Résumé

Draftsman, Trowbridge and Livingston, Architects, New York, NY, and San Francisco, CA, c. 1905-1906, c. 1906-1907.

Draftsman, Sellon and Hemmings, State of California, State Architects Department of Engineering, c. 1908-1909. Willeke left Sacramento in either 1909 or 1910.

Designer, Tietig and Lee, Architects, Cincinnati, OH, c. 1911.

Chief Architect, the Allyn Engineering Company, Cincinnati, OH, c. 1913-1914. the Allyn Company had offices in the 2nd National Bank Building in 1914. Willeke joined the Allyn Engineering shortly after its foundation. A notice in The Industrial World in 1911 stated: “The Allyn Engineering Company, with capital of $150,000, has been chartered as a corporation under Ohio laws by Henry Morris, A. And E. P. Bernheim, J.B. Frankel and Edgar M. Johnston. The company will erect a plant at Oakley, and will do a general engineering and erecting business. Henry A. Allyn will be the president.” (See “Oakley, O,” The Industrial World, 09/18/1911, p. 1135.)

Principal, Leonard B. Willeke, Architect, Detroit, MI, 1914- .

Architect, Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI, 1918.

Professional Activities

A "Leonard B. Willeke Design Prize" was inaugurated at the University of Michigan in 1983, in the architect's name.

Archives

Some papers on Leonard B. Willeke, particularly on his work with the Ford Family and some Ford employees between 1916-1924, are located in the Leonard B. Willeke collection, 1916-1982 (bulk 1916-1924) housed at the Benson Ford Research Center, Dearborn, MI; tel 313.982.6001; postcards owned by Willeke were donated to the University of Michigan. (See "Leonard B. Willeke Postcards,"Accessed 02/03/2014.)

College

Willeke sharpened his drawing skills at the Atelier Hornbostel, New York, NY, working alongside such notable architects as Otto Eggers (1882-1964) and Raymond Hood (1881-1934).

Relocation

Leonard Bernard Willeke, Sr., was born to Anthony and Mary Elizabeth Willeke in Cincinnati, OH.

As per the 1900 US Census, Leonard lived with his parents and four siblings at 614 McMicken Avenue in Cincinnati, OH. Some documents indicated that Leonard was bron in 1884, others in 1885. His World War I draft registration card listed it as 07/28/1884, while Find a grave.com recorded it as 1885.

He resided in Cincinnati at 489 Riddle Road by 1912. (See Cincinnati, Ohio, City Directory, 1912, p. 2087.)

Willeke lived at 512 Howell Avenue in CIncinnati in 1913. (See Cincinnati, Ohio, City Directory, 1913, p. 2082.)

On 09/12/1918, he and Leona dwelled in a house at 143 Elmhurst Street, Highland Park, MI. He worked for the Ford Motor Company at that time.

On 10/16/1940, Leonard, Sr., and Leona resided at 1142 Bishop Road in Grosse Pointe Park, MI. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Michigan, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 1303, accessed 06/10/2024.)

Parents

His father Wilhelm Anton "Anthony" Willeke (born 05/09/1851 in Obermarsberg, Germany) worked as a shoemaker in 1900. As an infant, he arrived with his parents on 05/06/1852 at New York, NY, from Bremen, Germany. They sailed aboard the bark, Johann Kepler.

His mother was Mary Elizabeth Prieshoff (born 12/26/1855 in Kenton County, KY-d. 12/28/1939 in Cincinnati, OH). She and Anthony had six children together, of whom only five survived in 1900.

His siblings included:

Spouse

He wed Leona Meiners (born 03/27/1893 in Cincinnati, OH-d. 04/19/1981 in Grosse Pointe, MI) on 10/05/1912 in Hamilton County, OH. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016, accessed 06/10/2024.) Leona was one of three children had by Henry G. Meiners, a druggist, (born 04/14/1863 in Cincinnati, OH-d. 01/24/1933 in Cincinnati, OH) and Elizabeth M. Burdick (born 06/1865 in Cincinnati, OH-d. 05/10/1956 in Cincinnati, OH).

Children

He and Leona had a son, Leonard B. Willeke, Jr., (born 07/04/1915 in Detroit, MI).

Biographical Notes

While with Trowbridge and Livingston, Willeke worked on the design of the first Palace Hotel in San Francisco, CA, that was destroyed in the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 04/18/1906. He worked on a number of State of California commissions for prisons, mental hospitals and universities while employed with Sellon and Hemmings, State Architects.

• Cincinnati, OH (Architect's Birth)
  Cincinnati, OH

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