Monastery at Large

Category: Architectural Movements and Styles

  • Washington Union Station (1907) – Washington, D.C.

    D.H. Burnham & Company. Washington Union Station (1907). Washington, D.C.1 2 3 4
    Looking at Washington Union Station from the southwest
    Statuary and inscripted frieze on the south facade of Washington Union Station
    Original waiting room in Washington Union Station
    Loggia on the south facade ofWashington Union Station
    Second-floor window on the south facade of Washington Union Station
    Eagle statuary and inscripted frieze on the south facade of Washington Union Station

    References

    1. “New Union Passenger Station For Washington.” The Washington Post, March 17, 1902, p. 1. ↩︎
    2. “The Proposed New Union Railway Depot.” The Washington Times, March 17, 1902, p. 3. ↩︎
    3. “Farewell To Old Terminal”. The Sunday Star (Washington, D.C.), November 17, 1907, Part 1, p. 3. ↩︎
    4. “New Union Station”. The Sunday Star (Washington, D.C.), November 24, 1907, Part 8, p. 11. ↩︎

  • Joel Chandler Harris Residence, “The Wren’s Nest” (1884) – West End, Atlanta

    George P. Humphries. Joel Chandler Harris Residence, “The Wren’s Nest” (1884). West End, Atlanta.1 2 3
    Looking at The Wren’s Nest from the northeast
    Second floor and dormer on The Wren’s Nest
    Post, brackets, and latticework on the front porch of The Wren’s Nest
    Open pediment on front porch of The Wren’s Nest
    Looking at The Wren’s Nest from the northwest
    Fretwork rails and latticework on the front porch of The Wren’s Nest
    Stained-glass window on the west elevation of The Wren’s Nest
    Fish-scale shingles and chimney on the second floor of The Wren’s Nest

    References

    1. Bastedo, Mrs. Charles Wesley. “Early Architect”. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution Magazine, February 10, 1974, p. 5. ↩︎
    2. “Building Notes.” The Atlanta Constitution, July 12, 1884, p. 7. ↩︎
    3. “West End Notes.” The Atlanta Constitution, November 3, 1884, p. 7. ↩︎

  • First Baptist Church (1905) – Greensboro, Georgia

    C. Walter Smith. First Baptist Church (1905). Greensboro, Georgia.1 2 3 4
    Looking at First Baptist Church from the southeast

    References

    1. The Advocate-Democrat (Crawfordville, Georgia), February 14, 1902, p. 7. ↩︎
    2. “Public Buildings.” The Engineering Record, Vol. 45, no. 20 (March 17, 1902), p. 478. ↩︎
    3. “A New Baptist Church For City Of Greensboro”. The Atlanta Constitution, May 20, 1904, p. 3. ↩︎
    4. “From the Union Point News”. The Advocate-Democrat (Crawfordville, Georgia), April 28, 1905, p. 4. ↩︎

  • Healy Guest House, “Cocoon House” (1948) – Siesta Key, Florida

    Twichell & Rudolph. Healy Guest House, “Cocoon House” (1948). Siesta Key, Florida.1

    References

    1. Domin, Christopher, and King, Joseph. Paul Rudolph: The Florida Houses. New York: Princeton Architectural Press (2002). ↩︎

  • Davison-Paxon-Stokes Department Store (1927) – Atlanta

    Starrett & van Vleck with Hentz, Reid & Adler. Davison-Paxon-Stokes Department Store (1927). Atlanta. 1 2
    Cornice on the Davison-Paxon-Stokes Department Store
    Looking up at the east facade of the Davison-Paxon-Stokes Department Store
    Second-floor windows on the east facade of the Davison-Paxon-Stokes Department Store
    South elevation of the Davison-Paxon-Stokes Department Store

    References

    1. “$7,000,000 Department Store, Theater, Garage To Be Built By Candler Interests On Peachtree”. The Atlanta Journal, March 8, 1925, p. 1. ↩︎
    2. “Brief Formal Ceremony Held As Davison-Paxon’s Great New Store Opens”. The Atlanta Journal, March 21, 1927, p. 1. ↩︎

  • J.M. Beath Residence (1890) – Inman Park, Atlanta

    A.McC. Nixon. J.M. Beath Residence (1890). Inman Park, Atlanta.

    The Queen Anne-style J.M. Beath Residence in Atlanta’s Inman Park neighborhood, better known as the Beath-Dickey House, is the only known extant work by A.McC. Nixon, an architect who began his practice in Texas circa 1881 1 2 and first appeared in Atlanta in 1888.3

    In late 1890, Nixon partnered with J.M.P. Lindsey under the name Nixon & Lindsey.4 The firm dissolved in 1894,5 shortly before a court trial in which the pair were acquitted on charges of larceny after trust stemming from their supervision of a home’s construction in 1891.6 7 8 9 The client had accused the pair of pocketing money intended for the contractors, but the matter was successfully proven to be a simple accounting error.10

    After the trial, Nixon’s work in Atlanta dwindled, and in July 1896, his personal possessions and business contents were sold at public auction to pay off debt.11 Apparently in poor health, he moved to England in July 1896, where he died that October.12

    Nixon & Lindsey. D.H. Dougherty House (1891, demolished 1931). Atlanta.13 14 15

    Nixon wasn’t an especially good designer, and the Beath House’s clumsy, top-heavy design is typical of his oeuvre. In 1891, he also designed the similarly styled D.H. Dougherty Residence (later J.R. Hopkins Residence, demolished),16 which has been erroneously attributed to both G.L. Norrman and W.L. Stoddart.17 Atlanta really doesn’t know its own history.

    Dormer on the J.M. Beath Residence
    Belvedere on the J.M. Beath Residence
    Ornamentation on the J.M. Beath Residence
    Chimneys on the J.M. Beath Residence

    References

    1. “San Sada.” The Galveston Daily News, May 15, 1881, p. 1. ↩︎
    2. “Twenty-Five Cent Column”. The Austin Daily Statesman, June 2, 1881, p. 3. ↩︎
    3. “From Our Notebooks.” The Atlanta Constitution, October 1, 1888, p. 4. ↩︎
    4. “Wanted.” The Atlanta Journal, November 15, 1890, p. 7. ↩︎
    5. “A Dissolution of Copartnership.” The Atlanta Constitution, April 4, 1894, p. 3. ↩︎
    6. “Architects On Trial.” The Atlanta Journal, June 21, 1894, p. 1. ↩︎
    7. “The Architect Not Guilty.” The Atlanta Journal, June 22, 1894, p. 3. ↩︎
    8. “Mr. Nixon Not Guilty.” The Atlanta Constitution, June 23, 1894, p. 5. ↩︎
    9. “The Case Dismissed.” The Atlanta Journal, June 23, 1894, p. 9. ↩︎
    10. ibid. ↩︎
    11. “Public Sale of Personal Valuable Property”. The Atlanta Journal, June 15, 1896, p. 2. ↩︎
    12. “Mr. A. McC Nixon Dead.” The Atlanta Journal, October 26, 1896, p. 5. ↩︎
    13. Photo credit: Garrett, Franklin M. Yesterday’s Atlanta. Miami: E.A. Seamann Publishing, Inc. (1974). ↩︎
    14. “Happy Days Are Recalled by Atlantians as Old Colonial Club Yields To Progress”. The Atlanta Journal, February 22, 1931, p. 4. ↩︎
    15. “Miscellaneous for Sale” (advertisement). The Atlanta Constitution, February 18, 1931, p. 20. ↩︎
    16. The Southern Architect, June 1895, Vol. 6, No. 8, p. 167. ↩︎
    17. “Hopkins Corner Leased 10 Years By Goodrich Co.” The Atlanta Journal, January 7, 1931, p. 14. ↩︎

  • Samford Hall, Auburn University (1888) – Auburn, Alabama

    Bruce & Morgan. Samford Hall (1888), Auburn University. Auburn, Alabama.1 2 3 4 5
    East facade of Samford Hall
    Gable on the east facade of Samford Hall
    Towers on Samford Hall

    References

    1. “Auburn.” The Montgomery Daily Advertiser (Montgomery, Alabama), August 3, 1887, p. 2. ↩︎
    2. “Technical Education in Alabama.” The Atlanta Constitution, August 24, 1887, p. 8. ↩︎
    3. “Notice to Contractors.” The Montgomery Daily Advertiser (Montgomery, Alabama), September 20, 1887, p. 8, ↩︎
    4. “Auburn.” The Weekly Advertiser (Montgomery, Alabama), June 14, 1888, p. 1. ↩︎
    5. Building cornerstone. ↩︎

  • Relic Signs: Dixie Drive-In – Greenwood, South Carolina

    Dixie Drive-In (1959). 600 Montague Avenue, Greenwood, South Carolina.1

    References

    1. “Announcing the Grand Opening of the Dixie Drive-In” (advertisement). The Index-Journal (Greenwood, South Carolina), October 17, 1959, p. 3. ↩︎

  • M.A. Hale Residence (1892) – Inman Park, Atlanta

    M.A. Hale - Inman Park, Atlanta (1892) - Designed by J.W. GoLucke
    J.W. Golucke. M.A. Hale Residence (1892). Inman Park, Atlanta.

    This Queen Anne-style home is Atlanta’s only known extant work designed by J.W. Golucke (1857-1907),1 2 a shyster carpenter who built a career on smooth talk and grand delusions of being a legitimate architect.

    A thoroughly fraudulent and incompetent designer, Golucke was one of several “Atlanta architects” of his era who did little actual work in the city, primarily peddling their shoddy plans to poor, rural communities that didn’t know any better. Thus, if you travel through backwoods Georgia, you’ll find more than a dozen county courthouses by Golucke’s design3 — all of them terrible.

    Golucke fittingly died in a south Georgia jail cell while being held on charges of forgery,4 weeks after attempting suicide under the influence of drugs.5 6 His work is not celebrated here.

    Gable on the M.A. Hale Residence
    Decorative brackets on the M.A. Hale Residence
    Porch pediment and ornamentation on the M.A. Hale House
    Bay window on the M.A. Hale Residence
    Post and ornamentation on the M.A. Hale Residence

    References

    1. “Atlanta’s Growth.” The Atlanta Constitution, July 13, 1892, p. 7. ↩︎
    2. “Mrs. M.A. Hale’s Death.” The Atlanta Constitution, March 29, 1896, p. 6. ↩︎
    3. J.W. Golucke – Wikipedia ↩︎
    4. “Death Takes J.W. Golucke”. The Atlanta Constitution, October 28, 1907, p. 6. ↩︎
    5. “J.W. Golucke Tries to Take His Life in Newton Jail”. The Atlanta Journal, October 7, 1907, p. 1. ↩︎
    6. “Atlanta Man Tries Suicide”. The Atlanta Constitution, October 8, 1907, p. 9. ↩︎

  • Urban Life: World Trade Center Station

    I spent a day in New York back in January — it feels like a lifetime ago now.

    I wasted an hour on John Street that morning trying to figure out how the hell to get a decent picture of Wilson Eyre‘s Dennison Building — that’s a problem I will return to another time.

    Exasperated and edgy (I just had a large coffee from Donut Pub), I gave up and walked over to the corner of Dey and Church Streets, snapping this pic of Santiago Calatrava‘s World Trade Center Station.

    It wasn’t a total loss.