John F. Wing was a prominent architect in Fort Wayne Indiana in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Knowledge of Wing’s early life is limited by the available information about it, newspapers tended to focus more on his business life rather than his personal. He was married, and he and his wife and they had one child. Wing was a part of the architecture firm of Wing & Mahurin until 1907, which up to that point was one of Fort Wayne oldest architecture firms before their partnership ended. Their firm of Wing & Mahurin was located the Pixlev and Long Block. To­gether Wing and Marshall Mahurin worked with Guy M. Mahurin, as well other architects. John Wing designed and helped supervise many public and private buildings throughout his career and worked with several firms and collaborated with other architects. Wing & Mahurin were awarded the contract to design the Purdue Gymnasium in September 1906. John Wing and Marshall Mahurin were quite successful in their partnership; they landed a $150,000 job for the New State School Buildings in 1906. The partnership firm of Wing & Mahurin came to an end in 1907, when Marshall Mahurin left and started a new firm with his nephew Guy M. Mahurin.

The West Central Neighborhood west of downtown contains many works done by the successful architecture firm Wing & Mahurin. The district contains examples of early Greek Revival-style homes and Gothic Revival residences. Houses within West Central built by Wing such as the Oliver S. Hanna House in the style of Queen Anne, Wm. L Carnahan Duplex in Second Empire, Strunz-Sponhauer House, Italianate/Eclectic, 1887, Charles MacDougall House, Queen Anne 1886, W.S. Bash-G.H. VanArnam House, Queen Anne/Romanesque, 1886, and Robert & Clara Bell House/Klaehn Funeral Home, Romanesque 1893.

A newspaper article did mention that Wing & Mahurin had been involved only in name and without their knowledge in forged check crime scandal committed by a man named Ed Wilson, who forged two $10 checks with the names of Wing & Mahurin reported by the Fort Wayne Sentinel. John Wing maintained his architect license until his death with its last renewal in 1941. Wing passed away in August of 1947 at the age of 95.

John F. Wing 1852-1947

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Notable Structures Designed by John F. Wing

  1. Allen County Orphans’ Home, Fort Wayne, Indiana
  2. Hon. R. C. Bell Residence, Fort Wayne, Indiana
  3. Dr. D. S. Brown Residence, Fort Wayne, Indiana
  4. Central Fire Station, Fort Wayne, Indiana
  5. The Fort Wayne Saengerbund Building, Fort Wayne, Indiana
  6. Indiana State School for Feeble-Minded Children, Fort Wayne, Indiana
  7. Lindenwood Cemetery Receiving Vault and Crematory, Fort Wayne, Indiana
  8. Marshall S. Mahurin Residence, Fort Wayne, Indiana
  9. The McDonald & Taylor Fire-Proof Building, Fort Wayne, Indiana
  10. Fort Wayne Old City Hall, 308 East Berry Street, Fort Wayne, IN.

Collaborations of John F. Wing with the firms of Wing & Mahurin and Mahurin & Mahurin

  1. John H. Bass Mansion, 2701 Spring Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana
  2. Engine House No. 3, 226 W. Washington Blvd. Fort Wayne, Indiana
  3. Fort Wayne City Hall, 302 E Berry St, Fort Wayne, Indiana
  4. Monroe County Courthouse, Courthouse Sq. West Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN
  5. Strunz-Sponhauer House, 1017 W. Berry St. Fort Wayne, Indiana
  6. Saint Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1126 S. Barr St., Fort Wayne, Indiana
  7. US Post Office and Courthouse, 1300 W. Harrison St., Fort Wayne, Indiana
  8. Robert & Clara Bell House/Klaehn Funeral Home,  420 W. Berry St. Fort Wayne, Indiana
  9. Strunz-Sponhauer House, 1017 W. Berry St. Fort Wayne, Indiana
  10. W.S. Bash-G.H. VanArnam House, 1128 W. Wayne St. Fort Wayne, Indiana
  11. Charles MacDougall House,  501 W. Wayne St. St. Fort Wayne, Indiana

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