Frederick F. Faris

The Bank of Wheeling Building, designed by Leiner & Faris and built in 1892. The Schmulbach Building (left), designed by Giesey & Faris and completed in 1907, and the Laconia Building (center), designed by Faris alone in 1911.

Frederick F. Faris (1870–1927) was a Wheeling, West Virginia-based architect.

Life and career Frederick Fisher Faris was born August 1, 1870, in St. Clairsville, Ohio to Joseph Anderson Faris, an artist, and Mary Elizabeth (Pratt) Faris. The family moved east to Wheeling when he was two years old. He was educated in the public schools, and after finishing high school joined the office of Edgar W. Wells, architect for Klieves, Kraft & Company, as a student. He later worked for architects in Chicago and New York City before returning to Wheeling in 1892. That year he formed a partnership with Joseph Leiner, known as Leiner & Faris. This was dissolved in 1894 when Faris joined Edward B. Franzheim and Millard F. Giesey to form Franzheim, Giesey & Faris. Franzheim withdrew in 1899, but the firm continued as Giesey & Faris until 1911. Faris then worked in private practice until his death sixteen years later. In 1924 Faris was joined by his nephew, Frederic Faris, who succeeded to the practice at his death. The younger Faris practiced until own his sudden death in 1964.

He designed a variety of residential, commercial, and educational buildings. Among the buildings he designed were the Schmulbach Building, the tallest building in Wheeling, and the Market Auditorium, then the longest building. Other notable buildings include the Wheeling Electric Company, the First National Bank of West Virginia, the Wheeling Intelligencer, the former public library, the Scottish Rite Cathedral, and numerous schools including the Triadelphia Junior High School and Madison School. He also designed Mount Carmel Monastery (1917).

Faris served one term in the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1913.

Personal life and death Faris was married in 1897 to Nellie Egerter. Vance Memorial Presbyterian Church, 905 National Rd, Wheeling, West Virginia (1896–97) First United Methodist Church, 118 Clarksburg St, Mannington, West Virginia (1898) George M. Snook house, 1315 National Rd, Wheeling, West Virginia (1898, demolished) Schmulbach Building, 1134 Market St, Wheeling, West Virginia (1904–07) Wheeling Country Club (former), 100 Kensington Dr, Wheeling, West Virginia (1905) Harry Paull house, 1312 Pleasant Ave, Wellsburg, West Virginia (1907–11, NRHP 1986) St. John's United Church of Christ (former), 41 22nd St, Wheeling, West Virginia (1907–08) Sumner Jones house, 8 Kenwood Pl, Wheeling, West Virginia (1908) George Rentsch house, 228 Carmel Rd, Wheeling, West Virginia (1910) Laconia Building, 1144 Market St, Wheeling, West Virginia (1911) YWCA Building, 1100 Chapline St, Wheeling, West Virginia (1913–15) Mount Carmel Monastery, 102 Carmel Rd, Wheeling, West Virginia (1915–17) Madison School, 91 Zane St, Wheeling, West Virginia (1916) Scottish Rite Cathedral, 83 14th St, Wheeling, West Virginia (1916) Triadelphia High School (former), 1636 National Rd, Wheeling, West Virginia (1917–19) Shotwell Hall, West Liberty University, West Liberty, West Virginia (1936–37, NRHP 1996) City–County Building, 1500 Chapline St, Wheeling, West Virginia (1960)