1870 - 1921

Born in Mississippi, Franklin Ellerbe moved to Minnesota as a child. His career began as a building inspector for the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Although Franklin did not have a formal education in architecture or engineering, he was well respected for his understanding of all aspects of building construction. In 1909, when a residential architect offered Franklin drafting space, the 39-year-old took a bold step away from the security of his city job to the uncertainty of a career in architecture and engineering. With the encouragement and support of his wife, Mabel Ellerbe, and his three teenaged children—Rachel, Jean, and Thomas—the space became the office of F.H. Ellerbe, Architect. In 1919, his son Thomas joined the firm after returning from military service.

Franklin completed his first project in 1909, the Old Fireside Inn, a combination dance hall, retail store, and apartment building that stands to this day in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of Saint Paul. In 1911 Franklin took a partner, Olin Round, and the growing firm counted 18 employees by the end of the following year. Together they designed the original Mayo Clinic building in Rochester, Minnesota, completed in 1914—the same year their partnership came to an end.

Franklin Ellerbe completed a large number of projects throughout Minnesota, South Dakota, and Ohio and developed solid and trusting relationships with clients, who included Drs. William and Charles Mayo, the Benedictine Sisters in Duluth, Lucius P. Ordway (one of the original investors in 3M), Jack Kahler, Rochester, Minn. hotel developer, and Drs. George Crile and William E. Lower, founders of the Cleveland Clinic. He designed residences, banks, manufacturing facilities, hotels, hospitals and clinics, schools and insurance companies.

In 1921, Franklin suddenly became ill at the family's summer home in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Thomas transported his father via train to Rochester for surgery that proved to be too late. Franklin Ellerbe died two days after the surgery at the age of 51. His son took over the firm.