Merrill H. Hoyt was a prominent American architect,[1] business man and leader in the building design community of Denver, Colorado from 1910 to 1933.[2]
Born in North Denver on May 18, 1881,[3] Merrill H. Hoyt grew up in the house located at 2849 West 23rd Avenue Denver.[4] He was the eldest son of Lydia Tompkins Hoyt and Wallace Hoyt, a carriage designer who emigrated from New Brunswick, Canada. He is the eldest brother of Architect Burnham F. Hoyt.[3] As a boy, Merrill earned money delivering newspapers and working in the fields of local farms. After graduating from Denver's North High School, he decided to train for a career in architecture.[3]
In 1899, he was hired by the prestigious firm of William Fisher, Architect where he learned the trade as a draftsman at first and later as a superintendent .[2] On October 4, 1907, he married Ethel Fowler in Silver Bow, Montana.[5] The couple and daughter Grace lived in his boyhood neighborhood at 2509 West 36th Avenue.[3] In 1915, he started his own architectural practice,[2] which later became M.H. and B. Hoyt, Architects when his brother Burnham joined the firm in 1919.[2][6] The firm prospered in the 1920s and is credited with the design of many of Denver's iconic buildings of the era. Their designs embraced various historical styles including Greek revival, Romanesque and Spanish revival.[6] Together they designed residential, commercial, academic and religious buildings. On February 11, 1933, Architect Merrill H. Hoyt suffered a sudden heart attack at a dinner party and died at age 52.[3]
Merrill H Hoyt was an active and respected member of Denver design, business and cultural community. He served as a President and vice president of the Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the secretary of the Allied Architects Association who designed the City and County Building of Denver,[7] and vice president of the Denver Building and Loan Association. He was active in his Masonic Lodge, the Denver Art Museum, Motor Club of Colorado, Issac Walton League, Lakewood Country Club and a member of the Denver Athletic Club.[2][3]