Anna Wagner Keichline
1889-1943
Anna Wagner Keichline was born in Bellefonte Pennsylvania and in 1920 became Pennsylvania’s first registered woman architect. Keichline’s architectural talent surfaced at a young age, when she won first prize at the County Fair for an oak table she designed while in high school. She encountered much difficulty as she went on to pursue her degree in architecture, since at that time it was a mostly male-oriented profession. Anna’s many inventions include an apartment bed that folded into the wall, as well as a unique space saving kitchen design. However her most renowned invention was the K Brick, which was patented in 1927. The K Brick was a fireproof clay brick that could be filled with insulation or soundproofing material and was the forerunner to the concrete block. Other interesting facts about Anna Keichline are that she became a Secret Agent, owned, drove and repaired her own automobile, and was able to make a substantial personal income at a time when these accomplishments were unheard of for women.
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http://www.awidweb.com/pages/anna/anna_1.html
