Fromherz, Joseph

Submitted by Mike Miller

Joseph Fromherz, who was born on June 26, 1847, in New Orleans and died in that city July 8, 1925, was for many years a leader in the general contracting business and one of the last surviving members of the old school of master builders. He died at the age of seventy-seven, while still active in the business which bears his name and in which he had been engaged for more than a half a century. This contracting business and building business has in fact been in continuous existence over seventy years, having been founded by his father-in-law, Ferdinand Reusch. The Fromherz and Reusch families both came to New Orleans in the early thirties from Germany. The parents of Joseph Fromherz were John and Barbara (Zimmer) Fromherz, his father a native of Germany and his mother of Alsace. He was educated by the Christian Brothers and finished just as the federal forces captured New Orleans during the Civil war.

Prior to entering the contracting business Mr. Fromherz was a professor of mathematics in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, and his analytical mind and habit of close reasoning proved invaluable to him throughout his practical business career. In 1867 he entered the employ of Ferdinand Reusch and two years later termed a partnership and subsequently married Ellen Reusch. In 1880 he formed a partnership with J. A. Muir, who had previously been a stair builder and later partner of Frederick Wing, the leading master builder of his day. This firm was known as Wing and Muir, and Mr. Wing started this business in 1832. The firm of Muir & Fromherz continued until the deaths of the former in 1910, when Mr. Fromherz took as a partner Albert Drennan, who had served his apprenticeship under Muir and Fromherz. After 1918, together with his two sons, Mr. Fromherz operated under his own name. Among the first buildings erected by him were the Abram's Building, in 1869, at Union and Baronne streets, on the site now occupied by the fourteen story Union Indemnity Building; the Jewish Orphans Home, Hicks Building. Original Gruenwald Hall, New Orleans National Bank, on Camp and Common streets, Rice Born Hardware Store in Camp street and one of the first units or the American Sugar Refinery, where piles for foundations were first used in New Orleans. Besides the above he also constructed four buildings of the United States Naval Station in New Orleans; several units of the House of Good Shepherd, a large part of D. H. Holmes & Company; the Liberty Theatre; Little Sisters of the Poor, both houses in New Orleans; St. Francis of Assissi Church; Lafayette Hotel; numerous public buildings and bridges for the City of New Orleans; Louis P. Rice Building on Magazine Street; Tulane Newcomb Building; Queen and Crescent Building; Union Brewery; Walle Building; Florida Walk Viaduct; Spanish Fort Amusement Park; Louisiana Railway & Navigation Passenger Station; several chapels for religious institutions; restoration of Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel, a very historic structure; Standard Brewery; two large schools and auditorium for Redemptionist Fathers; Loyola Stadium; and many of the finest residences in the city.

A large portion of Leper Colony at Carville, Louisiana, and St Augustine's Colored Mission at Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, were also erected by him. The beautiful Notre Dame Seminary, a very large structure, was completed a year before his death, and the complete construction operation was planned by him and executed by him. At his death he had just completed Chemistry Hall, a large four-story building for Loyola University.

Prior to 1918 Mr. Fromherz planned his own structures and acted as architect, engineer and contractor. Many of the above named structures were planned and detailed by his organization.

An interesting tribute to Mr. Fromherz as a builder and as a man was written by the editor of the Daily Journal of Commerce of New Orleans and the substance of that article is given as follows : "When the firm of Muir & Fromherz started in business, most successful contractors had a clientele who regularly retained them to repair or alter their residences or stores, bills for work being rendered yearly, it was before modern equipment and machinery, and such a firm retained a staff of from thirty to forty mechanics who were not capable of designing work but made their own full size details, made out their own bill of material, laid out the work and executed it on the bench and later installed it in the job. Mr. Fromherz, in common with other contractors, always made a practice of retaining apprentices and it was his boast in later years that he turned out experts. Such men as General Allison Owen, C. C. Diboll and John Carlton served their apprenticeships in either the shops or the drafting rooms or both of Mr. Fromherz's plant. He conducted more than a contracting business such as known in these days, for not only was he his own brick mason but also did the sash, doors and millwork, art windows for churches, stair rails, bolsters, and cornices were turned out by hand in his shop from stock secured in his yard. Mr. Fromherz was an expert estimator and designer. One of the largest of his first projects was the Jewish Orphans Home, and he worked far into the night in laying out this project on the ground during its formative stages. His friends refer to his tremendous energy and quick temper and picturesque and vigorous language when aroused, but qualified by the fact that by nature he was mild mannered, gentle and lovable and even when stirred to wrath was clean in speech as he was ever respected for his cleanliness in living and thoughts.

"The outstanding feature of Mr. Fromherz's success his associates and those who knew him declare to have been his scrupulous honesty, a reputation for which he gained when he first entered business, where contracts were given him without competitive figures and paid upon presentation of annual bills. This reputation was retained by him to his death. Mr. Fromherz even in later years, where the usual practice of owners is to receive competitive bids, secured a great deal of work without such competition, having built up a reputation for fair dealing, expertness of workmanship and integrity.

"Mr. Fromherz occupied an enviable position in the life of the community as one of its most substantial citizens its the conduct of the construction industry, as one of the examples by which the business course should be set, and in the hearts of his friends and relatives as one of nature's real noblemen."

He served as an expert on many occasions. One of his most important commissions was as a member of the committee which saved the St. Louis Cathedral, the city's old landmark, from being torn down because of the fact that the foundations had disintegrated. Many issues of large import were decided on his decisions, and he enjoyed an envious reputation in this respect. The Morning Star, a Catholic Weekly, was sustained by him with the assistance of several other very influential business men. The same was true of the Newsboy's home at St. Alphonsus Council of St. Vincents De Paul Society, which he helped to found. His charity will be known because he never spoke of such things, but it is known generally that he was always giving to others and drew no distinction to the color, religion or habits of the needy.

Mrs. Fromherz survives him and there are three children: A. M. Fromherz, F. R. Fromherz and Marie Fromherz. As a family they have set a great store of education. As noted, Joseph Fromherz when a young man become a teacher of mathematics and had been educated in the Christian Brothers College. All his children were college trained. Both sons were educated by the Jesuit Fathers. A. M. Fromherz received Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts and Civil Engineer degrees from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and F. R. Fromherz finished the college course as prescribed by Spring Hill College at Mobile, Alabama. Miss Marie Fromherz is a graduate of the Sacred Heart Academy of New Orleans, Louisiana.

The sons, A. M. Fromherz and F. R. Fromherz, continue the business under the name of Jos. Fromherz, Inc.

NOTE: The sketch is accompanied by a black and white photograph/drawing of the subject.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 393-394, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.