Monastery at Large

From the Notebook

  • North Decatur Presbyterian Church (1966) – Decatur, Georgia

    Barker & Cunningham. Sanctuary of North Decatur Presbyterian Church (1966). Decatur, Georgia.
    Barker & Cunningham. Sanctuary of North Decatur Presbyterian Church (1966). Decatur, Georgia.1 2
    Windows on the west facade of the North Decatur Presbyterian Church sanctuary
    Windows on the west facade of the North Decatur Presbyterian Church sanctuary
    Entrance on the west facade of the North Decatur Presbyterian Church sanctuary
    Entrance on the west facade of the North Decatur Presbyterian Church sanctuary
    Main entrance on the north facade of the North Decatur Presbyterian Church sanctuary
    Main entrance on the north facade of the North Decatur Presbyterian Church sanctuary
    Steeple outside the North Decatur Presbyterian Church sanctuary
    Steeple outside the North Decatur Presbyterian Church sanctuary
    Barker & Cunningham. Education Building of North Decatur Presbyterian Church (1958)
    Barker & Cunningham. Education Building of North Decatur Presbyterian Church (1958)

    References

    1. “Dedication Set For Sunday”. The Atlanta Journal, October 22, 1966, p. 8. ↩︎
    2. The History of North Decatur Presbyterian Church 1955-2005 ↩︎

  • “On Housebuilding” (1890) by W.W. Goodrich

    W.W. Goodrich. E.F. Gould Residence (1891-January 28, 1918). Inman Park, Atlanta.
    W.W. Goodrich. E.F. Gould Residence (1891-January 28, 1918). Inman Park, Atlanta.1 2

    The Background

    This is the first in a series of articles written for The Atlanta Journal in 1890 and 1891 by William Wordsworth Goodrich (1841-1907), professionally known as W.W. Goodrich, an architect who practiced in Atlanta between 1889 and 1895.

    Here, Goodrich argued for the employment of a competent architect when building a home, at a time when the building industry was almost entirely unregulated — particularly in the Southeast — and anyone could market themselves as an architect regardless of training or experience.

    Goodrich particularly emphasized the need for good quality plumbing — indoor plumbing was still an emerging technology available primarily to the wealthy, and dangerous and catastrophic plumbing failures caused by substandard materials and improper installation were common.

    On Housebuilding.

    Some Valuable Hints By An Architect.
    Points About How to Build a House
    Give Your Suggestions to an Architect and Trust Him With the Work–A Professional Man Knows More Than a Non-Professional.

    Written for the Journal.

    To the prospective home-builder, I would address this warning: You are about to build or add to your present domestic or business accommodations. Possibly you have had some experience in planning and construction. Remember a good architect will save far more than his commission, and there is no economy in dispensing with his services.

    The reason why houses are so ill-constructed, is not far to seek. The blame rests partly upon the builder, but a large share belongs to the owner’s ignorance of what is essential to a perfect house, or to his unwillingness to pay for it when pointed out by the architect.

    While the architect has a recognized superiority in matters of taste and design, he is also better fitted to direct the great variety of artisans employed about a house. It is common but mistaken custom to give this direction to a contractor or builder, who is usually a mason or carpenter, and who is not thorough in his own trade, while lamentably ignorant of the details of other men’s work, which he has to superintend. The solo interest of such a man is to get through each job as soon as possible and with the least trouble and outlay. He is the plumber’s worst friend, when he winks at the latter’s failure to do justice to the owner’s interest, while, as he has no comprehension of the importance of good plumbing, he takes no pains to secure it. The practice of sub-letting plumbing to such men or any lump contractor is very objectionable and all sanitary details should have the personal supervision of the architect. The same reasoning will apply in the case of other departments of house construction and proves the necessity of competent mechanics.

    Before undertaking any building or other like work it is always best to draw up a detailed specification, with plans, to ensure against errors or misunderstandings, which create disputes in settling accounts and to thus make it clear just what it is proposed to do, and what are the duties and obligations of all parties concerned. Detailed sketches and working plans will also be found useful, especially for explaining designs to persons not familiar with building operations. A building specification should be brief, concise, yet clear; but the terms should be specific, and particularly those relating to plumbing and drainage; the kind and character of each article or material named should be defined so as to prevent the substitution of an inferior article; and weight of pipes should be stated. And here it should be said that it is always safest and cheapest in the end to specify the best materials. The difference in first cost, for example, between (medium and heavy water supply or waste pipe or between) light and heavy lining for tanks or baths, is slight compared to the durability and safety of the better material. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and the quality of material has a far more important bearing in plumbing than in other work. This is a matter of great importance and one in which owners are liable to be deceived. It is a common thing for unscrupulous plumbers to substitute light weight pipe, full of sand holes, where sound material is specified and there are no official tests for such material, only great watchfulness will guard against frauds of this kind. The rules of the New York board of health regarding the weight and quality of plumbing materials to be used in new houses may be consulted to advantage. In making contracts for plumbing it should be remembered that the lowest bidder may be the most expensive man in the end. No bid should be accepted at so low a rate that the mechanics who take the contract must either suffer loss or “scamp” the job and therefore be attempted to cheat at every step. Let the owner inquire about cost of materials and labor and make sure of his own protection that there is a living profit for the contractor, for he may be sure that the latter will “get even with him” in some way, and it is better that the owner should agree to pay a suitable price at the outset, than that his house should be ruined and the lives of its future occupants endangered by this common “penny wise” practice.

    Two facts should be especially borne in mind by property owners. First, that a great saving can be made by having their sanitary arrangements made right in advance, instead of correcting them afterwards; and secondly, that a house in first-class sanitary condition will bring a much higher price than another which has only ordinary drainage arrangements.

    When the house is building it is easy to run pipes in any direction, but when plastering has to be torn down and replaced, double expense is incurred. It is estimated that the difference between good plumbing and the average work of this kind does not exceed twenty-five percent of the original outlay.

    If a compromise must be made because the owner’s purse cannot afford the best plumbing, then let the amount of the work be reduced, not the quality. It is far wiser to be satisfied with one really good plumbing appliance than with two inferior articles. Get the best under any circumstances. Let all the materials be sound and durable, and do not get anything merely because it is cheap; above all, remember that the cost of replacing a worn out or flimsy fixture with a good one, is usually almost equal to the cost of putting in a first-class article in the beginning.

    The very first requisite before beginning to build a house, is to get good mechanics in every line of work.

    If it asked “how am I to know a good plumber from another”, I answer how are you to know a good doctor or lawyer or architect – simply by taking pains to inquire and by avoiding the too common delusion that the cheapest man is the best. The only safeguard, is to employ a mechanic of known good character who has a reputation to lose, and who will be guided by his interest and his probity to do only first class jobs. If the public will insist on having good plumbing they will get it. If a man persists in buying sour bread or diseased meat no one pities him. Why then should we condole with one who engages the first plumber who comes along, without asking the least pains to learn his capacity or honesty, and who in consequence gets cheated? It would be amusing, if it were not so tragic in its consequences, to hear the common complaints of the duplicity of plumbers. The burthen of the story is always the same: “He was a stranger, I trusted him implicitly, and he deceived me.” We answer, why then did you trust a stranger? Next time take warning and find out something about those whom you employ and you will obtain men as worthy of your confidence in this calling as in any other.

    Householders who are given to cursing the plumber will very often find, on examination, that their execrations would be more judiciously bestowed on themselves.

    Having selected a competent architect, let the owner make up his mind not to hamper him by needless interference. He should take every precaution to secure a trustworthy man, and after giving him general instructions, let him carry them out in his own way. If the architect knows his business he can teach his client more than the latter can teach him. Nothing is more absurd than for people to presume to tell specialists how to carry on their specialty. This is especially the case with sanitary matters, in which amateur opinions are almost certain to be wrong, and wherein a little knowledge is most dangerous. Mr. Eidlitz takes the true professional ground when he says that “an architect, who permits a layman to decide upon the merit of his work, to gauge it, correct it, accept or refuse it – has already given up his position as a professional man.

    W.W. Goodrich3

    References

    1. Photo credit: Art Work of Atlanta, Georgia: Published in Nine Parts ↩︎
    2. “Edgewood Avenue House Is Destroyed By Fire”. The Atlanta Journal, January 28, 1918, p. 9. ↩︎
    3. Goodrich, W.W. “On Housebuilding.” The Atlanta Journal, April 12, 1890, p. 16. ↩︎

  • National Center for Human and Civil Rights (2014) – Atlanta

    The Freelon Group and HOK. National Center for Human and Civil Rights (2014). Atlanta.
    The Freelon Group and HOK. National Center for Human and Civil Rights (2014). Atlanta.1 2

    References

    1. National Center for Civil and Human Rights / HOK + The Freelon Group (Now part of Perkins+Will) | ArchDaily ↩︎
    2. Emerson, Bo. “Rights Center Story Comes to Life”. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 26, 2014, p. 1BB. ↩︎

  • “New Summer Residence Of Mr. J.C.A. Branan” (1898)

    J.C.A. Branan Residence (1898). Kirkwood, Georgia.
    J.C.A. Branan Residence (1898). Kirkwood, Georgia.

    The Background

    The following article was published in The Atlanta Journal in 1898, highlighting the “summer residence” of J.C.A. Branan in Kirkwood, then a suburban development located southeast of Atlanta.

    Despite the Journal’s claim that the architecture was “unique”, it was anything but: while attractively designed in the Colonial Revival style, the 2-story home’s appearance was very similar to numerous residences around Atlanta at the time.

    No information is provided about the home’s designer, and it may very well have been built by a contractor using plans from a pattern book.

    The article was notable for more than just showing off a house, however, as Branan’s residency in Kirkwood was controversial and appears to have been a strategic political move.

    When Branan built the home outside the city limits, his opponents questioned whether he should resign from Atlanta’s board of police commissioners1, although nothing seems to have transpired from the debate.

    Branan must have had good political connections, because in late 1899, the Georgia governor signed a bill incorporating Kirkwood as a city and installing Branan as its mayor — without an election, mind you.

    The move to incorporate Kirkwood was fiercely opposed by many of its residents, who filed a lawsuit against the state2 3and then held their own mayoral election in February 1900, with the “anti-incorporation” candidate winning over Branan.4 5

    The following month, the Georgia supreme court repealed the law making Kirkwood a city, determining it to be unconstitutional.6 7 So much for that attempted power grab.

    Branan made the “summer home” his permanent residence and died there in April 1927,8 9 10 five years after Kirkwood became part of Atlanta in 1922.11 12 Obituaries mentioned his status as Kirkwood’s former mayor, without noting that his tenure was both illegal and lasted less than 2 months.

    Location of J.C.A Branan Residence

    The Branan home was located at 34 Boulevard Dekalb (later 1895 Boulevard Drive NE)13 and appears to have been demolished for the construction of Kirkwood Presbyterian Church’s educational building, which was built at the address in 1954.14 15

    The church building was converted into a human services center in 1975,16 and still exists at the southeast corner of Hosea L. Williams Drive and Warren Street in the Kirkwood neighborhood.

    J.C.A. Branan Residence (1898). Kirkwood, Georgia.

    New Summer Residence Of Mr. J.C.A. Branan

    It Is Located At South Kirkwood, Three and One Half Miles From the City–Is a Model Country House.

    One of the prettiest suburban homes built about Atlanta in some time is that of Mr. J.C.A. Branan, member of the board of police commissioners. The house is now about completed, and Mr. Branan is receiving many congratulations on the beauty of the lot and house and surroundings. A few more details remain to be finished before the place will show up to its best advantage.

    Mr. Branan’s home is located at the corner of Boulevard DeKalb and Warren street, near Kirkwood, and is situated on a beautiful three-acre lot, one of the best in the county. It is a high rolling piece of land, and the drainage is perfect. The lot fronts 328 feet on Boulevard DeKalb, and runs back 525 feet.

    The house is a two-story frame structure, slate roof, and it is built in the best workmanlike manner. The architecture is unique and the house presents a fine appearance from every point of view. The lower story contains five rooms, all large and commodious, and a reception hall. Besides these rooms there are the store rooms, butler’s pantry and other small apartments. This floor contains the parlor, dining room, reception hall, and a large family room, and the rooms are so arranged that four of them and the reception room can be thrown into one large hall or connecting rooms.

    Up stairs there are six large rooms, besides bath rooms and closets. The house is fitted with hot and cold water apparatus throughout, and it is a delightful place in every respect. The entire house is finished in yellow pine with a hard oil finish from top to bottom. There is a barn and servant’s house on the lot, and Mr. Branan is now having a fine windmill put up to furnish water for the place. He says the wind-mill will practically turn Chattahoochee river in that direction when the fine breezes of DeKalb county start the wheel.

    The house is about three and one-half miles from the union depot in Atlanta and is directly on the Decatur line of the Consolidated street railway company. There is a fine road in front of the house, and Mr. Branan’s new home is delightfully situated in every respect.

    The place is a costly one and makes a fine summer home for the popular police commissioner.17

    References

    1. “Branan’s Home Causes Talk”. The Atlanta Journal, August 16, 1898, p. 4. ↩︎
    2. “Kirkwood Case Goes To Courts”. The Atlanta Constitution, January 8, 1900, p. 7. ↩︎
    3. “Kirkwood People Get An Injunction”. The Atlanta Journal, January 9, 1900, p. 9. ↩︎
    4. “Branan Lost; Cassels Won”. The Atlanta Journal, February 14, 1900, p. 8. ↩︎
    5. “Kirkwood Chose Cassels Mayor”. The Atlanta Constitution, February 14, 1900, p. 5. ↩︎
    6. “Kirkwood Is Knocked Out”. The Atlanta Journal, March 2, 1900, p. 3. ↩︎
    7. “Corporation Of Kirkwood Void”. The Atlanta Constitution, March 3, 1900, p. 12. ↩︎
    8. “Mr. J.C.A. Branan, Former Mayor Of Kirkwood, Passes”. The Atlanta Journal, April 25, 1927, p. 5. ↩︎
    9. “Mr. J.C.A. Branan, Former Kirkwood Mayor Laid to Rest Tuesday”. The Atlanta Constitution, April 26, 1927, p. 7. ↩︎
    10. “Last Rites Held For J.C.A. Branan”. The Atlanta Constitution, April 27, 1927, p. 3. ↩︎
    11. “Kirkwood Is Now Part of Atlanta”. The Atlanta Journal, January 2, 1922, p. 2. ↩︎
    12. “Kirkwood People Get An Injunction”. The Atlanta Journal, January ↩︎
    13. Atlanta City Directory Company’s Atlanta City Directory (1927) ↩︎
    14. “Unit Begun At Kirkwood Presbyterian”. The Atlanta Constitution, March 22, 1954, p. 18. ↩︎
    15. “Kirkwood Presybterians Consecration Series”. The Atlanta Journal, September 18, 1954, p. 6. ↩︎
    16. “News Briefs”. The Atlanta Voice, May 10, 1975, p. 3. ↩︎
    17. “New Summer Residence Of Mr. J.C.A. Branan”. The Atlanta Journal, August 18, 1898, p. 6. ↩︎

  • Bath Building (1973) – Raleigh, North Carolina

    Jesse M. Page & Associates. Bath Building (1973). Raleigh, North Carolina.
    Jesse M. Page & Associates. Bath Building (1973). Raleigh, North Carolina.1 2

    References

    1. “Date Chosen for Construction Of New Health Board Facility”. The News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), March 26, 1971, p. 8. ↩︎
    2. “State Building Dedicated”. The News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), October 27, 1973, p. 18-A. ↩︎

  • St. Philip’s Deanery (1898-1935)- Atlanta

    C. Walter Smith. St. Philip's Deanery (1898-1935). Atlanta.

    The Background

    Separate from its series on model houses — but not dissimilar — The Atlanta Journal published the following article in September 1898, featuring an illustration of the “deanery” (pictured above) then being built for St. Philip’s Cathedral and designed by C. Walter Smith.

    The Episcopal Cathedral of St. Philip is as old as Atlanta, established in 1847. Its original sanctuary served as a hospital for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War and was later occupied by Federal troops, who reportedly used it as a stable and bowling alley.1 2

    The building was saved from Sherman‘s burning of Atlanta, allegedly after a priest from the nearby Church of the Immaculate Conception threatened to order all Catholic troops to leave the army if they torched his sanctuary. Because of St. Philip’s proximity to the Catholic church, both structures were said to be spared.3 4

    Cute story, but like most things associated with Atlanta, it’s probably bullshit. In reality, Sherman’s forces primarily targeted military assets and burned less than half of the city,5 which at the time was a town of 22,000 people occupying an area significantly smaller than the current Downtown district.6 You’d never know it from the way Atlantans still drone on about it, though.

    The antebellum St. Philip’s was instead destroyed by a tornado in 1878,7 8 replaced in 1882 with a Gothic-style sanctuary designed by John Moser,9 10 an Atlanta architect whose work in the city has been entirely lost to demolition.

    For more than 85 years, the church occupied a large lot in the heart of the city at the northeast corner of Washington Street and Hunter Street (later Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive SE), directly across from the state capitol.

    Mammon and racism beckoned, however, and in 1933, St. Philip’s moved 7 miles north to Buckhead,11 12 building a sprawling fortress at the intersection of Peachtree Road and Andrews Drive (a.k.a. “Jesus Junction”), where it remains cloistered today.

    Location of St. Philip’s Deanery

    Located at 16 Washington Street, the deanery designed by Smith was built next to the 1882 sanctuary,13 and by 1899 was occupied by the church’s dean, Albion W. Knight.14 No floor plan was included with the Journal‘s article, but there were still several interesting aspects about the project that can be gleaned from the illustration and description.

    • The building was ostensibly designed in the Gothic style, with drop arches and kneelered gables. However, the oval window and dentilled cornice were borrowed from the prevailing “colonial” style of the period. Smith’s eclectic composition clearly followed the lead of his former employer, G.L. Norrman, but unlike Norrman, Smith lacked the skill to blend incongruent elements into a cohesive composition.
    • Smith’s design for the deanery also broke from his predecessor in two significant ways:
      • G.L. Norrman rarely used the Gothic style and preferred the Romanesque for church projects.
      • Smith’s design for the deanery included the use of “galvanized iron ornaments”, of which Norrman was a vocal opponent. “How can you expect your child to tell the truth when you have galvanized iron columns painted in imitation of stone on your front porch?”, he wrote in 1898.15
    • The deanery was planned in a roughly “T” shape with protruding front and rear wings, which Smith used frequently in his residential works. The C.D. Hurt Residence, built in 1893 in nearby Inman Park, employed a similar design. G.L. Norrman was undoubtedly the architect for that project, and I suspect Smith was also heavily involved in its creation.
    Former St. Philip's deanery, circa 1910.
    Former St. Philip’s deanery, circa 1910.16

    The St. Philip’s deanery only housed the dean for 11 years. In 1909, construction on the first Washington Street viaduct blocked the home’s entrance, rendering it effectively unusable and leading the church to sue the city of Atlanta for damages.17

    The city government then rented the structure in 1910, converting it into a school building to accommodate overcrowding at nearby Girls’ High School.18 19

    The condition of Atlanta’s schools at the time was abysmal, and the old deanery didn’t provide much relief. In January 1913, the Journal reported that 133 students were packed into the building, noting ominously: “If there were a fire…there would be many funerals in Atlanta homes.”20

    The same article included a rough sketch of the building’s floor plan (pictured below), which had been altered for school use but still hinted at Smith’s original design.

    Sketch of floor plan for former St. Philip's Deanery, circa 1913.
    Sketch of floor plan for former St. Philip’s Deanery, circa 1913.21

    The school vacated the building in August 1913,22 and it returned to use as the “church house”, used for meetings and community events. In 1916, the church’s new dean repurposed the structure to house “club rooms for working men and a school for needy boys and girls.”23 By 1917, the space was also being used as a public lunchroom by the Ladies’ Aid Society.24

    The building was apparently still intact when St. Philip’s moved to Buckhead, and was presumably demolished along with the sanctuary in 1935.25 26

    The property is now occupied by the State of Georgia’s Department of Agriculture building, completed in 1955.27

    C. Walter Smith. St. Philip's Deanery (1898-1935). Atlanta.

    St. Philip’s New Deanery In Course of Construction

    The above cut represents the deanery of St. Philips’ cathedral, which is in process of erection on Washington street. The plans are by C. Walter Smith and the motif is gothic in design and detail.

    The building has brick walls and a granite foundation, with stone and galvanized iron ornaments.

    The interior finish is worked out in plain, rich gothic, and the woodwork is of Georgia pine, highly polished.

    The cost of the building will be about $4,000, and it will be pushed to early completion.

    The design is an attractive one and reflects credit on both the architect and the authorities who adopted it.

    The cathedral building is at the same time undergoing repairs and the appearance of the exterior of the wall will be entirely changed.28

    References

    1. “First Episcopal Church in Atlanta”. The Atlanta Journal, July 29, 1923, p. 9. ↩︎
    2. Perkerson, Medora Field. “St. Philip’s Is 85 Years Old.” The Atlanta Journal Magazine, October 30, 1932, p. 3. ↩︎
    3. “First Episcopal Church in Atlanta”. The Atlanta Journal, July 29, 1923, p. 9. ↩︎
    4. Perkerson, Medora Field. “St. Philip’s Is 85 Years Old.” The Atlanta Journal Magazine, October 30, 1932, p. 3. ↩︎
    5. The (Limited) Destruction of Atlanta – Emerging Civil War ↩︎
    6. Atlanta in the American Civil War – Wikipedia ↩︎
    7. “First Episcopal Church in Atlanta”. The Atlanta Journal, July 29, 1923, p. 9. ↩︎
    8. Perkerson, Medora Field. “St. Philip’s Is 85 Years Old.” The Atlanta Journal Magazine, October 30, 1932, p. 3. ↩︎
    9. “The New St. Philip’s Church.” The Atlanta Constitution, December 19, 1880, p. 1. ↩︎
    10. “St. Philip’s New Church.” The Atlanta Constitution, October 15, 1882, p. 11. ↩︎
    11. “St. Philip’s Cathedral Plans New Peachtree Road Building”. The Atlanta Constitution, May 15, 1933, p. 1. ↩︎
    12. “St. Philip’s Pro-Cathedral Will Be Dedicated Sunday, With Bishop Miskell Here”. The Atlanta Journal, September 9, 1933, p. 9. ↩︎
    13. Insurance maps, Atlanta, Georgia, 1911 / published by the Sanborn Map Company ↩︎
    14. Atlanta City Directory Co.’s Greater Atlanta (Georgia) city directory (1899) ↩︎
    15. Norrman, G.L. Architecture As Illustrative of Religious Belief and as a Means of Tracing Civilization (1898) ↩︎
    16. “Home of Atlanta’s Fourth High School”. The Atlanta Journal, October 9, 1910, p. H 5. ↩︎
    17. “Church Sues City For $20,000 Damages”. The Atlanta Constitution, June 26, 1909, p. 6. ↩︎
    18. “Girls’ Business School Makes Stride Forward”. The Atlanta Journal, September 25, 1910, p. H 8. ↩︎
    19. “St. Philip’s Deanery Will Be School Soon”. The Atlanta Constitution, October 1, 1910, p. 12. ↩︎
    20. “Need Is Imperative For New High School House”. The Atlanta Journal, January 17, 1913, p. 14. ↩︎
    21. ibid. ↩︎
    22. “Old Crew St. School Will Be Used Again”. The Atlanta Constitution, July 31, 1913, p. 8. ↩︎
    23. “St. Philip’s Will Have Church School”. The Atlanta Journal, March 12, 1916, p. 7. ↩︎
    24. “The Ladies Aid of St. Philip’s Cathedral”. The Atlanta Constitution, February 21, 1917, p. 8. ↩︎
    25. “Cornerstone of Old St. Philip’s Will Be Removed to New Church.” The Atlanta Constitution, November 16, 1935, p. 3. ↩︎
    26. “St. Philip’s Cornerstone Opened”. The Atlanta Journal, November 24, 1935, Rotogravure Section. ↩︎
    27. “Agriculture Building To Be Occupied Soon”. The Atlanta Constitution, October 17, 1955, p. 20. ↩︎
    28. “St. Philip’s New Deanery In Course of Construction”. The Atlanta Journal, September 26, 1898, p. 6. ↩︎

  • Old Friends

    Tim Tingle. Tree carvings at Orr Park. Montevallo, Alabama.

    To hear these old friends of mine talk, you’d think there was something in the water that night.

    Well, I’m here to tell you it wasn’t like that.

    The place was an unholy mess, and no one was doing a damn thing about it.

    Sometimes you just gotta take matters into your own hands and carve your own niche.

    Can’t nobody else do it for you.

  • Empire Building (1909) – Birmingham, Alabama

    Warren & Welton with Carpenter & Blair. Empire Building (1909). Birmingham, Alabama.
    Warren & Welton with Carpenter & Blair. Empire Building (1909). Birmingham, Alabama.1 2 3

    References

    1. “All Plans Completed for Empire Skyscraper”. The Age-Herald (Birmingham, Alabama), May 12, 1908, p. 5. ↩︎
    2. “Outsiders Note City’s Growth”. The Birmingham News (Birmingham, Alabama), June 19, 1909, p. 22. ↩︎
    3. “Empire Ready Next Thursday”. The Birmingham News (Birmingham, Alabama), September 17, 1909, p. 3. ↩︎

  • “Journal Model Houses; Mr. J.B. Hightower’s New Home” (1898)

    E.T. Gibbs. J. B. Hightower Residence (1898). Inman Park, Atlanta.
    E.T. Gibbs. J. B. Hightower Residence (1898). Inman Park, Atlanta.

    The Background

    This is the final installment in a series of articles published by The Atlanta Journal in 1898 featuring illustrations and floor plans of residences designed by Atlanta architects — or, in this case, a contractor.

    The Journal was clearly scraping the bottom of the barrel here, unless the intent was to caution readers against hiring an illegitimate architect. The article highlighted the J.B. Hightower Residence, located at 55 Hurt Street1 in Atlanta’s Inman Park neighborhood, and “done” by a local contractor, E.T. Gibbs.

    Based on the illustration (pictured above), the home’s exterior was an artless mess: plain, boxy, and brick veneered with crude Colonial ornamentation tacked on, misaligned doors and windows on the front, and a mismatched roof topped by 3 tented peaks and an undersized dormer.

    The crudely drawn floor plans (pictured below) are equally baffling and raise multiple questions about the home’s design.

    Why, for instance, did the downstairs bathroom have a door to the back porch? Was it really necessary to give the upstairs hall and front left bedroom such awkward shapes to accommodate entry to the front right bedroom? And what the hell was the tiny “lunch room” sandwiched between the 2 floors?

    Location of J.B. Hightower Residence

    Gibbs was no architect, and it’s likely that he simply swiped a plan from some pattern book and modified it (badly). He was also a notorious asshole.

    In November 1909, Gibbs was arrested for assaulting his 17-year-old son in the street, with both of his sons testifying in court that he was “insane”. The trial revealed that Gibbs’s sons objected to his recent marriage to a much younger woman, 10 years after he separated from his first wife.2

    Two months later, Gibbs’ young wife sued him for disorderly conduct,3 4 then filed for divorce, citing “his constant threatening, his striking her and his threats to strike her again”.5 6 Among the allegations, the newspapers focused on one in particular: that Gibbs had locked his wife out of their bedroom for placing her cold feet against him, forcing her to sleep in the servant’s room.7 8 9

    Mrs. Gibbs said of her husband in a public statement: “He charges me with a great many things, and none of them are true, except that sometimes my feet are cold at night. I do not think this is a crime.”10 She was granted the divorce in April 1910 and awarded $25 per month for alimony.11

    In July 1911, Gibbs was sued by his neighbor, Mrs. J. N. Norris, for threatening to “beat her in the face until she couldn’t bat her eyes.”12 Later that year, Gibbs began building an 18-foot-high “spite fence” between their 2 houses, prompting another lawsuit and a court injunction.13 14

    During the trial in April 1912, Gibbs — who fired his lawyer and represented himself– was jailed 5 days for contempt of court after declaring all lawyers as “liars, rascals and thieves” and telling the judge: “I don’t give a damn what you do.”15 16

    In late 1914, Gibbs was married to his third wife when he bought a pair of shoes from his estranged son’s shoe store, charging them to his son. When his son refused to accept the charge, Gibbs went to the store and angrily confronted him, throwing the shoes at his head.17

    In court, Gibbs launched into a tirade on the witness stand, threatening violence against his entire family, and shaking his fist at an attorney, telling him: “I’ll knock you down in a minute if you call me a liar.”18

    The spectacle landed Gibbs in jail again,19 20 with a trial held later that month to determine if he was insane.21 The jury determined he was “mentally normal”, based on the testimony of “a number of women” who cited his “honesty in business and personal dealings”.22

    Based on the plans here, I can also testify: Gibbs was an honestly terrible excuse for an architect.

    In 1901, the house at 55 Hurt Street (later 161 Hurt Street NE) was already occupied by a different owner, Robert K. King,23 24 and by 1927, it was being marketed as (what else?) a boarding house.25 It appears to have been demolished for a 4-story educational building for Inman Park Baptist Church, which completed construction at the address in 1955.26 27

    The church sold its property to the state of Georgia in 196728 for the construction of the planned I-485 freeway, with all structures on the east side of Hurt Street demolished for the project. The proposed interstate was officially killed in 1975 after widespread local protest and opposition from the mayor and city council.29 Today, the land is part of Freedom Park.

    E.T. Gibbs. J. B. Hightower Residence (1898). Inman Park, Atlanta.

    Journal Model Houses; Mr. J.B. Hightower’s New Home

    Mr. J.B. Hightower has just completed a $4,000 residence in Inman Park, and it is one of the most attractive homes in the city. The house is a good type of a combination wood and brick residence. It is claimed that is construction is better in some ways than walls entirely of brick, though it costs less.

    The foundation is of stone in front and brick elsewhere. The veranda is 12 feet wide, with an ample vestibule. The reception hall, parlor and diningroom [sic] are furnished in oak, and the other rooms in oiled pine, excepting the kitchen and pantry, which are grained to represent oak. The principal rooms have plate glass windows and the walls are finished with neat picture mold. The plumbing and electrical connections are first class and adjusted in the most convenient manner.

    The premises are provided with a barn, carriage house and servants’ quarters, and everything is completed in good style, with first class workmanship. The work was done by Mr. E.T. Gibbs, contractor and architect.30

    First floor plan of J.B. Hightower Residence
    Second floor plan for J.B. Hightower Residence

    References

    1. Atlanta City Directory Co.’s Greater Atlanta (Georgia) city directory (1899) ↩︎
    2. “Father Was Fined For Striking Son”. The Atlanta Journal, November 15, 1909, p. 4. ↩︎
    3. “Contractor E.T. Gibbs Accused By His Wife”. The Atlanta Journal, January 29, 1910, p. 4 L. ↩︎
    4. “Says Drink And Novels Made Home Very Unhappy”. The Atlanta Journal, January 31, 1910, p. 3. ↩︎
    5. “Wife Files Divorce Against E.T. Gibbs”. The Atlanta Journal, February 5, 1910, p. 3. ↩︎
    6. “Mrs. Gibbs Brings Suit For Divorce”. The Atlanta Constitution, February 6, 1910, p. 6. ↩︎
    7. “Says Drink And Novels Made Home Very Unhappy”. The Atlanta Journal, January 31, 1910, p. 3. ↩︎
    8. “Not A Crime To Have Cold Feet, Says Woman”. The Atlanta Journal, February 1, 1910, p. 7. ↩︎
    9. “Read Novels At Night Until She Got Cold Feet”. The Atlanta Constitution, February 1, 1910, p. 4. ↩︎
    10. ibid. ↩︎
    11. “Wife Gets Divorce And Small Alimony”. The Atlanta Journal, April 9, 1910, p. 3. ↩︎
    12. “Rebuked By Neighbor For Punishing Child”. The Atlanta Constitution, July 16, 1911, p. 3. ↩︎
    13. ‘”Spite” Fence 18 Feet High Causes Suit For Injunction’. The Atlanta Constitution, December 21, 1911, p. 8. ↩︎
    14. ‘Seeks To Stop “Spite” Fence’. The Atlanta Constitution, December 22, 1911, p. 13. ↩︎
    15. “Acting As Attorney, Gibbs Abuses Lawyers”. The Atlanta Journal, April 30, 1912, p. 28. ↩︎
    16. “Kicks Up Rumpus In Court, Is Sent To Jail”. The Macon Telegraph (Macon, Georgia), May 1, 1912, p. 3. ↩︎
    17. “Contractor In Court, Hurls Abuse At Family”. The Atlanta Journal, November 5, 1914, p. 1. ↩︎
    18. ibid. ↩︎
    19. ibid. ↩︎
    20. “Father Sent To Jail At Instance Of Son”. The Atlanta Constitution, November 6, 1914, p. 10. ↩︎
    21. “Is Contractor Crazy?” The Columbus Ledger (Columbus, Georgia), November 24, 1914, p. 4. ↩︎
    22. “Man’s Honesty Is Proof Of Mental Soundness”. The Atlanta Constitution, November 24, 1914, p. 4. ↩︎
    23. Atlanta City Directory Co.’s Greater Atlanta (Georgia) city directory (1901) ↩︎
    24. “C.S. King Dies Suddenly Today Of Heart Failure”. The Atlanta Journal, June 17, 1902, p. 7. ↩︎
    25. “Rentals”. The Atlanta Journal, August 24, 1927, p. 29. ↩︎
    26. “Inman Park Pastor Ending Third Year”. The Atlanta Journal, April 9, 1955, p. 4. ↩︎
    27. Barre, Laura. “Inman Park Baptists To Dedicate Building”. The Atlanta Journal, December 10, 1955, p. 10. ↩︎
    28. “Inman Park Baptists Will Hold Homecoming”. The Atlanta Journal, August 12, 1967, p. 6. ↩︎
    29. Nordan, David. “FHA Sounds Death Knell For Ballhooed I-485”. The Atlanta Journal, April 22, 1975, p. 6-A. ↩︎
    30. “Journal Model Houses; Mr. J.B. Hightower’s New Home”. The Atlanta Journal, June 11, 1898, p. 8. ↩︎

  • Bowery Savings Bank (1895) – New York

    Stanford White of McKim, Mead & White. Bowery Savings Bank (1895). New York.
    Stanford White of McKim, Mead & White. Bowery Savings Bank (1895). New York.1 2 3 4 5 6

    The Bowery Savings Bank is a significant early work in the Classical Revival style, credited to Stanford White of McKim, Mead & White.

    Following their monumental buildings of classical inspiration for the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, the firm entirely embraced Roman and Renaissance influences in their designs, ushering in the Beaux-Arts movement that dominated American architecture for decades.

    Location of Bowery Savings Bank

    By the time of White’s death in 1906, the firm’s work had become increasingly derivative and dreary, but this structure was designed early enough to retain some of their initial flair for quirkiness and originality: the front doors set slightly off-center within a recessed arch, for instance.

    Built in the shape of an L with granite and Indiana limestone, the Bowery Savings Bank has two entrances, neither of which resembles the other — a larger side entrance on Grand Street, and the smaller, more interesting Bowery side shown here.

    It appears the building was largely designed by Edward P. York, then White’s assistant, who also supervised its construction. York would later become a founding partner in the architectural firm of York & Sawyer.7

    Ever the playboy, in the mid to late 1890s, White increasingly delegated his work to others while he indulged in a lavish lifestyle of excess and consumption — it didn’t end well for him.

    Elevation8

    References

    1. A Monograph of the Work of McKim, Mead & White 1879-1915, Volume 1. New York: The Architectural Book Publishing Co. (1915). ↩︎
    2. “The Bowery Savings Bank’s New Building.” New-York Daily Tribune, February 14, 1893, p. 11. ↩︎
    3. “Another Handsome Bank Building.” New-York Daily Tribune, February 15, 1893, p. 3. ↩︎
    4. “Financial Announcements.” The New-York Times, June 24, 1894, p. 14. ↩︎
    5. “Bowery Bank’s New Building.” The World (New York), June 27, 1894, p. 6. ↩︎
    6. “Bowery Savings Opens New Home”. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York), June 22, 1923, p. 22. ↩︎
    7. Bowery Savings Bank Building – Landmarks Preservation Commission ↩︎
    8. A Monograph of the Work of McKim, Mead & White 1879-1915, Volume 1. New York: The Architectural Book Publishing Co. (1915). ↩︎