Witt, Seibert & Halsey was an American architectural firm based in the twin cities of Texarkana, Arkansas and Texarkana, Texas, with a practice extending into Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. It was founded by architect Sidney Stewart, but achieved prominence under Bayard Witt and Eugene C. Seibert.
History Bayard Witt was born in 1880 in Witt's Foundry, Tennessee. He worked as a railroad laborer and foreman before obtaining an apprenticeship in civil engineering. In 1904 he moved to Texarkana, Arkansas, joining the office of architect Sidney Stewart,St. John's Episcopal Church NRHP Nomination (2017) who had been practicing in Texarkana since at least 1900.American School Board Journal, September 1900, n.p. By 1907, Witt was a partner in the firm of Stewart & Witt.Manufacturers' Record, January 24, 1907, 53.
Eugene Charles Seibert was born in 1878 in Berea, Ohio. He attended the Case School of Applied Science and Columbia University before entering the office of prominent Fort Worth architects Sanguinet & Staats. In 1908, he moved to Texarkana, joining Stewart & Witt. In 1909, Sidney Stewart chose to return to his native Canada. The firm was then established in 1909 as Witt & Seibert.A number of sources indicate that Witt & Seibert was formed in 1908, but at least once source indicates that Stewart & Witt remained active into 1909. A notice in the American School Board Journal for August 1909 indicates they had been commissioned to design a school in Cookville, Texas. Fred H. Halsey was added as partner in 1911, the firm becoming Witt, Seibert & Company. Halsey had attended Washington University in St. Louis, and had also worked in Fort Worth. Halsey's name was added to the firm's in 1919.
The partnership was dissolved in 1937, when Seibert left to form his own practice. Witt & Halsey continued briefly, separating in 1940. Witt continued alone until 1944, when he took Robert Reinheimer Jr. as partner in Witt & Reinheimer, which was dissolved upon Witt's death in 1947."Reinheimer, Robert, Jr.," Who's Who in the South and Southwest (Marquis Who's Who, 1976): 641.
Seibert maintained his independent practice until his death in 1941. He was also mayor of Texarkana, Arkansas from 1934 to 1939. Halsey entered government service after dissolving his partnership with Witt, but later returned to architectural practice. He died in 1978.
Legacy After Bayard Witt's passing, Reinheimer continued the practice as Reinheimer & Cox and Reinheimer, Cox & Associates into the 1970s.
The firm is responsible for a number of properties which have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places for their architectural significance.
Architectural works Year Building Address City State Firm Notes Image Reference 1904 Texarkana Industrial College 29th St and Garland Ave Texarkana Arkansas Sidney Stewart Later the Texarkana Baptist Orphanage. Demolished. American School Board Journal, September 1904, 23. 1905 First Presbyterian Church 516 Pecan St Texarkana Arkansas Sidney Stewart Realty Record and Builder, April 1905, n.p. 1907 Little River County Courthouse 351 N 2nd St Ashdown Arkansas Sidney Stewart Listed on the NRHP in 1976. Little River County Courthouse NRHP Nomination (1976) 1908 C. A. Johnston House 2015 Beech St Texarkana Arkansas Stewart & Witt A contributing property to the Beech Street Historic District, listed on the NRHP in 2010. Beech Street Historic District NRHP Nomination (2010) 1910 George W. Bottoms House 500 Hickory St Texarkana Arkansas Witt & Seibert in association with C. D. Hill & Company of Dallas Listed on the NRHP in 1982. Bottoms House NRHP Nomination (1982) 1910 Dr. Henry A. Longino House 317 W Main St Magnolia Arkansas Witt & Seibert Listed on the NRHP in 1982. Dr. H. A. Longino House NRHP Nomination (1982) 1911 Arkansas High School Hickory and E 10th Sts Texarkana Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Company Demolished. Western Contractor, July 5, 1911, 21. 1911 Thomas M. Dean House 1520 Beach St Texarkana Arkansas Witt & Seibert Listed on the NRHP in 1976. Dean House NRHP Nomination (1976) 1912 First National Bank Building 100 Main St Mount Vernon Texas Witt, Seibert & Company Altered. Presently the Franklin County Library. Tradesman, December 19, 1912, 52. 1912 S. S. P. Mills & Son Building Texarkana Ave and Main St Wilton Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Company Listed on the NRHP in 1996, but was removed in 2017 after being demolished in 2016. S. S. P. Mills and Son Building NRHP Nomination (1996) 1912 Texarkana National Bank Building 100 E Broad St Texarkana Texas Witt, Seibert & Company Home to the firm's offices. Now altered. "$200,000 Viaduct of Texarkana," Tradesman, July 4, 1912, 33. 1913 Arnold and Greeson Stores 102-104 W Main St Prescott Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Company A contributing property to the Prescott Commercial Historic District, listed on the NRHP in 2008.Prescott Commercial Historic District NRHP Nomination (2008) Tradesman, March 13, 1913, 50. 1913 Dining Hall and Caraway and McCrary Halls Third District Agricultural School Magnolia Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Company Demolished. Tradesman, May 22, 1913, 51. 1913 First M. E. Church Chestnut and 4th Sts Lewisville Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Company Listed on the NRHP in 1996. First Methodist Church NRHP Nomination (1996) 1913 Masonic Temple 314 Main St Texarkana Texas Witt, Seibert & Company Tradesman, March 6, 1913, 55. 1915 Dr. G. W. Chisholm House 930 E 5th St St Texarkana Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Company Demolished. American Contractor, June 5, 1915, 100. 1915 Peoples Bank and Loan Company Building Spruce and 3rd Sts Lewisville Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Company Listed on the NRHP in 1996. Peoples Bank and Loan NRHP Nomination (1996) 1916 Eugene C. Seibert House 1701 Beech St Texarkana Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Company A contributing property to the Beech Street Historic District, listed on the NRHP in 2010. 1916 National Building 100 E 2nd St Hope Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Company A contributing property to the Hope Historic Commercial District, listed on the NRHP in 1995. Hope Commercial Historic District NRHP Nomination (1995) 1917 Emmet M. E. Church 207 S Walnut St Emmet Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Company Arkansas Most Endangered Places 1917 Leonidas Foster House 420 N Spruce St Hope Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Company Listed on the NRHP in 1991. Foster House NRHP Nomination (1991) 1919 William C. Brown House 2330 Central Ave Hot Springs Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Halsey Listed on the NRHP in 1986. W. C. Brown House NRHP Nomination (1986) 1923 Buhrman-Pharr Hardware Company Building 620 E 3rd St Texarkana Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Halsey A contributing property to the Buhrman–Pharr Hardware Company Historic District, listed on the NRHP in 2004. Buhrman–Pharr Hardware Company Historic District NRHP Nomination (2004) 1923 Planters Bank and Trust Company Building 103 N Main St Nashville Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Halsey Manufacturers' Record, March 29, 1923, 101. 1923 Sidney A. Umsted House 404 Washington St Camden Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Halsey Listed on the NRHP in 1995. Sidney A. Umsted House NRHP Nomination (1995) 1923 Texarkana National Bank Annex 100 E Broad St Texarkana Texas Witt, Seibert & Halsey in association with Sanguinet, Staats & Hedrick of Fort Worth Home to the firm's offices. Now altered. Manufacturers' Record, August 9, 1923, 110. 1924 Caddo Valley Academy 9th and Main Sts Norman Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Halsey Listed on the NRHP in 2002. Caddo Valley Academy Complex NRHP Nomination (2002) 1924 Texarkana City Hall 220 Texas Blvd Texarkana Texas Witt, Seibert & Halsey in association with C. H. Page & Brother of Austin William L. Lebovich, America's City Halls (Preservation Press, 1984): 141. 1925 First M. E. Church 700 S Broadway St Smackover Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Halsey A contributing property to the Smackover Historic Commercial District, listed on the NRHP in 1990. Presently the Smackover Library. Smackover Historic Commercial District NRHP Nomination (1990) 1925 St. John Episcopal Church 117 Harrison St Camden Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Halsey Listed on the NRHP in 2017. 1926 Saenger Theatre 211 W 2nd St Hope Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Halsey Demolished. Moving Picture World, November 20, 1926, 156. 1927 Texarkana Junior College W 16th and Pine Sts Texarkana Texas Witt, Seibert & Halsey Listed on the NRHP in 2014 as part of the Texarkana Junior College and Texas High School. Demolished 2023 Texarkana Junior College and Texas High School NRHP Nomination (2014) 1927 Texarkana Municipal Building 216 Walnut St Texarkana Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Halsey Listed on the NRHP in 2004. Texarkana, Arkansas, Municipal Building NRHP Nomination (2004) 1928 Collins Home 1915 Olive St Texarkana Texas Witt, Seibert & Halsey Manufacturers' Record, 1928. 1928 Mullins Court 605 Hickory St Texarkana Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Halsey Listed on the NRHP in 2007. Mullins Court NRHP Nomination (2007) 1928 Texarkana Country Club 1 Country Club Ln Texarkana Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Halsey 1929 Sevier County Courthouse 115 N 3rd St De Queen Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Halsey Manufacturers' Record, May 16, 1929, 81. 1929 Texas High School 1915 Pine St Texarkana Texas Witt, Seibert & Halsey Listed on the NRHP in 2014 as part of the Texarkana Junior College and Texas High School Demolished 2023. 1930 Jamison Building 513-515 W 3rd St Texarkana Texas Witt, Seibert & Halsey 1931 Central Christian Church 903 Walnut St Texarkana Texas Witt, Seibert & Halsey 1931 - Central Christian Church - Texarkana, TX 1931 Pike County Courthouse 1 Courthouse Sq Murfreesboro Arkansas Witt, Seibert & Halsey Listed on the NRHP in 1986. Pike County Courthouse NRHP Nomination (1986) 1932 U. S. Post Office and Courthouse 500 N State Line Ave Texarkana Arkansas and Texas Witt, Seibert & Halsey in association with Perkins, Chatten & Hammond of Chicago Listed on the NRHP in 2000. Texarkana U. S. Post Office and Federal Building NRHP Nomination (2000) 1933 Trinity M. E. Church 300 N Vienna St Ruston Louisiana Witt, Seibert & Halsey Demolished. Ruston Daily Leader, October 14, 1933, 1. 1938 Cass County Office Building 119 N Kauffman St Linden Texas Witt & Halsey 1939 Miller County Courthouse 400 Laurel St Texarkana Arkansas Eugene C. Seibert Listed on the NRHP in 1998. Miller County Courthouse NRHP Nomination (1998) 1940 Stevens Courts 2220 W 15th St Texarkana Texas Witt & Halsey in association with James N. McCammon of Dallas All demolished except for administration building. Bridgemen's Magazine, 1940, 147.
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