GARFIELD, ABRAM (21 Nov. 1872-16 Oct. 1958), son of Lucretia Rudolph and president JAS. A. GARFIELD, was born in Washington, D.C., moving to Cleveland after his father's death in 1881. He received a B.A. from Williams College (1893) and a B.S. from MIT (1896), beginning his architectural practice in 1897. In 1898 he formed Meade & Garfield with FRANK MEADE, becoming premier residential designers.
From 1905-22, Garfield practiced as Abram Garfield, Architect, adding partners as the firm expanded. Garfield was personally responsible for Mrs. John Hay's residence (1910), now part of the WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY; large homes in SHAKER HTS. and BRATENAHL; the original Babies & Childrens and Maternity Hospital (1923); Bratenahl School (1901); and the Woodhill and Seville homes for the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority. He was a founder and first president of the Cleveland School of Architecture (1924-29), and vice-president and vice-chairman of the board (1929-41) when the school became part of Western Reserve University. Garfield became a trustee of WRU in 1941, was elected an honorary lifetime member in 1943, and received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from the university in 1945.
An advocate of CITY PLANNING, Garfield served on the Group Plan Commission and the Cleveland Planning Commission (1928-42), as chairman in 1930-42. He helped found with ERNEST BOHN, and was president of, the Regional Assoc. of Cleveland. Garfield married Sarah Grainger Williams (d. 1945) on 14 Oct. 1897 and had two children, Edward W. and Mary Louise. Garfield married Helen Grannis Matthews in 1947. Garfield died at his home in Bratenahl and is buried in LAKE VIEW CEMETERY.
View finding aid for the Abram Garfield Papers, WRHS.
View finding aid for the Mary Garfield Stanley Brown Papers WRHS.