A. C. Lyons (1873-1942). 13 April 2012. was an American architect from Fairmont, West Virginia.
Life and career A. C. Lyons was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1873. When he was an infant, the family moved to Pittsburgh, before moving on to Huntington, West Virginia, in 1880. The family later returned to Pittsburgh, where Lyons finished his schooling.Alvarez, M. Raymond. "Fairmont Architect Andrew C. Lyons: Picturesque and Artistic". http://www.wvculture.org/. 2015.
Lyons began his architectural career in 1888, in the office of Pittsburgh architect Solomon Munsch. In 1891 he went to Fairmont to manage a branch office for the firm,Ohio Architect and Builder June 1906. Cleveland. now Munsch & Huemme. In 1894 this was expanded to a partnership, Munsch, Huemme & Lyons, with offices in Pittsburgh and Fairmont. The firm became known as S. Munsch & Company upon Huemme's departure. After Munsch's death in 1898,Engineering Record 10 Sept. 1898: 311. New York. Lyons established his own office in Fairmont.
Lyons quickly grew to become one of the most prominent architects in northeast West Virginia. In 1904, he established a branch office at Elkins, a small city then undergoing rapid growth. He was also, around 1902, associated with John C. Tibbets as Lyons & Tibbets. He practiced until the 1930s, but by then he lost prominence to other architects, including R. A. Gillis, Jones & Nuzum, and Coy H. Snider.
After designing many grand homes, buildings and schools in Fairmont and North Central West Virginia, Lyons relocated to Pittsburgh in 1933 and formed a partnership with J. Hubert Wagner to establish a river barge transport company known as Lyons River Transportation. As it prospered, he traded his drafting table and t-squares for a new career as a riverboat captain. The flagship was the "Katie Lyons," a 532-ton sternwheeler. On March 16, 1942, a tragic accident claimed his life. The "Katie Lyons" was travelling to Point Pleasant, WV on the Ohio River, which was nearly at flood stage. The boat, caught by swift current and hampered by heavy fog, smashed sideways into one of the piers of the railroad bridge between Benwood, WV and Bellaire, Ohio. The boat sank rapidly. Captain Lyons, the pilot and second engineer were trapped inside the pilot house. However, 14 members of the crew made it to shore. Nearly a week later, his body was recovered. Lyons, his wife Katherine, and their daughter Beatrice are all buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Fairmont.
Legacy At least two buildings designed by Lyons have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and several more contribute or did contribute to listed historic districts. In 2013, local historian Dr. M. Raymond Alvarez called Lyons "the primary architect, literally, of Fairmont’s transition from a sleepy county seat to a bustling commercial center".
Architectural works 1894 - Merchants and Mechanics Savings Bank Building, 101 W Main St, Grafton, West Virginia"Lyons, Andrew C., Architect. Drawings for Buildings in Fairmont, West Virginia 1890-2013" . http://findingaids.lib.wvu.edu/ . n.d. 1895 - First M. E. Church (remodeling), 118 Clarksburg St, Mannington, West Virginia 1898 - McCoy Building, 109 Fairmont Ave, Fairmont, West Virginia Demolished. 1900 - Clyde E. Hutchinson House, 701 Benoni Ave, Fairmont, West VirginiaFleming-Watson Historic District NRHP Nomination. 2001. 1900 - Sample Building, 221 Monroe St, Fairmont, West Virginia 1902 - Thomas W. Arnett House, 707 Benoni Ave, Fairmont, West Virginia 1902 - Jacobs-Hutchinson Block, 205 Adams St, Fairmont, West VirginiaFairmont Downtown Historic District NRHP Nomination. 1995. 1903 - Jacobs Building, 316 Monroe St, Fairmont, West VirginiaAmerican Architect and Building News 20 June 1903: x. Boston. 1904 - Randolph Hotel, Railroad Ave, Elkins, West VirginiaPlumbers' Trade Journal, Steam and Hot Water Fitters' Review 15 Oct. 1904: 436. Demolished. 1905 - Fifth Ward School (former), 601 Locust Ave, Fairmont, West Virginia 1905 - Woman's Hall, Fairmont State Normal School, Fairmont, West VirginiaDaily Bulletin of the Manufacturers' Record 21 Sept. 1905: 250. Baltimore. On the former Fairmont Avenue campus. Demolished in 1924. 1907 - First Ward School (former), 1301 S Davis Ave, Elkins, West VirginiaDaily Bulletin of the Manufacturers' Record 23 May 1907. Baltimore. 1907 - Scott Building, 309 Scott St, Elkins, West VirginiaDaily Bulletin of the Manufacturers' Record 10 April 1907. Baltimore. 1907 - Third Ward School (former), 978 Harrison Ave, Elkins, West Virginia 1908 - Rivesville School (former), 168 Jasper St, Rivesville, West VirginiaMunicipal Journal and Engineer 22 July 1908: 129. New York. 1910 - Consolidation Coal Office Building, 78 Millers Creek Rd, Van Lear, KentuckyAmerican Contractor 28 May 1910: 50. Chicago. 1916 - Professional Building, Fairmont Building and Investment Co. Current Owner A. D. Ashley 309 Cleveland Ave, Fairmont, West VirginiaAmerican Contractor 24 June 1916: 82. Chicago. With Coy H. Snider.
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