Emma Brunson
Emma (née Gruetzke) Brunson (1887–1980) was an American architect and the state of Minnesota's first registered woman architect.
Emma Brunson

Diane Oertel · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Emma Brunson
- Birth Name
- Emma Gruetzke
- Born
- 1887
- Died
- 1980
- Place of death
- St.
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- architect
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Documentary summary
Emma (née Gruetzke) Brunson (1887–1980) was an American architect and the state of Minnesota's first registered woman architect.
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wikidata · Q5372746 · wikipedia · Emma Brunson
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Emma Brunson • Birth Name — Emma Gruetzke • Born — 1887 • Died — 1980 • Place of death — St. Paul, Minnesota
Life and work
Life and work
Brunson was probably born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nothing is known of her education and training, however, she worked as a drafter and specifications writer for Augustus F. Gauger for 15 years before she opened her own firm in 1920. She became Minnesota's First registered woman architect on December 23, 1921, soon after the enactment of the Minnesota law requiring registration for architects and engineers. She did primarily residential work until her retirement in 1968. Brunson died in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1980.
Projects
Projects
Some of her buildings are: • Hugo Koch residence, Osceola Avenue between Albert and Hamline Avenues, Saint Paul, Minnesota (1923) • Emma Brunson residence, Maryland Street between Arcade and Mendota Streets, Saint Paul • Theodore Maier residence, 616 Gotzian, St. Paul (1926) • C.E. Smith residence, 673 Nebraska Avenue, St. Paul (1926) • George E & Anne N Olson House, 203 Montrose Pl, St. Paul (1936)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1887
Emma Brunson was born on 1 January 1887.
1980
Emma Brunson died on 1 January 1980.
Legacy
Her papers are held in the Northwest Architectural Archives at the University of Minnesota.
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q5372746: Emma Brunson
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Emma Brunson”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Citations
References
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Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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