Monastery at Large

Category: Architectural Movements and Styles

  • Postcards from the South: Dade County Courthouse and Miami City Hall – Miami

    Postcard view of the Dade County Courthouse and Miami City Hall, Miami

    You can see who designed this giant phallus—their names are right on the postcard. Well, that’s not completely accurate.

    I’ve mentioned before that A. Ten Eyck Brown often took credit for work that he had little to no hand in, though he usually let the real designers of his projects share at least some of the glory.

    By the time construction was complete on the 28-story Dade County Courthouse and Miami City Hall in 1928, it was fairly evident that the primary designer was Brown’s associate, J.W. Humphreys, who superintended construction.1 2

    Humphreys even cut the ribbon at the building’s dedication ceremony,3 4with Brown conspicuously absent.

    Location of Dade County Courthouse and Miami City Hall

    Built for a whopping $4.1 million,5 the obelisk-like structure was purportedly “the first complete county courthouse and city hall ever to be built in the United States along strictly modern lines,” and the “largest and tallest building of either a public or private nature south of Washington, D.C. and east of the Mississippi river.”6

    Brown’s firm simultaneously designed plans for a 20-story city hall in Atlanta that would have been nearly identical in appearance to the Miami municipal building,7 but the project was ultimately awarded to G. Lloyd Preacher.8

    Speaking of someone who took credit for other people’s work…

    References

    1. “County To Rush Courthouse Job”. The Miami Herald, November 20, 1927, p. 1. ↩︎
    2. “Courthouse Job Will Be Released Today”. Miami Daily News and Metropolis, November 28, 1927, p. 9. ↩︎
    3. “Courthouse Dedication At 4 P.M. Today”. The Miami Herald, September 6, 1928, p. 1. ↩︎
    4. “7,000 At Dedication Ceremonies Of New County Courthouse”. The Miami Herald, September 7, 1928, p. 1. ↩︎
    5. Matlack, S. S. “New Milestone Of Dade Marked By Courthouse”. Miami Daily News and Metropolis, September 6, 1928, p. 6. ↩︎
    6. “Miami To Build Municipal Hall”. The Atlanta Constitution, September 24, 1925, p. 15. ↩︎
    7. “Million-Dollar City Hall Important Item In Bond Program”. The Atlanta Constitution, March 7, 1926, p. 2A. ↩︎
    8. “Preacher Named For City Hall, Is Well Known Architect”. The Atlanta Constitution, November 8, 1927, p. 9. ↩︎

  • Butler Street YMCA (1920) – Atlanta

    Hentz, Reid & Adler. Butler Street YMCA (1919). Atlanta.
    Hentz, Reid & Adler. Butler Street YMCA (1920). Atlanta.1 2 3
    Entrance of Butler Street YMCA, Atlanta
    Entrance of Butler Street YMCA, Atlanta
    Looking at the dormer windows on Butler Street YMCA, Atlanta
    Looking at the dormer windows on Butler Street YMCA, Atlanta

    References

    1. “Atlanta Will Have Modern Building for Colored Y.M.C.A.” The Atlanta Constitution, March 18, 1917, p. 12A. ↩︎
    2. Application for Building Permit, No. 2121 ↩︎
    3. “Building for Colored Y.M.C.A. To Be Formally Opened Today”. The Atlanta Constitution, May 16, 1920, p. 11. ↩︎

  • Postcards from the South: Central Baptist Church, Miami

    Postcard view of Central Baptist Church, Miami
    Postcard view of Central Baptist Church, Miami

    There are certain places I have no interest in visiting. Like zero, zilch, none.

    Miami tops that list.

    Only a few buildings in Miami even mildly pique my curiosity, and this is one: the former Central Baptist Church, designed by Dougherty & Gardner of Nashville.1 2

    Location of Central Baptist Church, Miami

    Edward E. Dougherty was an Atlanta native who became the first architect in the city to complete training at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.3

    Dougherty began working with Thomas W. Gardner in Nashville in 1915,4 5 6 and within a few years, they were touted as “the foremost church architects in the South,”7 completing over 50 church buildings by 1926.8

    It appears that Gardner, not Dougherty, was the primary designer of Miami’s Central Baptist,9 and I don’t consider it one of his better efforts. The exterior looks more like a government building, and the interior, as shown in the postcard below, is quite gaudy.

    Postcard view of the sanctuary of Central Baptist Church, Miami
    Postcard view of the sanctuary of Central Baptist Church, Miami

    The Beaux-Arts-style structure was originally designed as the First Baptist Church and was completed in 1928.10 11

    Eight years later, Central Baptist Church was formed by merging First Baptist and Temple Baptist, and the combined congregation used the building12 13 until 2007, when it then merged with Christ Fellowship Church, which now owns the property.14

    References

    1. “Contract Is Awarded”. The Miami Herald, April 28, 1926, p. 2. ↩︎
    2. “Architects For Church Chosen”. The Miami News, April 28, 1926, p. 23. ↩︎
    3. “To Enter Business Here.” The Atlanta Constitution, April 18, 1905, p. 3. ↩︎
    4. “Busy Week Had At Builders’ Exchange”. The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee), July 17, 1915, p. 10. ↩︎
    5. “Builders’ Exchange Weekly Bulletin”. Nashville Banner (Nashville, Tennessee), August 9, 1915, p. 6. ↩︎
    6. “Work Will Begin Soon On 5-Story Office Building”. Nashville Tennessean and The Nashville American, September 11, 1915, p. 3. ↩︎
    7. “Extensive Improvements Are Planned by Central Baptist Church.” The Newnan Herald (Newnan, Georgia), July 20, 1923, p. 7. ↩︎
    8. “Contract Is Awarded”. The Miami Herald, April 28, 1926, p. 2. ↩︎
    9. “Confer on Church”. The Miami Herald, May 2, 1926, p. 3. ↩︎
    10. “6,500 Attend First Baptist Rites”. The Miami Herald, February 13, 1928, p. 1. ↩︎
    11. “First Baptist $800,000 Home To Open Today”. The Miami News, February 12, 1928, p. 14. ↩︎
    12. “Arrangements Made to Organize Church”. The Miami Herald, April 30, 1936, p. 5. ↩︎
    13. “1100 Baptists Join New Miami Church”. The Miami Herald, May 4, 1936, p. 3. ↩︎
    14. CF Updates | Christ Fellowship Celebrates Grand Opening Of Their Historic Downtown Campus ↩︎

  • Duke University Chapel (1932) – Durham, North Carolina

    Horace Trombauer with Julian Abele. Duke University Chapel (1932). Durham, North Carolina.
    Horace Trombauer with Julian Abele. Duke University Chapel (1932). Durham, North Carolina.1 2 3 4
    Looking at the southwest elevation of Duke University Chapel, Durham, North Carolina
    Looking at the southwest elevation of Duke University Chapel, Durham, North Carolina
    Looking at Duke University Chapel from the southeast
    Looking at Duke University Chapel from the southeast
    Pinnacles on the facade of Duke University Chapel, Durham, North Carolina
    Pinnacles on the facade of Duke University Chapel, Durham, North Carolina
    Bell tower on Duke University Chapel, Durham, North Carolina
    Bell tower on Duke University Chapel, Durham, North Carolina
    Tympanum and sculptures above the entrance of Duke University Chapel, Durham, North Carolina
    Tympanum and sculptures above the entrance of Duke University Chapel, Durham, North Carolina
    Pinnacles on the southwest elevation of Duke University Chapel, Durham, North Carolina
    Pinnacles on the southwest elevation of Duke University Chapel, Durham, North Carolina
    Colonnade outside Duke University Chapel, Durham, North Carolina
    Colonnade outside Duke University Chapel, Durham, North Carolina

    References

    1. “Duke’s Chapel to Be Replaced By a Stone Structure”. The Roanoke World-News (Roanoke, Virginia), August 14, 1926, p. 9. ↩︎
    2. “New Duke University Is One of World’s Outstanding Examples of Gothic Architecture”. The Winston-Salem Journal and Sentinel (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), June 5, 1932, p. 3B. ↩︎
    3. Patterson, Donald W. “Black architect to get his due”. Greensboro News & Record (Greensboro, North Carolina), April 21, 1989, p. 5. ↩︎
    4. Cheng, Vicki. “A pioneer’s home set in stone”. The News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), May 2, 2000, p. 1B. ↩︎

  • Strand Theatre (1935) – Marietta, Georgia

    Strand Theatre (1935). Marietta, Georgia.
    Strand Theatre (1935). Marietta, Georgia.1 2 3 4
    Facade and marquee of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Facade and marquee of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Bas-relief ornamentation and marble block on the facade of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Bas-relief ornamentation and marble block on the facade of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Inscription on the facade of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Inscription on the facade of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Second-floor windows and pilasters on the facade of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Second-floor windows and pilasters on the facade of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Marquee on the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Marquee on the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Bas-relief ornamentation on the facade of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Bas-relief ornamentation on the facade of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Decorated window spandrel on the facade of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Decorated window spandrel on the facade of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Southeast corner of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Southeast corner of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Marble block, bas-relief ornamentation, stucco facing, and second-floor windows on the east elevation of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Marble block, bas-relief ornamentation, stucco facing, and second-floor windows on the east elevation of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Side entrance on the east elevation of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Side entrance on the east elevation of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Poster display on the facade of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia
    Poster display on the facade of the Strand Theatre, Marietta, Georgia

    References

    1. “New Theater Work Will Start Monday Owner Stated Today”. The Marietta Journal (Marietta, Georgia), March 7, 1935, p. 1. ↩︎
    2. “Manning And Wink Theater Opening Set For Tuesday”. The Marietta Journal, September 19, 1935, p. 1. ↩︎
    3. “Gala Ceremonies Open Marietta’s Big Theater”. The Atlanta Journal, September 24, 1935, p. 11. ↩︎
    4. “Manning And Wink Opening Tuesday Attended By Many”. The Marietta Journal (Marietta, Georgia), September 26, 1935, p. 1. ↩︎

  • Church of the Epiphany Parish House (1923) – Atlanta

    Pringle & Smith. Church of the Epiphany Parish House (1923). Inman Park, Atlanta.
    Pringle & Smith. Church of the Epiphany Parish House (1923). Inman Park, Atlanta.1 2 3 4
    Cross and shield ornament on the Church of the Epiphany Parish House, Atlanta
    Cross and shield ornament on the Church of the Epiphany Parish House, Atlanta
    South elevation of the Church of the Epiphany Parish House, Atlanta
    South elevation of the Church of the Epiphany Parish House, Atlanta
    Cross on the Church of the Epiphany Parish House, Atlanta
    Cross on the Church of the Epiphany Parish House, Atlanta

    References

    1. “Epiphany Church To Break Ground For Parish House”. The Atlanta Journal, November 9, 1922, p. 3. ↩︎
    2. “New Parish House Of Epiphany Church To Rank With Best”. The Atlanta Journal, February 25, 1923, p. A11. ↩︎
    3. “Bishop H.J. Mikell To Speak on Program Of Epiphany Church”. The Atlanta Journal, December 9, 1923, p. 6A. ↩︎
    4. Craig, Robert M. The Architecture of Francis Palmer Smith, Atlanta’s Scholar-Architect. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press (2012). ↩︎

  • Alta Vista Elementary School Addition (1957) – Sarasota, Florida

    Victor A. Lundy. Alta Vista Elementary School Addition (1957). Sarasota, Florida.
    Victor A. Lundy. Alta Vista Elementary School Addition (1957). Sarasota, Florida.1 2 3
    South elevation of Alta Vista Elementary School Addition, Sarasota, Florida
    South elevation of Alta Vista Elementary School Addition, Sarasota, Florida
    North elevation of Alta Vista Elementary School Addition, Sarasota, Florida
    North elevation of Alta Vista Elementary School Addition, Sarasota, Florida
    Victor A. Lundy. Projected design for Alta Vista Elementary School Addition, Sarasota, Florida
    Victor A. Lundy. Projected design of Alta Vista Elementary School Addition, Sarasota, Florida 4

    References

    1. “Alta Vista Addition Gets ‘Go Ahead’”. The News (Sarasota, Florida), September 5, 1956, p. 9. ↩︎
    2. “$149,693 Contract Awarded For Alta Vista Addition”. The News (Sarasota, Florida), March 23, 1957, p. 9. ↩︎
    3. “Sarasota’s Newest”. The News (Sarasota, Florida), October 19, 1957, p. 9. ↩︎
    4. [Alta Vista Elementary School, Sarasota, Florida.] [Addition.] [“Butterfly Wing.”] [Exterior] | Library of Congress ↩︎

  • Container Corporation of America (1947) – Greensboro, North Carolina

    Ballinger Company with Walter Gropius. Greensboro Plant, Container Corporation of America (1947). Greensboro, North Carolina.
    Ballinger Company with Walter Gropius. Container Corporation of America (1947). Greensboro, North Carolina.1 2 3
    Entrance of Container Corporation of America, Greensboro, North Carolina
    Entrance of Container Corporation of America, Greensboro, North Carolina
    Looking at Container Corporation of America from the northwest
    Looking at Container Corporation of America from the northwest
    West elevation of Container Corporation of America, Greensboro, North Carolina
    West elevation of Container Corporation of America, Greensboro, North Carolina

    References

    1. “Container Plant To Be Located In City”. The Greensboro Record (Greensboro, North Carolina), December 15, 1944, p. 1. ↩︎
    2. “Work Started On Building To House Container Plant”. Greensboro Daily News (Greensboro, North Carolina), March 7, 1946, Section 2, p. 1. ↩︎
    3. “Box Plant Will Begin Operations On July 14”. The Greensboro Record (Greensboro, North Carolina), July 3, 1947, Section B, p. 1. ↩︎

  • Postcards from the South: Sarasota Terrace Hotel – Sarasota, Florida

    Postcard view of the Sarasota Terrace Hotel, Sarasota, Florida

    I grew up in Florida, so I can say with complete authority that it’s a miserable state: ugly, plagued with deadly heat and reptiles, and teeming with the most hostile, willfully ignorant people in the United States—though they’ve got a lot of competition these days.

    In recent years, I’ve occasionally dipped back into Florida to photograph buildings, but only in the winter, when snakes and alligators are in hibernation. Unfortunately, the people never disappear.

    I visited Sarasota twice, primarily to see its surviving Modernist structures from the Sarasota School of Architecture, but I never got around to photographing the old Sarasota Terrace Hotel, completed in 19261 and designed by Pringle & Smith2 of Atlanta.

    Location of Sarasota Terrace Hotel

    In truth, the building just doesn’t interest me that much. It’s a standard Beaux-Arts affair: handsome and solidly executed, but not unlike a thousand others of the same style.

    The 10-story hotel cost $750,0003 to build and was developed by Charles Ringling4 of the Ringling Brothers. Yep, the circus people.

    When the Sarasota Terrace closed in 1972, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune noted that “it never achieved the prominance [sic] of some of the other area hotels.”5

    Sarasota County purchased the property the same year, and the building was renovated to serve as the county’s administration center.6

    Pringle & Smith designed another building in Sarasota at the same time as the hotel: the nearby American National Bank,7 8 also 10 stories, and also underwhelming.

    Atlanta architects have rarely done their best work in Florida.

    References

    1. “Robinson First Guest At Sarasota Terrace”. Sarasota Herald (Sarasota, Florida), May 15, 1926, p. 1. ↩︎
    2. Craig, Robert M. The Architecture of Francis Palmer Smith, Atlanta’s Scholar-Architect. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press (2012), p. 120-22. ↩︎
    3. “Building Activities Here”. Sarasota Herald (Sarasota, Florida), June 29, 1926, p. 2. ↩︎
    4. “Ringlings To Arrive Saturday”. Sarasota Herald (Sarasota, Florida), January 29, 1926, Section Four, p. 1. ↩︎
    5. Cullinane, Jim. “Hotel Rooms, Corridors Now Quiet”. Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Sarasota, Florida), December 11, 1972, p. 2B. ↩︎
    6. The Sarasota Terrace Hotel | Sarasota History Alive! ↩︎
    7. “Permit Issued For Bank Home”. Sarasota Herald (Sarasota, Florida), October 21, 1925, p. 16. ↩︎
    8. “American National Is Towering Structure Of Prominence In City”. Sarasota Herald (Sarasota, Florida), December 15, 1926, p. 12. ↩︎

  • Life of Georgia Tower (1968) – Atlanta

    Bodin and Lamberson with Eggers & Higgins. Life of Georgia Tower (1968). Midtown, Atlanta.
    Bodin & Lamberson with Eggers & Higgins. Life of Georgia Tower (1968). Midtown, Atlanta.1 2 3 4
    Windows and marble sun shades on the Life of Georgia Tower, Atlanta
    Windows and marble sun shades on the Life of Georgia Tower, Atlanta
    Life of Georgia Tower from the northeast
    Life of Georgia Tower from the northeast
    First floor of the Life of Georgia Tower, Atlanta
    First floor of the Life of Georgia Tower, Atlanta
    Looking at the southeast corner of the Life of Georgia Tower, Atlanta
    Looking at the southeast corner of the Life of Georgia Tower, Atlanta
    Looking north at the Life of Georgia Tower, Atlanta
    Looking north at the Life of Georgia Tower, Atlanta
    Light falls on the Life of Georgia Tower, Atlanta
    Light falls on the Life of Georgia Tower, Atlanta

    References

    1. “Groundbreaking Set Here For Life of Georgia Tower”. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, August 9, 1964, p. 61. ↩︎
    2. “Sam P. Wallace & Company” (advertisement). The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, October 4, 1964, p. 51. ↩︎
    3. “The Beauty Of Our Building Boom”. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution Magazine, April 2, 1967, p. 23. ↩︎
    4. “Life of Georgia In New High”. The Atlanta Journal, March 19, 1968, p. 5-C. ↩︎