Elise Mercur
American architect (1864-1947) · United States · On the map · Architects · Died at 82
Elise Mercur, also known as Elise Mercur Wagner, was Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's first female architect. She was raised in a prominent family and educated abroad in France and Germany before completing training as an architect at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Elise Mercur is read about 2 times a day, in 6 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 11 June 2026
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Photos 7
Sketch of Mercur in 1898 from the New York World
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Hill District, Pittsburgh, built in 1896
Woman's Building 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition, by Mercur
1895 Cotton Exposition Map (The Women's Building was located to the northwest of the lake
Mercur's drawing for the Washington Female Seminary building, 1896
Economy, Pennsylvania, 4th ward school, 1904, Architect Elise Mercur WagnerAbout this person
Her first major commission, for the design of the Woman's Building for the Cotton States and International Exposition of Atlanta, was secured in 1894, while she was apprenticed to Thomas Boyd. It was the first time a woman had headed an architectural project in the South. After completing a six-year internship, she opened her own practice in 1896, where she focused on designing private homes and public buildings, such as churches, hospitals, schools, and buildings for organizations like the YMCA/YWCA.
