author
W. Ellis (William Ellis) Groben
1883–1961
An architect, author, and public-sector innovator, W. Ellis Groben helped shape the look of U.S. Forest Service buildings during the 1930s and 1940s. His practical books on log construction and architectural design reflect a lifelong interest in building wisely with local materials and landscapes.
1 Audiobook
Building with logs
by Clyde P. (Clyde Phillips) Fickes, W. Ellis (William Ellis) Groben
About the author
Born in Philadelphia in 1883, William Ellis Groben studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania and continued his training at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He worked in private practice, served with Philadelphia’s Department of Public Works, and was named acting city architect in 1913.
Groben joined the U.S. Forest Service in the 1930s and became its first Washington Office architect, guiding the design of buildings across the country. He promoted practical, regionally appropriate architecture and helped develop a recognizable Forest Service style. His work included the design of the International Institute of Tropical Forestry building in Puerto Rico and several Philadelphia-area movie theaters.
He also wrote and co-wrote influential technical works, including Building with Logs with Clyde P. Fickes, as well as books and reports on adobe architecture, camouflage, bridges, culverts, and Forest Service buildings. Groben died in 1961.