Maurice Joseph Sullivan

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Maurice Joseph Sullivan. Now settle in, because this is a story about a man who taught himself one craft while practicing another, moved to a city that was still figuring out what it wanted to be, and then spent the better part of his life giving that city some of its most enduring shapes. Born June 11, 1884, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Maurice Joseph Sullivan was the son of Maurice and Margaret Fitzsimons Sullivan.

He attended Detroit College from 1901 to 1903, then studied Structural and Civil Engineering at the University of Michigan from 1904 to 1906. Engineering, that was the plan. But somewhere in there, something else took hold.

While working at engineering firms between 1909 and 1912, Sullivan taught himself architecture. Not in a classroom, not under some master's eye. He just did it.

That tells you something about the man. In 1911, he married Anne Winston King, daughter of Dr. F.B. and Elizabeth Winston King.

Together they would have four sons and three daughters. Then came Houston. Sullivan arrived in 1912, and the city noticed quickly.

Mayor H. Baldwin Rice appointed him City Architect, and Sullivan got to work, including on Dora B. Lantrip Elementary School in 1916.

He was what they call an eclectic architect, a man comfortable moving between Romanesque, Mediterranean, and Neo-Gothic revival styles, whatever the building called for, whatever the moment asked. In 1919, he opened his own practice, and for 35 years he shared an office with Birdsall P. Briscoe.

Thirty-five years. That is not a partnership, that is practically a marriage of drafting tables. His ecclesiastical work is considered his most significant, and when you look at the list, it is hard to argue.

The Villa de Matel Chapel, built between 1923 and 1928. Holy Rosary Church in 1933. St.

Anne Catholic Church in 1940. First Presbyterian Church in 1949. Churches span decades of his career, each one a different decade, a different style, the same seriousness of purpose.

But Sullivan was not only building houses of worship. He also designed The Petroleum Building, now known as The Great Southwest Building, which introduced the stepped-back skyscraper form to Houston. That is the kind of sentence that deserves a moment of quiet.

One building, one design choice, and a skyline starts learning new vocabulary. He also put his hand to Houston Negro Hospital, now Riverside Hospital, along with St. Thomas High School, Ripley House, and St.

Mary's Seminary. In 1922, Sullivan designed his own family home, set at the corner of Southmore Boulevard and Fannin Street, and built at Southmore and San Jacinto, in the Picturesque Manorial Style. It was the kind of home associated with the elite residential neighborhoods of 1920s and 1930s Texas, and Sullivan built it for his own family.

In 1924 and again in 1933, he served as President of the South Texas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. In 1992, private citizens purchased the family home for use as a commercial property. Maurice Joseph Sullivan died December 15, 1961, and he is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery.

A self-taught architect who shaped churches, schools, hospitals, and Houston's very skyline. The city he arrived in and the city he left behind were not quite the same place, and Maurice Sullivan had something to do with that.

What the marker says

(June 11, 1884 – December 15, 1961) Maurice J. Sullivan, son of Maurice and Margaret (Fitzsimons) Sullivan, was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He attended Detroit College (1901-1903) and studied Structural and Civil Engineering at the University of Michigan (1904-1906). While working at engineering firms from 1909-1912, Sullivan taught himself architecture. He married Anne Winston and they had four sons and three daughters. After moving to Houston in 1912, Sullivan was appointed City Architect by Mayor H. Baldwin Rice and took on numerous projects, including Dora B. Lantrip Elementary School (1916). Known for being an eclectic architect who frequently worked in popular revival styles including Romanesque, Mediterranean, and Neo-Gothic, Sullivan opened his own practice in 1919, sharing an office with Birdsall P. Briscoe for 35 years. His ecclesiastical work is considered his most significant and includes the Villa de Matel Chapel (1923-28), Holy Rosary Church (1933), St. Anne Catholic Church (1940) and First Presbyterian Church (1949). Other prominent buildings include The Petroleum Building (now The Great Southwest Building), which introduced the stepped-back skyscraper to Houston, Houston Negro Hospital (now Riverside Hospital), St. Thomas High School, Ripley House, and St. Mary’s Seminary. In 1922, Sullivan designed his family home at the corner of Southmore Boulevard and Fannin Street in the Picturesque Manorial Style, exemplifying the houses associated with 1920s and 1930s elite Texas residential neighborhoods. In 1924 and 1933, he served as President of the South Texas Chapter of The American Institute of Architects. Sullivan is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery. In 1992 private citizens purchased the home for use as a commercial property. Maurice Sullivan married Anne Winston King, daughter of Dr. F.B. and Elizabeth (Winston) King, in 1911. The Sullivan home was built at Southmore and San Jacinto.