H. Kay Nicewanner Architectural Records Collection
Scope and Contents
The collection includes drawings and related documents for 38 building projects in East Central Indiana, mostly in Muncie, ca. 1915-1951; also a business ledger, 1921-1963, and a few business records, 1920-1971. Nicewanner was the contractor for many or all of the buildings represented, and several were designed by him. Others whose work is represented include C. H. Houck, Macy G. Thompson, Cuno Kibele, Muncie Home Builders, Houck and Smenner, William Horatio Day (New York), Herbert F. Smenner, Isidor M. Cohen (Gary), Houck and Hamilton, Graham and Knowlton, Smenner and Carlson, Ernst Landscape, Hamilton and Graham, and C. W. Garrard.
Cataloging of this collection was completed in 1990 with the aid of a grant from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, administered by the Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Dates
- Creation: ca. 1915-1971
Creator
- Nicewanner, H. Kay (Howard Kay), 1885-1973 (Contractor, Person)
Language of Materials
Materials entirely in English.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Copyright Notice
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Drawings and Documents Archive, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Drawings and Documents Archive.
Biographical Note
Howard Kay Nicewanner (1885-1973) learned the construction business from his father, Charles Edward Nicewanner, a building contractor. The family moved to Muncie from Springfield, Ohio, in approximately 1890. H. Kay joined his father’s business as an apprentice about 1905, at the age of 20. Starting around 1917, the business became known as C. E. Nicewanner and Son, Contractors and Builders.
H. Kay began his own business as H. Kay Nicewanner, Building Contractor, in 1921. This was a sole proprietorship, although Nicewanner was a member of, and did work for Muncie Home Builders, an association of local building contractors. Nicewanner conducted business from his home, first at 330 E. Centennial Ave. until ca. 1926, then at 601 Wheeling Ave. to ca. 1952, and finally at 3807 E. Jackson St. He retired from active practice in 1952, but continued to do occasional work into the 1960s.
Extent
4.6 Cubic Feet (1 flat file drawer; 2 manuscript boxes)
Arrangement
The H. Kay Nicewanner Architectural Records are arranged chronologically.
Custodial History
The H. Kay Nicewanner Architectural Records were received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation from Mrs. Lloyd Leeka on 1989/11/13.
Accruals
No additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 1990/5/30 by Andrew R. Seager. Finding aid created 2004/5/21 by Andrew R. Seager, revised 2009/5/26, 2011/12/1 by Carol A. Street.
Source
- Leeka (Person)
- Title
- H. Kay Nicewanner Architectural Records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Created by Andrew R. Seager; Revised by Carol A. Street.
- Date
- Created 2004/5/21; revised 2009/5/26 and 2011/12/1.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Andrew Seager Archives of the Built Environment Repository
Architecture Building, Room 120
Muncie IN 47306 USA
765-285-8441
765-285-3726 (Fax)
libarchives@bsu.edu
