October 15 Program Explores Marvin House & Its Architect

E.G.W. Dietrich, the architect who designed the Elizabeth Warner Marvin Community House in Jamestown, will be the focus of a special presentation on October 15.

The program, sponsored by the Marvin House and Chautauqua County Historical Society and free and open to the public, begins at 2 p.m. at the Marvin House, 2 W. 5th St., in Jamestown.

Pre-registration is mandatory for those who would like to attend the event in person or participate by Zoom. Space is limited at Marvin House. To make a reservation for either the on-site or online option, visit www.cchsmcclurg.com/events or call the CCHS at 716.326.2977.

Christopher Jend, a senior associate and one of the leading designers at Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, an international architectural firm based in New York City, will focus on the houses Dietrich designed in Jamestown, western New York, and northwestern Pennsylvania during his presentation. Marlin Casker, a retired Jamestown architect, will provide introductory details on the Marvin House and Robert and Elizabeth Warner Marvin.

Jend’s interest in Dietrich began while researching and writing a successful National Register of Historic Places nomination for the John Mollenhauer House in Bay Shore, NY. Since then, Jend has catalogued nearly 450 of Dietrich’s designs, visited built works in five states, and given several presentations on Dietrich’s structures.

The Marvin House, designed by Dietrich and built between 1896 and 1897, is an outstanding example of the shingle style. When completed, it was considered one of the most handsome houses in western New York.

Dietrich, who was born in Pittsburgh in 1857, graduated from Duff ’s Business College and studied at the Western College of Pennsylvania, now the University of Pittsburgh. He moved his practice to New York City in the fall of 1886.

During his 40-year career, Dietrich designed churches, libraries, hotels, and commercial and public buildings, but he is most highly regarded for his residential work in the shingle, colonial revival, and arts and crafts styles. In cooperation with furniture designer Gustav Stickley, Dietrich designed the first “Craftsman House” published in The Craftsman magazine in May 1903.

Jend, who earned a bachelor of architecture degree at the University of Detroit Mercy, began his career working in Warsaw, Poland. After returning to the U.S. in 2003, he joined PCF&P and has collaborated on many of the firm’s most significant projects in Europe, India, and the U.S.