Hartmann and Hartmann (1946 -1960s)

Biography

The firm formally known as Charles Hartmann, Architects, was formed about 1946 by the established Greensboro architect Charles C. Hartmann and his son, Charles Conrad Hartmann, Jr. The elder Hartmann had moved from New York to Greensboro in the early 1920s and established a successful practice. His son worked with him for a time in the 1930s and then served in World War II. After a drop in output during the war, by 1946 Hartmann brought his son into the business in anticipation of meeting postwar construction demand. Riding the first wave of postwar building, the firm's output soared to over $3 million worth per year. To promote efficiency, the two men developed a modular system of design. The elder Hartmann continued as a principal in the firm until he retired in the 1960s. Further research may determine the roles each man took in the design of various projects and how the firm operated.

Hartmann and Hartmann's postwar projects included many financial institutions, schools, housing projects, commercial buildings, religious buildings, industrial buildings (especially textile mills), and office buildings. Their designs ranged from traditional Georgian Revival styles to streamlined modern, with their schools, housing projects, and factories following standard models. Notable among their projects was work for the National Park Service and other natural sites. Charles C. Hartmann, Jr., is best known for designing the Mile High Swinging Bridge (1952) for Hugh Morton on Grandfather Mountain near Linville, North Carolina. The firm's publication, Charles Hartmann, Architects (ca. 1962), depicts a wide range of their projects by city but does not supply dates or locations other than the cities. Further investigation is needed to develop a building list for the firm.

Authors: Angie Clifton, Catherine W. Bishir, and Adam Ronan.

Published 2009

Hartmann and Hartmann's Work Locations

Bibliography