Marvin Eickenroht (1898-1969)
EARLY CAREER
Marvin Eickenroht was born in Seguin, Texas, on May 12, 1898. After serving as a second lieutenant in WWI, he earned an architecture degree from the University of Texas in 1920 and completed postgraduate studies at MIT in 1923. He began his career in San Antonio in 1925, focusing on churches, educational facilities, low-cost housing, and government buildings. Notable projects included St. John’s Lutheran Church (1932) and the Victoria Courts housing complex (1940).
Eickenroht also collaborated with architect W. Scott Dunne, who is known for designing numerous theaters across Texas. One of their notable joint projects was El Paso’s Plaza Theater (1930), with Eickenroht drafting the architectural plans.
St. John’s Lutheran Church in San Antonio under construction in 1931. Eickenroht’s name is listed on the project sign as the architect.
PASSION FOR PRESERVATION
Eickenroht’s historic preservation work began in 1934 when he was appointed district officer for HABS District 33 in Texas, which included El Paso. In 1935, he was promoted to head of the Southern Division of HABS, overseeing seven states, including Texas. Under his leadership, and with the assistance of architect Bartlett Cocke, 242 historic buildings in Texas were documented for HABS within the span of three months.
In 1954, Eickenroht was named Preservation Officer by the West Texas chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). In this role, he often represented West Texas at quarterly meetings of the Texas Association of Architects (now the Texas Society of Architects), where he interacted with prominent architects of the time, including Otto Thorman, Edwin Carroll, and Louis Daeuble. In 1966, Eickenroht was honored as a Fellow of the AIA for his contributions to the field. He died in San Antonio in 1969 and was buried in Seguin’s San Geronimo Cemetery.
December, 27 1935 San Antonio Express article about Eickenroht’s promotion.
Eickenroht (with pipe) reviewing architectural plans with colleagues.
THE LEGACY OF EICKENROHT AT THE PASS
The HABS program created an invaluable national archive documenting important structures for future generations. Marvin Eickenroht’s contributions to the program included documentation of significant adobe structures in El Paso County, including all three missions along the Mission Trail, Casa Ronquillo, Los Portales, and Old Hart’s Mill in El Paso. Although some of the buildings he photographed, such as the former Simeon Hart’s Mill in El Paso and Casa Lujan in San Elizario, have long since been lost to the passage of time, their HABS documentation ensures that they remain part of the historical record.
HABS photograph of the Jesús Lujan House in San Elizario taken by Marvin Eickenroht in 1936 demonstrates the vulnerability of neglected adobe buildings.
