His work includes the Cardinal Hill Reservoir (1931) in Jefferson County, Kentucky; the Saginaw Water Works plant in Saginaw, Michigan (1926–1929);[1] the Westclox plant building in Peru, Illinois;[2] and the LaSalle Theater (1912) in LaSalle, Illinois.

In 1934, he became a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects,[4] an honor reserved for "exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society.

[9][10] He was trained in offices of prominent Chicago architects: Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge, Jenney & Mundie, and Frost & Granger.

During this time he assisted with the planning and construction of the Art Institute, Chicago public library, and a number of large office buildings.

He wrote that "it is economic to give the public beautiful, as well as useful things, especially when one considers that of all the money expended on a complete water system, only about twenty-five percent of the total is applied to works above ground and visible.

In a 1921 letter to the editor of The American Architect journal, Matteson called for engineering to be included as an integral part of architecture.

He wrote that "Architecture should be considered as the combined Art and Science of Building" and urged a closer working relationship between architects and engineers.