History of GHN
1930 - COMPANY FOUNDED
IN JANUARY 1930, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION, JUST A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE CRASH ON WALL STREET, FRANK J. ERHART AND HOWARD S. EICHENBAUM FOUNDED A SMALL ARCHITECTURE FIRM IN THEIR HOMETOWN OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. PARNELL HALL AT THE ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF WAS THEIR FIRST LARGE PROJECT.
1940 - ARKANSAS DIVISION OF THE AIA
OUR FOUNDING PREDECESSORS WERE HIGHLY INVOLVED IN SERVICE TO THE PROFESSION. HOWARD EICHENBAUM WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ESTABLISHING THE ARKANSAS DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS AND WAS THE FIRST TO BE ELEVATED TO FELLOW IN THE STATE.
1941 - HAROLD A. CASEY
HAROLD A. CASEY BEGAN HIS OWN FIRM IN 1941, WHICH WOULD BECOME PART OF THE FOUNDATION OF GHN | ARCHITECTS + ENGINEERS. DURING WORLD WAR II, HE INTERRUPTED HIS PRIVATE PRACTICE TO SERVE AS CHIEF ARCHITECT FOR THREE MILITARY BASES. HE ALSO SERVED AS PROJECT MANAGER FOR WAR HOUSING PROJECTS IN OHIO BEFORE RESUMING PRIVATE PRACTICE IN SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI IN 1945.
THE MIDDLE YEARS
1955 - ART AND ARCHITECTURE
NOLAND BLASS, JR. FOCUSED ON INJECTING ART INTO ARCHITECTURE DURING HIS YEARS WITH THE FIRM. HE INCORPORATED COMMISSIONED PIECES FROM THE ST. LOUIS GROUP, SCOPIA, AS WELL AS SCULPTURES BY HENRY MOORE AND JASON SELEY IN HIS PROJECTS.
1969 - WORTHEN BUILDING
THE WORTHEN BANK BUILDING (NOW BANK OF AMERICA) BROUGHT A NEW HIGHLIGHT TO THE SKYLINE OF LITTLE ROCK. IT WAS THE TALLEST BUILDING IN ARKANSAS BETWEEN 1969 AND 1975.
1973 - CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP
IN THE EARLY 1970's, THE PARTNERSHIP CHANGED DRAMATICALLY. THE TALENTS OF ITS FOUNDERS WERE LOST TO THE FIRM ALTHOUGH THEIR HERITAGE WOULD LONG CONTINUE. MR. EICHENBAUM DIED SUDDENLY, AND MR. ERHART AND MR. RAUCH BEGAN THEIR RETIREMENT. ALTHOUGH NOT REALIZED AT THE TIME, A FUTURE GENERATION WAS HIRED AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. BILL GASKIN, JOE NORCROSS, AND CHARLES HILL JOINED THE FIRM.
MOVING INTO MISSOURI
1981 - RELOCATION
ANOTHER HISTORIC YEAR FOR THE FIRM AS CHARLES HILL MOVED FROM LITTLE ROCK TO SPRINGFIELD; THE ARKANSAS FIRM BOUGHT THE FIRM HAROLD A. CASEY ARCHITECT TO LATER BECOME CASEY / HILL, INC.
1998 - IN GOOD COMPANY
NUMEROUS NAME CHANGES EVENTUALLY LED TO GASKIN HILL NORCROSS, INC., THE RECOGNIZABLE BASIS FOR OUR NAME: GHN | ARCHITECTS + ENGINEERS. PRINCIPALS IN THE FIRM INCLUDED CHARLES HILL, KEN STUFFLEBEAM, PAUL MELGREN, AND JOE VEJRASKA.
2003 - BIGGER AND BETTER
IN 2003, THE LEGAL STRUCTURE OF THE FIRM CHANGED. THE ARKANSAS CORPORATION SOLD THE MISSOURI CORPORATION TO CHARLES HILL, KEN STUFFLEBEAM, PAUL MELGREN, AND JOE VEJRASKA.
CURRENT ERA
2008 - INTEGRATION
ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL MISSIONS OF THE FIRM IS TO PROVIDE MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES UNDER ONE ROOF IN ORDER TO SENSIBLY INTEGRATE ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING TO CREATE PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO THRIVE.
2013 - NEW PRINCIPALS
IN PREPARATION OF THE RETIREMENT OF CHARLES HILL, 2013 BROUGHT NEW OWNERS TO THE FIRM. BRAD BAKER BECAME PRESIDENT AND JEAN STOOPS BECAME CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
2018 - THE MISSION
AS GHN | ARCHITECTS+ENGINEERS MOVES FORWARD, WE WANT TO MAKE A CONSTRUCTIVE DIFFERENCE, BUILDING BETTER LIVES FOR OUR FAMILIES AND THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE.