Elmer Gerald Rust
(“Elmer” or “EGR” 3/1920 to 3/1931)
Elmer Gerald Rust (9/12/1889 to 9/5/1967 (Oakwood Cemetery, Syracuse, New York)) was born in Syracuse, New York and is the most prominent project draftsman and designers employed by Charles M. Robinson Architects in the 1920s. He was a graduate of Syracuse University and the Columbia College of Architecture. He was living in Brooklyn on June 30, 1913 when he married his first wife. A copious search of Richmond City Directories from 1914 to 1920 shows no listing. His June 5, 1917 WWI Draft Registration Card lists him as tall with a medium build and blue eyes and brown hair, living at 116 Greenwood Place in Syracuse, being employed as an “architect” with Sackett & Park in Syracuse. He cites that he had – for two years – been a private in the State of New York Calvary.
He claimed an exemption because of a dependent. His US Army Service Record for WWI states that he was appointed a 1st Lieutenant on October 5, 1918, served until December 18, 1918 and was stationed at the Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. The 1921 directory cites him as living at 2417 Hanover Avenue but without an occupation listed. The 1922 directory lists his occupation as “draftsman.” He was divorced in Virginia on February 21, 1924 from his first wife (Ethel Biermanin) to whom he had been married ten years, and then he married Carita in 1928. The 1923-1931 Richmond City directories list him as “Chief Draftsman Charles M. Robinson Architects” but he left the firm and appears to have returned to New York State.
The 1930 Census lists him renting at $115/month with his wife Carita (daughter of German immigrants) at 3029 Monument Avenue. The 1940 Census lists him living by himself in Syracuse, New York. His 1942 WWII Draft Card lists him living at 238 Greenwood Place in Syracuse and that his next-of-kin was his mother and that he was employed by the Department of Taxation & Assessment for the City of Syracuse. His obituary in the Syracuse Post-Standard on September 6, 1967 states that he was a retired architect who died after a short illness but that he just retired (in 1967) after 25 years of service with the City of Syracuse Assessor’s Office and was married to Anna Nellis Rust at the time of his death.
He is present in the photo of the drafting room on in February 1926 but was not a pallbearer at Charles M. Robinson’s funeral, so it may be that he had already moved back to Syracuse in late 1931 or early 1932 as the Firm encountered a slowing economic situation, decreased its payroll and J. Binford Walford assumed more workload.