Weaver of Dreams: The Life and Architecture of Robert C. Reamer

This biography of a long neglected American architect begins with his most famous creation, Old Faithful Inn. Robert C. Reamer, born in Oberlin, Ohio, traveled to Yellowstone at the age of 29 to design and build the Inn. This 140-room hostelry made a significant impact on American architecture, stimulating other architects to experiment with rustic in natural settings, and becoming a "benchmark of National Park architecture." While Reamer excelled in designing rustic-style buildings such as the Inn and the Lake Quinault Lodge, he possessed a talent which made him equally successful in a variety of styles from the Chinese-timber architecture in the Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle, to the Art Deco Fox Theater in Spokane, Washington, to the neo-Classical Lake Yellowstone Hotel, to the Prairie-school style of the Executive House at Mammoth Hot Springs. His daughter noted that he seemed to prefer not to repeat what he had done before, that he lived for the pure joy of creating. Buildings designed by this brilliant architect stand today in five states. Many have been entertained, rejuvenated, and inspired by these magnificent spaces without knowing the man behind them. Weaver of Dreams introduces Robert Reamer fans across the country to his other accomplishments and to the creative man who crafted them.