Harry Lawrie, architect of the 1915 St. Patrick Church and the 1922 St.

Patrick Convent was born in Dumfurmline,

Scotland in 1858. He was the son of Henry Lawrie and Helen Blair Lawrie. She was the sister of Scottish painter
Andrew Blair. Harry wed Ellen Halley Webster of Scotland. He studied at the School of Art in Glasgow where his
talents became so recognized that he was made President of the Draughtmans Association of that city. He had nine
years of experience in Glasgow & Edinburgh before immigrating to Chicago in 1883. He entered the office of
Burham & Root where his services were recognized and valued. In 1886 Architect W. W. Clay engaged Lawrie as head
draftsman of his designing department. Mr. Clays well-known ability, together with Mr. Lawries valuable service,
made them one of the strongest architectural firms of Chicago. He moved to Omaha in 1887 and joined the firm of
Mendelssohn, Fisher & Lawrie. He remained with that firm until 1913. He was responsible for the design of many
buildings on his own and with others. His last design was that of the old Municipal Airport in Omaha, NE. Many of
his designs, including our church, are on the National Register of Historic Places. He died in 1935. His credits
include: Field Club golf course-1898 with the back nine added for the opening of the 1902 season, Trans-
Mississippi & International Exposition Liberal Arts Building, YMCA building, Orpheum Theater, Sacred Heart
Church, Storz Mansion, Woodmen of the World, 1903-Fire Substation #1 (now Upstream Brewery in the Old
Market), 1916-narrow western wing of Fairmont Creamery in the Old Market all in Omaha and the Morton-James
Library in Nebraska City, and the Montgomery County Jail in Red Oak among others.