John Eberson

John Adolph Emil Eberson (January 2, 1875 – March 5, 1954)[1] was an Austrian-American architect best known for the development and promotion of movie palace designs in the atmospheric theatre style.

John Adolf Emil Eberson was born in Czernowitz, Bukovina, Austria-Hungary, now south western Ukraine, on January 2, 1875.

Eberson and Johnson traveled around the eastern part of America, promoting opera houses in small towns.

In July 1929, he made the decision to close the Chicago office and consolidate all of the design work in New York.

[8] Eberson began his theatre design work with traditional, small town opera houses.

Theatre historian David Naylor described Eberson as "an architectural Johnny Appleseed for Sunbelt theater-goers.

[11] Many of Eberson's later designs, some executed with his son Drew, were in the art deco and streamline moderne styles.

[21] His first commissioned job was that same year, when he designed an Ionic-columned porch for Mrs. Sheehan, a Hamilton resident, for which he received $20.

Terre Haute is one of the few places in the world to boast multiple Eberson buildings, including his only residential design.

Eberson designed the Central National Bank, a 23-story art deco skyscraper in Richmond, Virginia (completed in 1929).

He designed a hospital on Long Island, and housing at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and at the United States Military Academy.