Carl Macomber, Saginaw, Michigan
(born 1889, Saginaw, Michigan; died 1964, Saginaw, Michigan)
Carl Macomber received a degree in architectural design from the University of Michigan in 1912. During World War I, he served in the U.S. Army. In the 1919 Saginaw City Directory he is listed as a draftsman working for Cowles and Mutscheller, and between 1921 and 1934 he is listed as practicing independently. From 1934 until 1940 he had an office with Clarence B. Merrill. From 1948 until 1959 he worked in the office of Frantz and Spence, and the 1961 Saginaw Directory indicated that he was working for Frederick E. Wigen.
Only a few buildings designed by him have been identified. The Saginaw City Hall and the remodeling of the Saginaw Post Office are from roughly the same period. It is interesting and revealing to compare and contrast the two projects. While the design of the Post Office was driven by Aiken’s original design and Macomber’s relationship with Smith Hinchman and Grylls, Macomber had much more latitude in designing the Saginaw City Hall. However, in both buildings a common hand can be detected in some design details.
Representative Work:
Saginaw:
Jefferson Apartment Building
Castle Building with Smith Hinchman and Grylls.
Saginaw City Hall
Alterations to building on the southwest corner of Water and E. Genesee
Sources:
“Saginaw Native, 75: Architect Carl E. Macomber Dies”. The Saginaw News. September 13, 1964. D-6.
Saginaw City Directories
Map
