Monastery at Large

Category: Daniel & Beutell

  • Hall County Courthouse (1938) – Gainesville, Georgia

    Daniel & Beutell. Hall County Courthouse (1938). Gainesville, Georgia.
    Daniel & Beutell. Hall County Courthouse (1938). Gainesville, Georgia.1 2 3 4 5

    This stark but stately county courthouse in Gainesville, Georgia, owes its existence to the United States federal government.

    Built at the height of the Great Depression, the structure is primarily in the Classical Moderne style, with some Beaux-Arts ornamentation, and was designed by Daniel & Beutell of Atlanta.

    Construction began three months after an April 1936 tornado that destroyed much of the city’s business district, including the former courthouse.

    Pediment on the Hall County Courthouse
    Pediment on the Hall County Courthouse

    The building was a quintessential New Deal project: funded by the Public Works Administration and built by workers from the similarly-named Works Progress Administration.

    When the courthouse was completed in March 1938, it was dedicated in a gala ceremony attended by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Not shabby.

    Gallery

    Cornice and bas-relief ornamentation on the Hall County Courthouse
    Cornice and bas-relief ornamentation on the Hall County Courthouse
    Clock tower on the Hall County Courthouse
    Clock tower on the Hall County Courthouse

    References

    1. “Gainesville Gets $40,000 RFC Loan For Civic Center”. The Atlanta Journal, June 12, 1936, p. 13. ↩︎
    2. “PWA Approves $126,000 Grant For New Hall County Courthouse”. The Atlanta Journal, July 9, 1936, p. 9. ↩︎
    3. “PWA Soon To Launch Gainesville Building”. The Atlanta Constitution, July 10, 1936, p. 10. ↩︎
    4. “More Than 50,000 To Hear Roosevelt At Gainesville Wednesday”. The Atlanta Journal, March 22, 1938, p. 1. ↩︎
    5. “Georgia Hails President Roosevelt at Mighty Celebration in New Gainesville”. The Atlanta Journal, March 23, 1938, p. 12. ↩︎

  • Walton Jackson Building – Gainesville, Georgia (1936)

    Walton Jackson Building (1936). Gainesville, Georgia.
    Walton Jackson Building (1936). Gainesville, Georgia.1

    We’ll go with 1936 as the date for this fine building in Gainesville, Georgia, designed in the Classic Moderne style and elegantly clad in marble.

    I suspect the structure was designed by Daniel & Beutell of Atlanta, who profited handsomely after Gainesville’s commercial district was substantially destroyed by a tornado in April 1936.2 3

    Daniel & Beutell designed the nearby Hall County Courthouse and Gainesville City Hall—both are similar in style and appearance to this building. The firm also designed another project for Walton Jackson in 1936.4

    Gallery

    Southeast elevation of the Walton Jackson Building, Gainesville, Georgia
    Southeast elevation of the Walton Jackson Building, Gainesville, Georgia
    Main entrance of the Walton Jackson Building, Gainesville, Georgia
    Main entrance of the Walton Jackson Building, Gainesville, Georgia
    Pilaster and stringcourse on the southeast elevation of the Walton Jackson Building, Gainesville, Georgia
    Pilaster and stringcourse on the southeast elevation of the Walton Jackson Building, Gainesville, Georgia
    Inscription on the Walton Jackson Building, Gainesville, Georgia
    Inscription on the Walton Jackson Building, Gainesville, Georgia
    Pediment on the Walton Jackson Building, Gainesville, Georgia
    Pediment on the Walton Jackson Building, Gainesville, Georgia

    References

    1. “Gainesville Lot Sold For $37,500”. The Atlanta Journal, April 29, 1936, p. 14. ↩︎
    2. “43 Known Dead, Others Feared Lost In Debris, Hundreds Are Injured In Gainesville Tornado”. The Atlanta Journal, April 6, 1936, p. 1. ↩︎
    3. “150 Are Known Dead At Gainesville; Fires Ravaging City Are Controlled”. The Atlanta Constitution, April 7, 1936, p. 1. ↩︎
    4. Manufacturer’s Record Daily Construction Bulletin, Volume 77 (1936). ↩︎