responsible for creative design, Daniel was in charge of drafting and the father in charge of supervising the construction projects. After Daniel’s departure in 1897 the firm went bankrupt and the elder Polk retired.

Polk was born in Kentucky and fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. He was related to Major General Leonidas Polk, a cousin of President James Knox Polk and a descendant of Robert Morris, one of President George Washington’s financiers. He was known for his fervent advocacy of temperance.

He died at his famous son’s home in Berkeley four months after the death of his wife, Endimial.

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2 comments:

Webmaster said...

Endemial ( misspelled here) Polk lead a distinguished life in her own right. She was a leader of the suffragette movement in St Louis. St Louis was the birthplace of the League of Women Voters which grew out of the St. Louis Suffragette Convention in 1919. Known as EJ or Endie, she was also an author and one of the few regular women contributors to the St Louis Globe-Democrat Newspaper.

Webmaster said...

Endemial ( misspelled here) Polk lead a distinguished life in her own right. She was a leader of the suffragette movement in St Louis. St Louis was the birthplace of the League of Women Voters which grew out of the St. Louis Suffragette Convention in 1919. Known as EJ or Endie, she was also an author and one of the few regular women contributors to the St Louis Globe-Democrat Newspaper.