Architects of the United States Forest Service

Architects of the United States Forest Service are credited with the design of many buildings and other structures in National Forests that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to the significance of their architecture. A number of these architectural works are attributed to architectural groups within the Forest Service rather than to any individual architect. Architecture groups or sections were formed within engineering divisions of many of the regional offices of the Forest Service and developed regional styles.

National consulting architect W. Ellis Groben led development of architectural style for the Forest Service, including by his important 1940 document, "Architectural Trend of Future Forest Service Buildings" and by his 1938 compilation "Acceptable Building Plans: Forest Service Administrative Buildings". He advocated what is now known as non-intrusive architectural design, and advocated regional styles rather than universal style.

Architects of several regions and their works are discussed in the following sections, with the regions having the most information available about them first.

The architecture group of the Forest Service's Northwest regional office, Region 6, designed works in Oregon and Washington. At an early date the architecture group of this region included architects Linn A. Forrest, Howard L. Gifford, James Pollock and W.I. "Tim" Turner, and landscape architect Emmett U. Blanchfield. According to the National Register nomination for many of their works, "The style that emerged from the Pacific Northwest Region had no clearly identifiable architectural prototype, but reflected the influence of the English Cottage and Norman Farmhouse styles."

Ellis Groben, national leader of architecture in the Forest Service, reportedly "was impressed with the Northwest Cascadian style of architecture that was started by Tim Turner, Linn Forrest, Dean Wright, and Howard Gifford on Timberline Lodge and numerous CCC facilities in the Washington and Oregon area." Around 1951, architects of the region included A.P. "Benny" DiBenedetto, FAIA, Bill Hummel, Dick Parker, Ken Grimes, Doug Parmenter, and Norm Krause. Around 1958, Joe Mastrandrea, Perry Carter, Ken Reynolds, Terry Young, and Tom Morland joined the staff.

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