Husband of Zabella M Mesrobian and father of James N, Raffe and Ara Mesrobian.
Mihran was a native of Afion-Karahisar, Turkey and graduated from the Academy of the Fine Arts in Istanbul's School of Architecture in 1908. He served as a municipal architect in Smyrna (Izmir), however his work was likely all destroyed in the Great Fire of 1922. In 1912 he went back to Istanbul where there was a position open as assistant to the sultan's chief palace architect. They were mainly involved in restoration of various palaces, primarily focused on the Dohlmabache Palace. Married Zabelle Martmanian in Smyrna in May 1914. With the outbreak of World War I, he was conscripted into the Ottoman Army's corps of engineers. Nourhan first son born in Smyrna. He served for the duration for the war, and it is said he was involved in the Gallipoli campaign of 1915 involved with mining and tunneling. Meanwhile, the Armenian population of Afion-Karahisar were deported as part of the Armenian genocide, including Mihran's brothers, sisters, and cousins who were never heard from again. He received the German Iron Cross and serveral Turkish medals for his efforts. He then served on the Russian front and in Syria and Palestine. Near the end of the war, he and his unit were captured by the Arabs who were allied with the British. According to Mihran, the group was going to be executed en masse, however Lawrence of Arabia intervened saying the proper thing was to hold them prisoner instead. Mihran also said that Lawrence specifically said that he should not be killed because of his blue eyes, because it indicated he was not a Turk like the others. They were taken to prison in Zagazig, Egypt where he was imprisoned for six months. He was released in 1919 and returned to Istanbul working as the head of the architectural design department for a Professor Haki Bey. It was very difficult for an Armenian to have a good position professionally and they were subjected to discrimination, while many strove to emigrate or were exiled. Mihran had relatives who had already established themselves in Washington, DC, so they left to join them around August 1921. Soon after settling there, he became the chief architect of real estate developer Henry Wardman. Together, they worked on numerous projects, including three famous hotels near the White House: the St. Regis (known initially as the Carlton Hotel) in 1926, Hay Adams in 1928, and Sofitel (originally Shoreham Hotel) in 1929. He also designed St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church in Friendship Heights, and the Cathedral Mansions Apartment Building. Mesrobian also designed his mansion near the D.C. line in Montgomery County, Maryland, which received historic designation status from the County Council in 2017. A decommissioned call box at 29th St NW and Cortland Place NW was converted into a historical marker telling the story of Mesrobian and Wardman.
Husband of Zabella M Mesrobian and father of James N, Raffe and Ara Mesrobian.
Mihran was a native of Afion-Karahisar, Turkey and graduated from the Academy of the Fine Arts in Istanbul's School of Architecture in 1908. He served as a municipal architect in Smyrna (Izmir), however his work was likely all destroyed in the Great Fire of 1922. In 1912 he went back to Istanbul where there was a position open as assistant to the sultan's chief palace architect. They were mainly involved in restoration of various palaces, primarily focused on the Dohlmabache Palace. Married Zabelle Martmanian in Smyrna in May 1914. With the outbreak of World War I, he was conscripted into the Ottoman Army's corps of engineers. Nourhan first son born in Smyrna. He served for the duration for the war, and it is said he was involved in the Gallipoli campaign of 1915 involved with mining and tunneling. Meanwhile, the Armenian population of Afion-Karahisar were deported as part of the Armenian genocide, including Mihran's brothers, sisters, and cousins who were never heard from again. He received the German Iron Cross and serveral Turkish medals for his efforts. He then served on the Russian front and in Syria and Palestine. Near the end of the war, he and his unit were captured by the Arabs who were allied with the British. According to Mihran, the group was going to be executed en masse, however Lawrence of Arabia intervened saying the proper thing was to hold them prisoner instead. Mihran also said that Lawrence specifically said that he should not be killed because of his blue eyes, because it indicated he was not a Turk like the others. They were taken to prison in Zagazig, Egypt where he was imprisoned for six months. He was released in 1919 and returned to Istanbul working as the head of the architectural design department for a Professor Haki Bey. It was very difficult for an Armenian to have a good position professionally and they were subjected to discrimination, while many strove to emigrate or were exiled. Mihran had relatives who had already established themselves in Washington, DC, so they left to join them around August 1921. Soon after settling there, he became the chief architect of real estate developer Henry Wardman. Together, they worked on numerous projects, including three famous hotels near the White House: the St. Regis (known initially as the Carlton Hotel) in 1926, Hay Adams in 1928, and Sofitel (originally Shoreham Hotel) in 1929. He also designed St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church in Friendship Heights, and the Cathedral Mansions Apartment Building. Mesrobian also designed his mansion near the D.C. line in Montgomery County, Maryland, which received historic designation status from the County Council in 2017. A decommissioned call box at 29th St NW and Cortland Place NW was converted into a historical marker telling the story of Mesrobian and Wardman.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement