A Virtual Talk: Johannes Kirchmayer of Bavaria & Arlington: Master Wood Carver

Johannes Kirchmayer (1860-1930) was the leading architectural woodcarver of his era. Although he contributed to secular projects, his fame rests largely on his ecclesiastical work. From the 1890s to the 1920s, architect Ralph Adams Cram graced America’s urban landscape with magnificent gothic revival churches. Much of that magnificence was due to the artistry of associated craftsmen, Kirchmayer included.

Born in Bavaria and heir to the region’s strong tradition of woodcarving, Kirchmayer also studied in a number of European cities before immigrating to New York in 1880, finally settling in Boston. Allied with important design firms in New York and Boston, Kirchmayer flourished both professionally and privately. A man of strong ideals, he was a founding member of the Boston Society of Arts and Crafts in 1897 and frequently contributed pieces to their exhibitions.

In 1896 Johannes Kirchmayer married Frances LeClair, and they moved to a home on Crescent Hill Avenue in the Arlington Heights Crescent Hill neighborhood. He thrived in his new setting, becoming a community leader. Kirchmayer, his wife, and his infant son are buried in Arlington’s Mount Pleasant Cemetery.