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Nathan Cronheim Papers
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Held at: Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Nathan Cronheim was born in Staunton, Virginia, on May 17, 1908. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1931 with training in both architecture and engineering. Cronheim's first job was as a draftsman for the Philadelphia firm of Howe & Lescaze. During World War II, Cronheim worked with Louis Kahn on several housing projects. Between 1934 and 1939, Cronheim designed the air-conditioning systems for the U.S. Capitol and the Marshall Field's Department Store in Chicago. Between 1946 and 1966, Cronheim completed some of his most significant projects in partnership with Leonard Weger, including several school buildings for the School District of Philadelphia (SDP.) Cronheim joined with Joseph Kuo in 1967 to create the Cronheim & Kuo firm that lasted until 1972. Starting in 1974, he maintained a solo practice for two years before he retired. He died in February 1987.
American Chicle Co., Long Island City, NY
Art Shirt Co., Bridgeport, PA
ASCAM, 1606 Walnut St., Philadelphia
Associated City Planners, 23rd & Market Sts., Philadelphia
Banking & Trust, 18 West Chelten Ave., Philadelphia
Behrend Residence, Sherman St. & Mt. Airy Ave., Philadelphia
Berean Manual & Training School, Philadelphia
Benjamin Franklin Hotel, 9th & Chestnut St., Philadelphia
Bromley Apartments, 69th & Lakeside Ave. & Old York Rd., Philadelphia
Butens Store, Camden NJ
Columbia Mall, Columbia MD
Clifton Precision Products, Sycamore & Mill Sts. Clifton Heights, PA
Commercial Stamp Co., Cambria & Janney Sts., Philadelphia
Eclipse Machine Division, Elmira, NY
Edward Stern & Co., 140 N. Sixth St., Philadelphia
Evans Drugs, Broad & Locust, Philadelphia
Elkins Park Station, Old York Rd. & Spring Ave., Elkins Park, PA
First Pennsylvania Bank, 15th & Chestnut, Philadelphia
Food Fair Stores, 32nd St. & Market St., Philadelphia
FORMS, Inc., Upper Moreland, PA
Fort Monmouth Housing, Charles Wood Area, Fort Monmouth, N.J.
France Packing Co., Bustleton Ave, south of Red Lion Rd. Philadelphia
France Packing Co.,* Grasshopper Ln. & Washington Ln., Huntingdon Valley
Gabriel Residence, 834 E. Phil-Ellena St., Philadelphia
Gallob Residence, 2036 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia
General Chemical Division, Baker & Adamson Works, Marcus Hook, PA
General Electric Co., 6901 Elmwood Ave., Philadelphia
Gimbel Bros., Little Mending Shop, 144 S. 15th St., Philadelphia
Glenn Martin, Anne Arundel County, MD
Goldman Paper Co., 999 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia
Gordon Clothes Inc., Darby, PA
Handmacher-Vogel Inc., 1238 Callowhill St., Philadelphia
Hercules Cement Co., 1420 Walnut St., Philadelphia
Hercules Cement Co., Stockertown, PA
Honorbilt Products, Pennsauken, NJ
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce St. Philadelphia
Kent Manufacturing Co., Clifton Heights, PA
Keystone Portland Cement Co., 1400 South Penn Square, Philadelphia
Koplin Residence, 317 Waring Rd., Elkins Park, PA
Lily Ponds Housing Project, Washington, DC
MacBride Residence, Brynllawn Ave., Villanova, PA
McGuire Air Force Base, NJ
Melrose Day Camp, Skippack Pike, Blue Bell, PA
Michael Flynn Manufacturing, Godfrey & Tabor Ave., Philadelphia
Mill Creek Housing, 46th & Aspen St., Philadelphia
Morris Residence, Waverly Rd., Cheltenham, PA
Moskalik Residence, 2018 Spruce St. Philadelphia
Newman Paper Co., 6101 Tacony St., Philadelphia
Northeast Day Care Center, Bustleton & Magee St., Philadelphia
Northern Metals Co., Milner St. & Bleigh Ave. Philadelphia
Olney Branch Library, 5th 7 Tabor Sts., Philadelphia
Pennypack Woods Housing, Philadelphia
Penn A.C., 225 S. 18th St., Philadelphia
Penrose Playground/Pool, 12th St. & Susquehanna, Philadelphia
Pharma-Craft Corp., Cranbury, NJ
Philadelphia Liquor Control Board, Second & Erie Sts., Philadelphia
Philadelphia Psychiatric Hospital, Ford & Monument Rd. Philadelphia
Philadelphia Textile Workers, 2637-47 N. Fourth St., Philadelphia
Provident National Bank, 6th & Spring Garden Sts., Philadelphia
Provident Tradesmens National Bank, Quakertown, PA
Radbill Oil Co., 1724 Chestnut St., Philadelphia
Richard Store Co., Miami, FL
Rudenko & Blank, Philadelphia Suburban Station Building, Philadelphia
School District of Philadelphia, C.W. Henry, Greene St. & Carpenter Ln., Philadelphia
School District of Philadelphia, J.J. Greenberg, Alicia & Charette Sts., Philadelphia
Selinsgrove State School, Selinsgrove, PA
S.G.F. Vacation Camp, Collegeville, PA
Ship N' Shore, Upland Ave., Upland, PA
Sigmund Eisner Co., Red Bank, NJ
Silberman Residence, 6519 N. 13th St., Philadelphia
SPEDCO, Wissahickon Ave. & Abbottsford Rd., Philadelphia
Stanton Road Housing, Washington D.C.
Starobin residence, 8315 Forrest Ave., Elkins Park, PA
Stone Container Corp., Tulip & Decatur Sts., Philadelphia
Strand Theatre, New York, NY
Strawberry Mansion Day Care House, Strawberry Mansion, Philadelphia
Strouse, Greenberg & Co., 1525-1527 Locust St., Philadelphia
Superior Construction Co., Godfrey Ave., Philadelphia
Thom McAn Shoe Store, 69th St., Philadelphia
Thompson Ramo Woolridge, Green St. (b/n 5th and 6th Sts.) Philadelphia
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pedricktown, N.J.
Irving Vogel Residence, 19th & Walnut, Rittenhouse Plaza, Apt. 19C, Philadelphia
Walker Lodge, Odd Fellows Hall, 5615-19 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia
WCAU Radio Station, Weather Bureau & Record Library, City Line & Monument Ave. Philadelphia
Edward Weiss Residence, East Timber Lane, Germantown, Philadelphia
William Penn Bowling Center, 3619 Walnut St., Philadelphia
William Penn Broadcasting Studio, 1528 Walnut St. Philadelphia
William Penn House Apartments, 1919 Chestnut St., Philadelphia
Willow Run Apartments, Detroit, MI
James Wolf Residence, 7739 Mill Rd., Elkins Park, PA
Series 2: Administrative records, 1936-1974
Series 3: Correspondence, 1939-1974
Series 4: Photographs, 1950-1967
Series 5: Publications, 1945-1973
Series 6: Reference materials, 1928-1973
Series 7: Financial records, 1949-1966
Series 8: Objects, circa 1950-1966
Series 9: Blueprints and drawings, 1930-1974
Deposited by Nathan Cronheim, January 1980. Ownership transferred to Temple University upon his death in 1987.
Collection processed and finding aid prepared in December 2019 by Holly Beth Wilson, Part Time Processing Archivist/Librarian.
People
Organization
- American Institute of Architects
- Bethlehem Steel Company
- Cronheim & Weger Architects
- Cronheim & Kuo Architects
- Frankford Arsenal (Philadelphia, Pa.)
- General Electric Company
- McGuire Air Force Base (N.J.)
- Pennsylvania State University
- Picatinny Arsenal (1907-1977)
- School District of Philadelphia, Pa.
- S.G.F. Vacation Camp (Collegeville, Pa.)
- SPEDCO Associates
- Stone Container Corporation
- United States. Army. Corps of Engineers
Subject
- Architects -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
- Architectural Drawing -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
- Architecture -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
- Architecture, Industrial -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
- Structural engineering -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
Place
- Publisher
- Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
- Finding Aid Author
- Machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan, Sky Global Services India (P) Ltd.
- Finding Aid Date
- April 2024
- Access Restrictions
-
Except for the employee folder in Box 25, folder 12, the collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
-
The Nathan Cronheim Papers were originally placed on deposit by Nathan Cronheim; ownership of the paper were transferred to Temple at the time of his death. The creator/donor has not assigned their rights to Temple University Libraries. Other creators' intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to them or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.
Collection Inventory
Series 1: Project files contains materials relating to each of Cronheim's projects, including blueprints, specifications, calculations, floor plans, drawings, layouts, contracts, cost estimates, proposals, etc. The bulk of the blueprints are in Series 9, Blueprints. The arrangement is alphabetical by company name or personal name.
Vol. 1
Vol. 2
folder 1
folder 2
Vol. 1
Vol. 2
folder 1
folder 2
folder 3
folder 4
folder 1
folder 2
folder 1
folder 2
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Series 2, Administrative records contains primarily correspondence with organizations and companies they work with. It also includes several types of contracts and basic office records. The employee folder is restricted. A whole section is devoted to Pennsylvania State University, which includes materials from Cronheim's attempt to change Pennsylvania State University's architecture program. Primarily through correspondence and meetings, Cronheim was adamant about curriculum changes that would affect architecture students. It is arranged alphabetically.
folder 1
folder 2
Series 3, Correspondence contains communication between Cronheim's firm and various clients. It is arranged alphabetically.
Series 4, Photographs includes images of completed projects. It is arranged alphabetically by project name.
folder 1
folder 2
Series 5, Publications includes magazines, newsletters, bulletins and newspaper clippings relating to architecture and design. It is arranged alphabetically by title.
Vol. 2
Nos. 2, 3
Vol. 6 No. 1
Vol. II No. 1
Vol. 10 No. 10/11
Series 6, Reference Materials includes publications, pamphlets, and other informational packets relating to architecture and design. It is arranged alphabetically by title.
Series 7, Financial records contains invoices, bills and ledger books. It is arranged alphabetically then chronologically.
Series 8, Objects includes a variety of hand stamps from the 1950's – 1960's.
Series 9, Blueprints includes a large number of blueprints and floor plans for most of Cronheim's projects. There are also some blueprints in Series 1, Project files. These are arranged alphabetically.