Alexander Blount Mahood (March 17, 1888 – December 25, 1970) was a Bluefield, West Virginia-based architect.
Life and career Mahood was born in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1888. He attended public schools, after which he attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and studied in the ateliers of Mssrs. Chifflot and Duquesne. After his return from France in 1911, he took a position as draftsman in the Lynchburg firm of Frye & Chesterman. He soon made his way to Roanoke, where he also worked for Henry H. Huggins and Homer M. Miller. In 1912 Miller elevated Mahood to a partner, in Miller & Mahood.American Architects Directory. New York: R. R. Bowker, 1955. Miller had, in 1911, landed a major commission in nearby Bluefield, the Law & Commerce Building - the largest office building in the growing city.Engineering Review Aug. 1911: 82. New York. Mahood was sent to Bluefield to open a branch office, where he would supervise construction and court new business.
Upon its completion in 1913, the Mahood offices were moved into the new Law & Commerce Building. The partnership with Miller was dissolved in 1914, and Mahood remained in Bluefield. He remained in private practice until 1923, when he established a partnership with Frederick C. Van Dusen, which lasted until 1926. He was again alone until 1940, when he added Richard T. Snellings of Charlottesville as an associate. His son, A. B. Mahood, Jr. was also made an associate, in 1949. The firm would remain as such until 1970, when Mahood died.
Legacy Mahood was the architect for the West Virginia Hotel (1923) and many of his major residential works are in the South Bluefield area. These included the Country Club and the Country Club Hill section where the Bluefield Club was constructed in 1920.Easley House NRHP Nomination. 1991. Mahood designed mansions for magnates of the southern coalfields, and embellished Bluefield's residential districts with some of the grandest Georgian Revival houses in the state.
He designed the Women's Dormitory at the West Virginia University in Morgantown, United States Steel Building in Gary, Skyway Drive-In Theater in Brush Fork, the Deco-Style Mercer County Courthouse (1930–1931) in Princeton and the Guyan Theater in Logan. He also designed a number of coal company offices and stores in the southern West Virginia region. He may have also designed the McNeer House (1919) near Salt Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.McNeer House NRHP Nomination. 1990.
He died in 1970, at Bluefield, West Virginia.
Selected works Miller & Mahood, 1912-1914 1912 - Masonic Temple, 203 Federal St, Bluefield, West VirginiaEngineering News 6 June 1912: 350. New York. Demolished.
Alex. B. Mahood, 1914-1923 1914 - Page Coal and Coke Company Store, Pageton St, Pageton, West VirginiaEngineering and Contracting 4 Feb. 1914: 58a. New York. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. 1915 - R. M. Garrett House, 109 Spring Grove Ave, Bluefield, West Virginia. http://www.bluefieldhistoricalsociety.org/. 2006. 1915 - Alex B. Mahood House, 2306 Bland Rd, Bluefield, West VirginiaChambers, S. Allen. Buildings of West Virginia. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. The architect's own residence. 1916 - The Baldwin House for W.G. Baldwin 126 Summers Street. (Mahood Papers, Eastern Regional Coal Archives) 1916 - D. H. Barger House, 2009 Bland Rd, Bluefield, West Virginia 1917 - Pocahontas Fuel Company Store, Powerhouse Hill Rd, Switchback, West VirginiaPocahontas Fuel Company Store NRHP Nomination. 1992. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. 1917 - Pocahontas Fuel Company Store, Jenkinjones Mountain Rd, Jenkinjones, West VirginiaAmerican Contractor 29 Sept. 1917: 46. Chicago. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. 1918 - Wyoming Hotel, 1st St, Mullens, West VirginiaMullens Historic District NRHP Nomination. 1993. 1919 - Frank S. Easley House, 1500 College Ave, Bluefield, West Virginia Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. 1919 - D. E. French House, 200 Duhring St, Bluefield, West VirginiaAnnett, Mary Margaret Spracher. Postcard History Series: Bluefield in Vintage Postcards. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2004. 1919 - Glen Alum Coal Company Store, Glen Alum, West VirginiaAmerican Contractor 5 July 1919: 76. Chicago. Demolished. 1919 - Lewis C. McNeer House, 22317 Seneca Trail S, Salt Sulphur Springs, West Virginia Attributed to Mahood. 1919 - Ross House, 1917 Jefferson St, Bluefield, West VirginiaJefferson Street Historic District NRHP Nomination. 1991. 1920 - Bluefield Elks Country Club, 1501 Whitethorn St, Bluefield, West VirginiaCountry Club Historic District NRHP Nomination. 1991. 1920 - Christ Episcopal Church, 200 Duhring St, Bluefield, West Virginia 1920 - First Presbyterian Church, 151 Virginia Ave, Welch, West VirginiaAmerican Contractor 13 Nov. 1920: 50. Chicago. 1920 - Henry Hotel, 50 E Church St, Martinsville, VirginiaAmerican Contractor 24 April 1920: 72. Chicago. 1920 - McDowell County Memorial Building, Elkhorn St, Welch, West VirginiaAmerican Contractor 25 Sept. 1920: 59. Chicago. Burned. 1920 - John Stewart Memorial M. E. Church, 102 Jones St, Bluefield, West Virginia 1920 - L. G. Toney House, 2116 Reid Ave, Bluefield, West Virginia 1921 - Peerless Coal Company Store, Vivian Bottom Rd, Vivian, West VirginiaAmerican Contractor 4 June 1921: 69. Chicago. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. 1922 - Commercial Bank Building, 401 Federal St, Bluefield, West VirginiaAmerican Contractor 27 May 1922: 65. Chicago. 1922 - Arthur Kingdon House, 625 Mountain View Ave, Bluefield, West Virginia 1923 - Merchants' and Miners' National Bank Building, 8 Wyoming St, Welch, West VirginiaManufacturers' Record 7 Dec. 1922: 119. Baltimore. 1923 - Itmann Company Store and Office, WV-10, Itmann, West VirginiaItmann Company Store and Office NRHP Nomination. 1990. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Mahood & Van Dusen, 1923-1926 1923 - West Virginian Hotel, 415 Federal St, Bluefield, West VirginiaArchitectural Forum 1924: 44. 1924 - W. A. Bodell House, 1430 Whitehorn St, Bluefield, West Virginia 1924 - Leonard House, 2002 Jefferson St, Bluefield, West Virginia 1924 - Prichard School (former), 2619 Raceview Dr, Ona, West VirginiaPrichard House NRHP Nomination. 2001. 1925 - Thomas H. Cooper House, 909 Edgewood Rd, Bluefield, West Virginia 1925 - Russell F. Ritz House, 908 Edgewood Rd, Bluefield, West VirginiaUpper Oakhurst Historic District NRHP nomination. 1991. 1925 - Memorial School, 319 Memorial Ave, Bluefield, West VirginiaBluefield (WV) Daily Telegraph 1 Feb. 1925: 1. 1926 - National Armature and Electric Building, 2 Pine St, Bluefield, West VirginiaIron Age 1926: 536. New York.
Alex. B. Mahood, 1926-1970 1926 - Edgar S. Pedigo House, 105 Oakhurst Ave, Bluefield, West Virginia 1926 - John T. Wilson House, 404 Oakhurst Ave, Bluefield, West Virginia 1928 - Arthur Kingdon House, 618 Mountain View Ave, Bluefield, West Virginia 1929 - Perry Building, 525 Bland St, Bluefield, West VirginiaMercer County Courthouse NRHP Nomination. 1980. 1930 - Mercer County Courthouse, 1501 Main St, Princeton, West Virginia Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. 1934 - U. S. Post Office (former), 400 Neville St, Beckley, West Virginia[focus.nps.gov/GetAsset?assetID=9cf7b181-8cd9-43c2-9092-bdfd3c9b335e Beckley Courthouse Square Historic District NRHP Nomination]. 1994. In association with Samuel H. Bridge, a Beckley architect. 1937 - Mahood Hall, Bluefield State College, Bluefield, West VirginiaManufacturers Record 1937: iv. Baltimore. Built as a dormitory, now the College of Business. 1938 - Edward S. Maclin Hall, West Virginia Institute of Technology, Montgomery, West Virginia"Alex B. Mahood, architect (firm)" . . American Institute of Architects. n.d. 1938 - Wendell G. Hardway Library, Bluefield State College, Bluefield, West VirginiaManufacturers Record 1938: 103. Baltimore. 1939 - John Baker White Hall, Concord University, Athens, West Virginia"Benchmark at Concord: White Hall Demolition in Progress, Making Way for Technology Center" . http://hub.concord.edu/ . Concord University News. 20 June 2004. Demolished in 2004. 1941 - Conley Hall, West Virginia Institute of Technology, Montgomery, West VirginiaBridgemen's Magazine 1941: 18. St. Louis. 1947 - Norfolk and Western Division Office Building, 800 Princeton Ave, Bluefield, West VirginiaNorfolk and Western Magazine 1947: 541. 1949 - Scott Street Garage, Scott St, Bluefield, West Virginia Demolished. 1950 - Geriatrics Building, Weston State Hospital, Weston, West Virginia 1950 - Guyan Theatre (former), 204 Main St, Logan, West Virginia 1952 - Stoco High School (former), 1868 Tingler Ave, Coal City, West VirginiaAmerican Architects Directory. New York: R. R. Bowker, 1962. Partially demolished. 1955 - Princeton High School (former), 300 N Johnston St, Princeton, West VirginiaEngineering News-Record 1955: 124. New York/ 1956 - Arnold Hall, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 1958 - Parish House for Christ Episcopal Church, 200 Duhring St, Bluefield, West Virginia 1962 - Student Center, Concord University, Athens, West VirginiaAmerican Architects Directory. New York: R. R. Bowker, 1970. 1963 - Boreman Hall North, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 1964 - Creative Arts Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 1964 - Wilson and Wooddell Halls, Concord University, Athens, West VirginiaRaleigh Register 13 Feb. 1964: 11. 1966 - Brooke and Braxton Towers, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West VirginiaEngineering News-Record 1966: 72. New York. 1967 - Main Building, West Virginia University at Parkersburg, Parkersburg, West VirginiaEngineering News-Record 1967: 44. New York.
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