Joshua Foster Ober

Joshua Foster Ober was born September 1, 1839 in Beverly, Massachusetts.[4] His mother was Hephzibah P. Ober and his father Samuel Ober. He attended Brown University in Providence, graduating in 1864.[4] Moving to Boston, he entered the firm of Snell & Gregerson as a student.[5] He remained there until 1867, when he traveled in Europe.[6] Upon his return to Boston, he was employed by the firm of Bryant & Rogers, and established his own practice in 1872.[5] Outside of a partnership with George D. Rand from 1877 to 1881, Ober practiced alone until his death, which occurred August 12, 1896 at his home in West Newton.[7]

He was married to Lucie E. Doten in 1880.[7]

• Parish of the Messiah church building Foster Ober was commissioned to draw up plans of a church building located to the North and West of the Chapel (built in 1881)[8]
• Kindergarten drawing for D. N. Skillings, Esq. at Rangely Place, Winchester, Massachusetts by J. F. Ober & G. D. Rand [9]
• Odd Fellows' Hall (Beverly, Massachusetts) at 188-194 Cabot St. in Beverly, Massachusetts, a gothic building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. First constructed about 1850 with involved architects including J. Foster Ober, Williams Brothers, and others.[10][11]
• Architectural rendering of house for S. J. Nowell at Winchester, Massachusetts, J. F. Ober and G. D. Rand
• Bennett School building[12]
• Congregational Church, West Newton: remodel with new chapel and parlors[13]

• Entry in Henry F. Withey, A.I.A., and Elsie Rathburn Withey, Biographical Dictionary of American Architects Los Angeles, New Age Publishing Company, 1956. Facsimile edition, Hennessey & Ingalls, Inc., 1970