|
|
|
Photo by Elliot J. Sutherland/The Ottawa Herald
Doug Loyd, architect, is pictured with his George P. Washburn postcard collection.
|
Building the heart of a community
Doug Loyd follows the path of the architect he admires, George P. Washburn, by leaving his mark on Ottawa
By JODIE GARCIA, Herald Staff Writer
|
|
As a youngster, Doug Loyd had no idea he would one day become an architect.
“I didn’t even know what an architect was,” he said.
The Ottawa resident said he found his path in college, at Kansas State University.
He said he pursued landscape architecture but later switched to architecture.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in architecture, Loyd worked in Nigeria, where he worked for a Topeka company and helped build a U.S. Embassy.
After a few required internships, Loyd said he took an architecture-related job in Colorado, then later moved to New Hampshire.
He said he started thinking about returning to Ottawa because he wanted to branch out with his own business.
He moved back to town in 1996.
Though he admires many architects, Loyd said one of his favorites is the well-known George P. Washburn, who, among other things, designed the Franklin County Courthouse and many other courthouses and structures in Kansas.
Loyd said he has more than 100 postcards illustrating Washburn’s works, as well as other souvenirs like spoons that feature his buildings.
“He’s been an interesting celebrity for Ottawa,” Loyd said.
Loyd also bought Washburn’s old office at 413 S. Main St., which he now uses for his office. Built in 1887, the office is the oldest architect’s office in the state, Loyd said. He said he noticed it many years ago.
“When it came on the market, I was very interested in it,” he said, adding that he worked to restore and repair the space.
Though he does a lot of work outside the Ottawa area, some of Loyd’s local projects include the “Ottawa’s Former First Ladies” steel piece that sits on Main Street by the levee, and several school projects in the area.
Loyd said he’s pretty involved with downtown Ottawa.
“It is the heart of the community,” he said. “I think people ought to support the downtown more.”
He mentioned the importance of buildings like the Ottawa Municipal Auditorium, the Carnegie Cultural Center and the Old Depot Museum.
“It’s so easy for them to slip away,” he said.
|
|
