Werking and Son Architectural Drawings Collection

Charles Ellsworth Werking (1869-1951), the founder of the firm C. E. Werking and Son Architects, was born in Hagerstown, Indiana. He began his career as a school teacher in Hagerstown for one year and then became a carpenter. His experience as a carpenter led him to study architecture, which he did through the International Correspondence Schools, according to Carlton C. Wilson, a later partner in the firm. He later became a registered architect and a registered professional engineer in Indiana. He also served as the Wayne County commissioner and as a grandmaster of the Hagerstown Masonic lodge.

Werking began his architecture practice in Hagerstown around 1904 using the name C. E. Werking, Architect. He remained in Hagerstown until about 1915, when he moved to Richmond, Indiana. He continued his practice in Richmond until about 1917.

In 1918, Werking collaborated with John W. Mueller under the name Mueller and Werking, Associated Architects and Engineers. Mueller was an industrial engineer who had recently moved to Richmond from New Castle, Indiana.

The association between Werking and Mueller did not last long. The following year, in 1919, John W. Mueller was practicing independently as J. W. Mueller and Co., Architects. Werking's firm took the name C. E. Werking and Son, Architects.

Werking's son, Paul Revere Werking (1896-1970), a World War I veteran, studied architecture at Carnegie Institute of Technology around 1917. He was a member of the Indiana Society of Architects by 1923.

The Werking firm was joined in the late 1920s by Joseph Rudolph Fallon. Fallon was born in Connersville, Ind., in 1898, and had his own architectural practice from about 1924 to 1926 in Connersville. Several drawing sets done during this period are attributed to Werking and Son and Fallon (ca. 1926) and Werking, Werking, Fallon, Architects (ca. 1929). After leaving the firm, Fallon practiced independently again until at least 1962.

From 1930 until at least 1947, the Werking firm again became C.E. Werking and Son, Architects. Their offices were located in the Palladium building in Richmond until 1925. The firm then moved to the American Trust (Bank) Building. Between 1929 and 1936, the offices were located at 2000 E. Main St. The March 1931 issue of American Architect includes photographs of the Werking and Son offices, presumably at this address. Beginning in 1944, Paul Werking did some work under his own name.

Carlton C. (Tony) Wilson became a partner in the firm in the late 1940s or 1950s. Wilson continued the business for a while in partnership with Richard H. Terwilliger. Wilson, Terwilliger and Van Voorhis, Architects and Engineers, was located at 2 North 15th St. in the 1950s. In 1959, Wilson and Terwilliger, Architects moved their offices to 100 South 12th St. Since ca. 1970 the firm has been Wilson and Associates, Architects, at the same address.