Edward J. Schulte


Edward J. Schulte was an architect who designed a number of mid-twentieth-century churches notable for their blending of a modern idiom with traditional function. Inspired by an encounter with Ralph Adams Cram, he devoted himself to building church buildings, designing over 88. He served as president of the Cincinnati chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Schulte had a sole practice after 1912, then practiced with Robert E. Crowe from 1921–1923, and practiced alone after that to 1967.

Early life and education

Edward Schulte displayed a talent for drawing early on and was encouraged to pursue it by the nuns in the parochial school he attended as a child. His father, a building contractor, wanted him to take up architecture instead, suggesting him to the firm of Werner and Adkins, who had designed a Carnegie library for Norwood. Schulte began working for Werner and Adkins during the day while attending classes at the Art Academy at night, eventually becoming a valued member of the firm with a special skill for watercolor renderings of proposed projects for client presentations. Before long, however, Werner and Adkins began to suffer from financial problems, temporarily loaning Schulte out to another firm before bringing him back upon securing a new partner – H.E. Kennedy – and several new commissions, among them an office building for New Orleans.

Early career

Kennedy was awarded the commission to design the Sheridan Square Theatre, an elegant new addition to the prominent Harris family of theaters in downtown Pittsburgh, and the project was eventually delegated to Schulte. This commission would require him to spend long nights in the library researching precedents for the relatively new building typology. His inherent proficiency in this genre of building evidently foreshadowed what would become a staple of his approach to church architecture: that it must visually and acoustically magnify the theatric nature of divine liturgy. Among the draftsmen for the project was Robert E. Crowe, who would later become Schulte's partner and most important collaborator. Upon the success of the Harris Theatre project, Kennedy moved his office to Pittsburgh, bringing Schulte along with him. It was during this time that Schulte attended a candlelit lecture by Ralph Adams Cram at the Hall of Architecture in the Carnegie Museum, inspiring him to focus on churches over the remainder of his career.
Schulte is the only architect in history to design five cathedrals. Those completed include:
He also designed a cathedral for Lincoln, Nebraska which was fully-planned, approved, but thereafter abandoned by the diocese prior to groundbreaking due to unrelated complications.
His complete overhaul of the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Peter in Chains in Cincinnati rightfully elevates his cathedral count to a staggering six. Additionally, he also directed a significant renovation of the nearby Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, though this project did not warrant the scale of demolition and reconstruction required in the aforementioned renovation of St. Peter's across the river.

List of buildings designed or overseen

This list of Schulte's work was compiled by Donald A. Tenoever:
ROBERT CROWE & EDWARD SCHULTE
  • St. Catherine Church, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Ann Convent Chapel, Melbourne, Kentucky
  • Sisters of Notre Dame Convent, Covington, Kentucky
  • St. Theresa Home for the Aged, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • The Fontbonne, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Fenwick Club Gymnasium, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Meinrad Abbey, St. Meinrad, Indiana
  • Friars Club, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Monica Church and Rectory, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Chapel of the Holy Spirit, Fenwick Club, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Church of the Assumption remodeling, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Regina High School, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Purcell High School, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Cecilia Church, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Peter Church, Lexington, Kentucky
  • Crusade Castle remodeling, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Loreto Guild, Dayton, Ohio
  • Paramount Building, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Milford Noviate, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Church of the Holy Ghost, Knoxville, Tennessee
  • Mercy Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee
  • St. Agnes School and Auditorium, Cincinnati, Ohio
EDWARD SCHULTE
1935–1936
1936–1937
  • St. Peter Chapel and School, Hamilton, Ohio
  • Ruth Wolfgang residence
  • Sisters of Mercy Convent, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Ann School addition, Hamilton, Ohio
  • St. John School addition, Deer Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
1938–1939
  • St. Monica School, Dallas, Texas
  • Julius Fleischman residence remodeling
  • Immaculate Conception School, Dayton, Ohio
  • Mother of God Chapel, Walnut Hills, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • George Goodrich residence
  • St. Dymphna Chapel and Rectory, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Bridgid Church alterations, Xenia, Ohio
  • J.M. Christi residence
  • Holy Angels School and Auditorium, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Ursala School and Chapel, Cincinnati, Ohio
1939–1940
  • St. Teresa School addition and Auditorium, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Christina School and Rectory, Lockland, Ohio
  • St. James School and Auditorium, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Albert the Great Church, Dayton, Ohio
  • St. Dominic Rectory, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Meinrad Abbey boiler house, St. Meinrad, Indiana
  • Holy Family Church redecoration, Dayton, Ohio
  • Fannie J. Randolph residence
  • St. Antonio de Padua Church, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Thomas Church, Fort Thomas, Kentucky
  • Blessed Sacrament Church, Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
  • St. James of the Valley Church Wyoming, Ohio
  • Saints Peter and Paul Church, Norwood, Ohio
  • Dorothea L. Hoffman residence
  • George C. Euskirchen residence
  • Elizabeth D. Harrison residence
  • Carl Zimmerman residence
  • Fred J. Runte residence
1941–1942
1942–1943
1944–1945
1945–1946
1947–1948
  • Sacred Heart Home, Men's Building, Yankton, South Dakota
  • St. Cecelia Church, Dallas, Texas
  • Immaculate Conception School and Convent, Aurora, Indiana
  • Elder High School Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Lawrence Rectory remodeling, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Glenmary Seminary, Glendale, Ohio
  • Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Rectory, School, Indianapolis, Indiana
  • St. Francis Hospital Chapel, Washington, Missouri
  • Holy Cross Seminary, La Crosse, Wisconsin
1949–1950
1951–1952
1953–1955
1956–1958
1959–1961
1962–1964
1965–1967
  • St. Michael Church, Houston, Texas
  • St. Cecelia Rectory addition, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Corbett Music Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Mother of Mercy Academy, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Quebec Heights Elementary School, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Christ the King Church and Rectory, Lexington, Kentucky
  • Church of the Nativity, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. James Church, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Pedestrian Bridge, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio

Publications

The Cathedral
  • ''The Lord Was My Client''

Other references

Edward J. Schulte and American Church Architecture of the Twentieth Century, Donald A. Tenoever, master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 1974
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