Gertrude Sawyer facts for kids

Gertrude Sawyer (born April 2, 1895 – died February 11, 1996) was an amazing American architect. She was one of the first women to work as an architect in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., area. She designed many beautiful homes and buildings, leaving a lasting mark on architecture.

Early Life and Learning to Build

Gertrude Sawyer was born on April 2, 1895, in Tuscola, Illinois. From a young age, she knew she wanted to design buildings. After finishing high school in Missouri and Indiana, she went to the University of Illinois. In 1918, she earned a degree in landscape architecture.

She then became one of the first women to study at the Cambridge School of Domestic and Landscape Architecture for Women. There, she met another talented landscape architect named Rose Greely.

Starting Her Architecture Career

After graduating in 1922 with a master's degree in architecture, Gertrude worked for a short time in Kansas City, Missouri. She designed her very first house there! In 1923, she moved to Washington, D.C. She worked for architect Horace W. Peaslee, who also employed Rose Greely around the same time.

In 1925, Gertrude traveled all around Europe. She explored different styles of buildings and got new ideas. When she returned in 1926, she became a licensed architect in Washington, D.C. Over the years, she also got licenses to practice in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida.

Opening Her Own Design Studio

Gertrude Sawyer taught architecture at Vassar College during the summers of 1930 and 1931. In 1934, she opened her own architecture business in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. She became known for bringing old buildings back to life. She also designed new buildings in the Colonial Revival style, which looks like old American colonial homes. She was famous for her amazing attention to detail.

One of her biggest projects started in 1932. She designed more than two dozen buildings for Point Farm in Maryland. This was the large estate of a diplomat named Jefferson Patterson. Her designs included a main house in the Colonial Revival style. It had grand pillars and classic decorations inside. She even asked her friend Rose Greely to design the gardens! Later, the Patterson estate became the 560-acre Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum.

Serving Her Country

During World War II, from 1943 to 1945, Gertrude Sawyer joined the U.S. Navy. She served in the Civil Engineer Corps, also known as the Seabees. She held the rank of lieutenant commander. One of her important jobs was designing homes for about 14,000 people! After the war, she was the only woman to be a reserve officer in the Seabees.

Gertrude Sawyer became a member of the American Institute of Architects in 1939. She retired in 1969 and moved to California. She passed away on February 11, 1996, just two months before her 101st birthday.

Some of Her Notable Works

• Country Club Plaza, Kansas City (around 1922)
• Sarah Louisa Rittenhouse Memorial in Montrose Park (around 1923–24)
• Jefferson Patterson Point Farm (from 1932 onwards)
• 2001 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, DC: an office/apartment building, now called Kossuth House (1935)
• Tudor Hall, Leonardtown (restoration work, 1950)
• Gertrude Sawyer house, Washington, DC (built between 1920–1950)
• 1640 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Washington, DC (1969)

See also

In Spanish: Gertrude Sawyer para niños