Murphy and Camp

 

John H. Murphy and Erwin M. Camp)
 
By Sarah Gowa
 
The Men
 
John Henry Murphy was born in August 1859 in Canada to John Murphy and Hanna Condon. He emigrated to Chicago in 1865 and married Mary W. [maiden name?] in 1891. Mary was born in December 1861. The couple lived at 697 Montrose Boulevard (currently 1723) with their three children–Catherine (b. June 1892), Paul (b. October 1893), and John (b. December 1894)–as well as John H. Murphy’s father, also named John, who was born in December 1825. Both of his parents’ birthplaces are listed as Ireland. Murphy’s occupation is recorded as architect. He passed away on September 6, 1918, and was buried in Mt. Carmel Cemetery. According to the Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths Index, his last known address was 3917 Indiana Avenue.
Unfortunately, information on John H. Murphy is far more limited than that on Erwin M. Camp. Most of the above details come from the 1900 census; beyond that, few records survive.
According to the 1870 census, Erwin Mott Camp was born in Wisconsin in May 1867 to David and Mary Camp. He is listed as having an older brother named Perry. His father, David, worked as a jeweler. In the 1880 census, Erwin is still living in Wisconsin and recorded as being in school. Two younger siblings also appear on that record: a sister, Myrtle, and a brother, Key. By the 1900 census, Erwin was living in Chicago at 425 Belden Avenue (currently 601) with his sister Myrtle. This record provides the first indication of his profession as an architect.
Erwin later met Jeanette A. Asan, whom he married on August 31, 1904, in Marion, Indiana. Sadly, Jeanette passed away four years later and was laid to rest in Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado. In the 1910 census, Camp is listed as living with his sister and brother-in-law, Trodolf Lidberg. Unfortunately, the address listed in the census record is illegible. On March 18, 1918, he remarried, this time to Florence A. Burch.
In the 1920 census, Camp appears living with Florence and his niece, Minnie Mott, at 4623 Beacon Street (formerly 3218). This time, his occupation is listed as superintendent. In 1930, he was recorded at 4415 Malden Street (former address unknown), with his occupation noted as “carving,” in the machinery industry.
Camp’s name also appears in California’s voter registration records (1938–1940). These documents list him as retired, declining to state a political affiliation, and residing at 3035 Sereno Road.
Interestingly, in 1939 his name also appears alongside his sister Myrtle on a passenger and crew list. They departed San Francisco on October 26, 1939, and arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, on November 1, 1939.
Ten years later, Camp passed away on April 14, 1949, and was laid to rest in Santa Barbara Cemetery, California.
 
Their Work
 
Murphy & Camp first appeared in the business directory in 1900, with their office listed at 279 Dearborn. Interestingly, by the 1910 directory, Murphy & Camp no longer appeared, but a new firm, “Murphy & Cloyes,” was listed at 277 Dearborn. This suggests that Murphy & Camp parted ways sometime shortly after 1908, as indicated by entries in the American Contractor database.
For the purposes of this article, the focus will remain on the work completed jointly by Murphy & Camp.
According to the American Contractor database, the pair designed 86 buildings between 1898 and 1908: 2 on Kenmore, 1 on Lakewood, 7 on Magnolia, 5 on Sheridan, 8 on Wayne, and 7 on Winthrop. The majority of their buildings in Edgewater were residential dwellings and commissioned by developer J. L. Cochran, who constructed substantial but more affordable homes than those located closer to the lake. 
This table showcases all the buildings Murphy & Camp designed available on the American Contractor Database:
Address 
Owner
Date of Issue
2440-2442 Kenmore Ave. (5409)
J.L. Cochran
November 29, 1902
2452 Kenmore Ave. (5419)
J.L. Cochran
December 22, 1900
2359 Lakewood Ave. (5236)
E.M. Camp
May 18, 1901
2344 Magnolia Ave. (5219)
E.M. Camp 
May 18, 1901
2365 Magnolia Ave. (5242)
Frank M. Button
October 20, 1900
2396 Magnolia Ave. (5307)
J.L. Cochran
June 15, 1901
2410 Magnolia Ave. (5321)
J.L. Cochran
June 15, 1901
2455-2457 Magnolia Ave. (5402-5404)
C.D. Cook
May 17, 1902
2522-2532 Magnolia Ave. 
Catholic Bishop of Chicago
May 4, 1901
2536 Magnolia Ave. (5515)
Catholic Bishop of Chicago
May 26, 1906
2491-2493 Sheridan Ave. (5726-5728)
J.L. Cochran
January 31, 1903
2476 Sheridan Dr. (5715)
B.D. Heeb
December 5, 1903
2149-2151 Sheridan Rd. (5220)  
J.L. Cochran
July 11, 1903
2157-2159 Sheridan Rd. (5228)
J.L. Cochran
December 27, 1902
2181-2183 Sheridan Rd.
J.L. Cochran
May 17, 1902
2485 Wayne Ave. (5430)
J.L. Cochran
June 15, 1901
2493 Wayne Ave. (5438)
J.L. Cochran
May 30, 1903
2497 Wayne Ave. (5442)
J.L. Cochran
June 15, 1901
2505 Wayne Ave. (5452)
J.L. Cochran
December 9, 1899
2537 Wayne Ave. (5518)
J.L. Cochran
December 9, 1899
2547 Wayne Ave. (5526)
J.L. Cochran
December 9, 1899
2554 Wayne Ave. (5535)
J.L. Cochran
May 30, 1903
2572 Wayne Ave. (5553)
J.L. Cochran
May 30, 1903
1112-1114 Winthrop Ave. (6117-6119)
P.J. Maloney
December 5, 1903
1190-1192 Winthrop Ave. (6209-6211)
J.L. Cochran
October 4, 1902
651 Winthrop Ave. (5406)
J.L. Cochran
January 5, 1901
701-703 Winthrop Ave. (5456-5458)
J.L. Cochran
October 4, 1902
717 Winthrop Ave. (5506)
J.L. Cochran
January 5, 1901
743 Winthrop Ave. (5532)
J.L. Cochran
January 5, 1901
993 Winthrop Ave. (5922)
J.L. Cochran
January 12, 1901
 
Erwin M. Camp owned two of the firm’s earlier works: 2359 Lakewood Avenue and 2344 Magnolia Avenue.
Before 1898, a search of the digitized Inland Architects collection indicates that Murphy & Camp designed an additional estimated 20 buildings between 1894 and 1897 outside of Edgewater.
After the partnership dissolved, John H. Murphy went on to design at least four additional houses outside of Edgewater. 
One house designed by Murphy & Camp in 1902 created significant controversy in the Edgewater community in recent years. The brick, white-pillared George Eddy House on Sheridan Road was sold for $1.2 million in 2022, with the new owners planning to demolish it. Despite efforts by the Edgewater Historical Society and other advocacy groups to prevent the demolition, the house was ultimately torn down a year later. More information about this story can be found here: 
Murphy & Camp left an indelible mark on Edgewater. The two designed dozens of houses that helped define the neighborhood’s early character and contributed to its expansion. However, the demolition of the George Eddy house reminds us how fragile this legacy is. Their work captures the architectural development of the Edgewater community, but it also highlights the ongoing challenges of preservation in a changing city.
 
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