Harry D. Payne Explained

Harry Daniel Payne
Birth Date:1891
Birth Place:St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Death Date:1987
Nationality:American
Education:Washington University in St. Louis
Occupation:Architect

Harry Daniel Payne (1891–1987) was an American architect and engineer; protégé of noted St. Louis Architect, William Ittner. Payne is most known for building designs in the U.S. State of Texas after 1926, but before this as a member of the Ittner Firm, he designed schools and hospitals in other states. Payne was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and was trained at Washington University in St. Louis.[1] Upon graduation, he attended Fort Sheridan Officers Training School, and served in World War I in Company H, 320th Infantry, 80th Division. On September 25–26, 1918 he fought in the Meuse-Argone Offensive, leading men of H Company to take Dead Man's Hill (Le Mort Homme). Payne received a battlefield commission to Captain just before the Armistice. He returned to St. Louis after the war to work with the Ittner form until 1926. That year he was recruited by Houston School Board to design all new schools for the city. After this contract was completed he went on to design schools, jails, office buildings, stadiums, houses and museums in Texas including for Anahuac ISD, Beaumont ISD, Corpus Christi ISD, Houston ISD, and Huntsville ISD.

After December 7, 1941, Payne tried to secure the renewal of his WWI Commission as Captain, but was refused because of disabilities resulting from injuries in the First World War. He found an outlet for his desire to serve by applying at Brown Shipbuilding in Houston where he worked on the design of destroyers, frigates escorts and landing craft. The USS Stewart is one surviving example of this work.

Payne was an active member of the American Institute of Architects, and was awarded the Edward C. Kemper Award by the organization in 1962.

List of works built

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Landmark Designation Report . City of Houston: Archaeological & Historical Commission . 2009-05-01 . 2009-10-05.

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