George A. Berlinghof[1] and Ellery L. Davis, Nebraska based architects, were inspired by neoclassical style and the architecture of the Chicago skyscrapers. After working in Beatrice, Nebraska, Berlinghof moved to Lincoln and started his influential relationship with Davis. Berlinghof gave Davis the credibility to launch his career. During their partnership (1911-1917), they designed more than twelve buildings together, most of which are still in use to this day, solidifying their importance in American Midwest architectural design of the early 20th century. They were a major part of the move towards historicism in Nebraska. By bringing neoclassical and romantic, victorian architecture back, the firm started a trend of design that referenced former architectural periods in Lincoln and surrounding areas.. Berlinghof and Davis worked together for a period of 6 years, wherein they designed many note-worthy structures for Nebraska that are still in use today including Lincoln High School (Lincoln, Nebraska), Miller and Paine Department Store and the Security Mutual Building.Most of the buildings designed by the Berlinghof and Davis Firm are still in use today. Though some, like the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Law Building, have been remodeled and repurposed, the outer facades still remain as tribute to the original design. Some of their designs are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and many drawings and plans are kept by the Nebraska Historical Society. Though the firm of Berlinghof and Davis was disbanded shortly after conception, the amount of work achieved in that time was not only impressive in quality but also vast in volume.
Davis left Berlinghof and Davis in 1917 to start his own architectural firm. In 1921 Davis hired University of Nebraska graduate Walter F. Wilson, forming the firm Davis and Wilson.[2] From 1923 to the end of World War II, Davis and Wilson designed many projects for Lincoln colleges and universities including structures such as Memorial Stadium (Lincoln), Morrill Hall, the Coliseum, the Student Union and Love Memorial Library. Ellery L. Davis retired from the firm in the early 1930s for health reasons and his son, Ellery H. Davis began to work with the firm in the 1940s. In 1968, twelve years after the death of Ellery L. Davis, Davis and Wilson was renamed Davis, Fenton, Stange and Darling. The firm continued under this name until 1995 when it was changed to its current title of Davis Design.[3] [4]
| Building | Year Constructed | Location | Construction Style | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNL Law Building[5] | 1912 | 1875 N 42nd St., Lincoln, NE 68503 | Neo-Classical | |
| Custer County Courthouse | 1914 | Courthouse Square, Main St., Broken Bow, NE 68822 | Neo-Classical | |
| Greeley County Courthouse | 1914 | Kildare St., Block 28, Greeley, NE 68842 | Classical Revival | |
| Howard County Courthouse[6] | 1914 | 6th and Indian St., St. Paul, NE 68873 | Classical Revival | |
| Warehouse No. 4/Aerie 147 | 1914 | 228 N. 12th St., Lincoln, NE 68508 | Neo-Classical Revival | |
| Bancroft School/Bancroft Hall UNL | 1915 | U and 14th St., Lincoln, NE 68510 | Neo-Classical Revival | |
| Lincoln High School | 1915 | 2229 J St., Lincoln, NE 68510 | Classical | |
| Burr Block[7] | 1916 | 1206 O St., Lincoln, NE 68508 | Romantic Victorian | |
| Commercial Club Building | 1916 | 11th and P St., Lincoln, NE 68508 | Neo-Classical | |
| Miller and Paine Department Store[8] | 1916 | 13th and O St., Lincoln, NE 68588 | Neo-Classical | |
| Scottish Rite Masonic Center/Scottish Rite Temple[9] [10] | 1916 | 332 Centennial Mall S, Lincoln, NE 68508 | Neo-Classical Revival | |
| Our Redeemer Lutheran Church of Marysville | 1917 | 3743 Marysville Rd., Staplehurst, NE 68439 | Late Gothic Revival | |
| Plattsmouth High School | 1919 | 814 Main St., Plattsmouth, NE 68043 | Mid-Century Modern/Neo-Classical |