Résumé

Partner, Reid Brothers, Architects, Evansville, IN, 1880-1886; (Merritt's elder brother, James W. Reid [1851-1943], acted as the lead designer within the firm that he started with his brother, Merritt J. Reid.) Partner, Reid Brothers, Architects, Evansville, IN, and San Diego, CA, 1886-1899; (James came to California in 12/1886 to design the mammoth Hotel del Coronado, Coronado, CA, for a group of five investors who made up the Coronado Beach Company; he and younger brother Watson E. Reid (1857-1943) worked on the huge commission for the Coronado Hotel in San Diego, while Merritt Reid remained in Evansville. Merritt did not come West until c. 1891, when he sold the IN office to Evansville architect Frank J Schlotter [1861-1938]. Merritt opened a temporary Reid Brothers office in Portland, OR, while he supervised construction of the Oregonian Newspaper Building there. Between 1889-1891, James shifted the main office to San Francisco, CA.)

In 1896-1899, the Reid Brothers also operated an office in Los Angeles, CA, in Room #402 of the Stimson Block. (See Maxwell's Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1896, p. 1670 and Maxwell's Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1897, p. 1026.) It was situated in Room #406 of the Stimson Building in 1899. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1899, p. 1000.)

Partner, Reid Brothers, San Francisco, CA, and San Diego, CA, 1889-1932. The San Diego office closed when Watson Reid left the city in 1899 to return to Canada. In 1889, James and Merritt Reid had an office at 310 Pine Street in San Francisco. In that year, the San Francisco newspaper the Daily Alta California wrote of them as significant newcomers to the architectural profession: "It is always a pleasure to extend a hearty welcome to San Francisco to honorable and enterprising men of any trade or profession. The gentlemen whose firm name head this article have been in this city but a very short time, consequently they are not closely identified with her architectural development, nevertheless they are worthy of mention in this issue because of the enviable reputation they bring with them from Chicago and San Diego, in both of which places they did much work which reflects great credit upon their ability. In the latter place the famous Coronado Hotel is a monument to their architectural ability. We predict for them a successful career in San Francisco." (See "Reid Bros., 310 Pine Street," Daily Alta California, 07/07/1889. p. 9.) In 1900, the Reid Brothers had an office in the Spreckels (San Francisco Call) Building. (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1900, p. 1879.)

Professional Activities

Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA), San Francisco, CA.

Member, AIA national organization, Board of Directors, Washington, DC, c. 1906-1909. (See "American Institute of Architects, The Western Architect, vol. 9, no. 3, 03/1906, p, 25.)

Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA), 1889.

Relocation

Born in Harvey, Albert County, NB, Canada, Merritt J. Reid resided with his family in that small town in 1871, when the Canadian Census was done.

Reid immigrated to the US in 06/1874 from Saint John.

According to his US Passport Application of 1903, Reid stated that: "He lived for 29 years uninterruptedly, in the United States, from 1874 to 1903 at San Francisco; that I was naturalized as a citizen of the United States before the Superior Court of Vanderburgh County at Evansville, Ind. on the 31st day of March 1900, as a shown by the accompanying Certificate of Naturalization." (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Roll #: 631; Volume #: Roll 631 - 01 Jul 1903-08 Jul 1903, accessed 07/07/2016.) The first sentence was false, as Merritt Reid did not come West to settle permanently in San Francisco until c. 1891. He lived from about 1880 until 1891 in the State of IN.

In 1930, Reid lived at 1100 Union Street in a residence that he valued at $7,500. A widower by this time, he lived there alone, with no family or domestic servants. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation, Year: 1930; Census Place: San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Roll: 207; Page: 22A; Enumeration District: 0345; Image: 823.0; FHL microfilm: 2339942, accessed 07/07/2016.)

Parents

Merritt J. Reid's parents were William James and Lucinda Robinson Reid of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. When the family resided in Harvey, NB, in 1871, there were nine people residing at home: William J. age 50 (a house joiner), Lucinda J., age 50, Anna B., age 26 (a seamstress), Josephine, age 23 (a school teacher), Orpah, age 20, James W., age 18 (a house joiner), Watson E., age 14, and Charlotte, age 12. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation, Year: 1871; Census Place: Harvey, Albert, New Brunswick; Roll: C-10394; Page: 7; Family No: 28, accessed 07/05/2016.)

The Reids were listed as "C.C. Baptists" in the 1871 Census of Canada, standing for Closed Communion Baptists.

Merritt's brothers James William Reid and Watson Elkinah Reid, were also architects. Merritt partnered with his brothers in the architectural firm of Reid Brothers in various cities between 1880-1932.

Spouse

He married Anabelle Reid (born 11/20/1865 in Saratoga, NY).

Biographical Notes

According to his US Passport Application of 1903, at age 48, Reid stood 5-foot 4 3/4-inches tall, had a round face with a high forehead, brown eyes, medium mouth, round chin, ruddy complexion and gray hair.

Merritt Reid traveled abroad in 1909-1910 and 1921. During his earlier trip, Reid traveled through Europe, and the latter he went to Mexico to handle "mining business." He also noted on a US Passport Application of 1921, that he had made many trips back to Canada from the US between 1875 and 1921. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925; Roll #: 1534; Volume #: Roll 1534 - Certificates: 6750-7125, 21 Mar 1921-22 Mar 1921, accessed 07/05/2016.)

• Harvey, NB Canada (Architect's Birth)
  Harvey, NB Canada

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