Reed and Stem is an American architectural and engineering firm. The firm was founded in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1891 as a partnership between Charles A. Reed and Allen H. Stem, the successful partnership captured a wide range of commissions. The firm was reformed as Wank Adams Slavin Associates in 1961, and adopted the name WASA Studio in 2004.
History
One early work was Medical Hall on the campus of the University of Minnesota. They were, however, most widely known for their work on railways over the course of two decades. Through Reed's relationship, by marriage, to the president of the New York Central Railroad, they gained a high-profile commission for the construction of New York's Grand Central Terminal with the architecture firm of Warren and Wetmore, and the newly hired Alfred T. Fellheimer as lead architect. In addition, Reed and Stem undertook many significant projects for the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway. After Reed's death, Stem continued to practice with Fellheimer until his retirement in 1920. The firm moved from Minnesota to New York after being selected to design Grand Central Terminal. The Reed and Stem papers held by the Northwest Architectural Archives, in the Elmer L. Andersen Library, at the University of Minnesota constitute only a small portion of their output. Eight unique commissions are listed, and represent a sample of the firm's experience in non-railroad related commission work, namely residences and commercial buildings. The firm was reformed as Wank Adams Slavin Associates in 1961, and adopted the name WASA Studio in 2004. The firm's office is located on Broadway. In 2015, the firm—which had millions of dollars in debt and was facing several lawsuits from previous former clients—filed for bankruptcy and was granted chapter 11 protection from creditors.
Major commissions
The firm "has worked on more than 100 train stations... along with college campus buildings and corporate parks."
During the tenure of President Howard Elliott, the Northern Pacific Railway Company engaged in the upgrading of numerous depots across its system, from Minnesota to Washington. Many of these depots bear common architectural stamps, and are likely to be Reed and Stem designs. There is also the possibility the designs for smaller stations were drawn up by the Northern Pacific's Engineering Department, based on the design elements of Reed and Stem. In addition to the major works, such as the Tacoma Union Station and the former Montana Division Headquarters at Livingston, Montana, these lesser structures like Ellensburg, Washington, probably include:
Yakima, Washington, c. 1912: The Northern Pacific built at least three depots in Yakima. The first when they began construction across Stampede Pass c. 1884, the second, larger wood structure in 1901 was alleged to have a clock tower, and the final depot in a style similar to that in nearby Ellensburg, Washington, c. 1912. The last was likely the Reed and Stem design. Another noted architect -- Cass Gilbert, designed the 1901 depot. This structure was later relocated to another part of town, and converted into an apartment building. As of 2010, it was still standing in Yakima, minus the clock tower. Because the Northern Pacific never installed clocks in a tower, instead they used their large Monad trademark, adopted by the road in 1896. In addition to the 1901 depot at Yakima, Gilbert also designed the Northern Pacific's depots at Little Falls, Minnesota, Bismarck, North Dakota, and Fargo, North Dakota.
