William Augustus Edwards

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Personal information
William Augustus Edwards
Westcott Hall, used by permission of Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.
Name	William Augustus Edwards
Nationality	American
Birth date	December 8, 1866(1866-12-08)
Birth place	Darlington, South Carolina
Date of death	March 30, 1939 (aged 72)
Place of death	Atlanta, Georgia
Work
Significant buildings	Sumter County Courthouse (South Carolina) Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium, Atlanta
Significant projects	University of Florida Campus Historic District

William Augustus Edwards, also known as William A. Edwards, (December 8, 1866-March 30, 1939) was an Atlanta-based American architect renowned for the educational buildings, courthouses and other public and private buildings that he designed in Florida, Georgia and his native South Carolina.

[edit] Early life and education

William Augustus Edwards was born in Darlington, South Carolina, the son of Augustus Fulton Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth Sarah Hart. After graduating from St. David's School in Society Hill, Edwards attended Richmond College, now the University of Richmond. for one year and then entered the University of South Carolina where he received a degree in mechanical engineering in 1889.^[1]

[edit] Career history

He and another Darlington County native, Charles Coker Wilson, set up an office together in Columbia, having previously worked in Roanoke, Virginia. The two men prospered for a time, but in 1901 Edwards found a new partner, Frank C. Walter. Between then and 1908 the two designed many public school buildings across the state. In 1908 the men moved their firm to Atlanta, Georgia, where they were briefly associated with an architect named Parnham. The firm lasted until 1911, at which point Walter left to work on his own.

In 1915 Edwards established another partnership, this one with William J. Sayward, and in 1919 Joseph Leitner joined the practice. Edwards continued working successfully from this office until his death in 1939.

[edit] Marriage and family

William Augustus Edwards married India Pearl Brown on December 21, 1898. They had two sons and two daughters. He was a member of the Unitarian Church.

[edit] Educational buildings

Among the academic institutions for which Edwards designed buildings were:

[edit] In Florida

From 1905-1925, William A. Edwards was architect for the Florida Board of Control and designed many buildings in the Collegiate Gothic style for the three existing state institutions of higher learning as well as other public schools.

[edit] Gainesville

Library East

University of Florida: The following buildings in the University of Florida Campus Historic District:

University Auditorium
Women's Gymnasium
Old Benton Hall (original engineering building), 1911, demolished 1966.
Original Post Office, third building on campus, demolished before 1977 to make way for General Purpose Building A, now Turlington Hall.^[2]
Johnson Hall (original dining hall) 1912, burned 1987,

[edit] St. Augustine

Florida School for the Deaf and Blind

[edit] Tallahassee

[edit] FAMU

Florida College for Negroes (Florida A&M University). Buildings designed by William Augustus Edwards include:^[3]

Carnegie Library, 1907

Commons, 1924

[edit] FSU

Westcott Building circa 2003, named for university benefactor Florida Supreme Court Justice James Westcott, Jr. used by permission of Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.

Florida State College for Women (Florida State University). Buildings designed by William Augustus Edwards include:^[4]

Bryan Hall, 1907
Broward Hall, 1917
Education Building (now Psychology), 1919
Jennie Murphree Hall, 1922

Library (Dodd Hall), 1924
Reynolds Hall, 1913
Suwanee Dining Hall, 1913
Westcott Building (originally Administration), 1911

[edit] Other

Caroline Brevard Grammar School. Tallahassee

[edit] In Georgia

Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia: Buttrick Hall, 1930; McCain Library, 1936^[5]
Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia
Georgia State Teachers College
Georgia State Women's College (Valdosta State University)

[edit] In South Carolina

Clemson College (Clemson University)
Limestone College, Gaffney: Winnie Davis Hall, 1904,
McMaster School, now USC's McMaster College, Columbia
South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind, Spartanburg
University of South Carolina, Columbia: Currell College (originally the law school named Petigru College, but changed in 1950 to Currell when a new Petigru was built for the law school) 1919,.
Walhalla Graded School, Walhalla, 1901
Winthrop College, Winthrop University, Rock Hill: Withers Building, Main Classroom - Office Building, 1912-1913.