architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

Shrine of the Immaculate Conception The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic church located at 48 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The current church building was completed in 1873 and is the oldest church in Atlan ...

drafter A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman or drafting technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings or plans for ...

Bruce & Morgan Bruce & Morgan was an American architectural firm based in Atlanta. It was established in 1882 as the partnership of architects Alexander Campbell Bruce (1835-1927) and Thomas Henry Morgan (1857-1940). History Bruce & Morgan were the successo ...

Calhoun County, Georgia Calhoun County is a rural county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Morgan. History Calhoun County was named for John C. Calhoun, the seventh Vice President of the United States. It was created from p ...

New Georgia Encyclopedia The ''New Georgia Encyclopedia'' (NGE) is a web-based encyclopedia containing over 2,000 articles about the state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is a program of Georgia Humanities (GH), in partnership with the University of Georgia Press, t ...

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-largest ...

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

Murfreesboro, North Carolina Murfreesboro is a town in Hertford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,835 at the 2010 census. The town is home to Chowan University. Geography Murfreesboro is located in northwestern Hertford County at (36.440983, -77.0 ...

Chowan River The Chowan River (cho-WAHHN)
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

soldiers near Suffolk, Virginia. He was delivered to General Henry L. Benning, who, despite calls from some soldiers to

hang Hang or Hanging may refer to: People * Choe Hang (disambiguation), various people * Luciano Hang (born 1962/1963), Brazilian billionaire businessman * Ren Hang (disambiguation), various people Law * Hanging, a form of capital punishment Arts, e ...

him as a Union spy, instead ordered him sent to General James Longstreet's headquarters. Prior to this, however, he was interrogated by General

George Pickett George Edward Pickett (January 16,Military records cited by Eicher, p. 428, and Warner, p. 239, list January 28. The memorial that marks his gravesite in Hollywood Cemetery lists his birthday as January 25. Thclaims to have accessed the baptism ...

. The next day, Pickens and other prisoners were sent to Castle Thunder, a prison that was under the command of General John H. Winder. After six weeks in the prison, Winder had determined he was not a spy and he was sent back to Columbia, where he was allowed to spend one free day with his family before having to enlist in the Confederate States Army as a

conscript Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

. He was first stationed at a

military camp A military camp or bivouac is a semi-permanent military base, for the lodging of an army. Camps are erected when a military force travels away from a major installation or fort during training or operations, and often have the form of large cam ...

on the

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

of General

Wade Hampton III Wade Hampton III (March 28, 1818April 11, 1902) was an American military officer who served the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War and later a politician from South Carolina. He came from a wealthy planter family, and ...

, where he became a

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...

and was involved in construction activities. Following the Union victory in the

Siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Mis ...

in July 1863, Parkins decided to renew his efforts to get to the North. He was granted a furlough by his superior to go to North Carolina for several days, during which time he found work at the

rail yard A rail yard, railway yard, railroad yard (US) or simply yard, is a series of tracks in a rail network for storing, sorting, or loading and unloading rail vehicles and locomotives. Yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock or u ...

in

Graham Graham and Graeme may refer to: People * Graham (given name), an English-language given name * Graham (surname), an English-language surname * Graeme (surname), an English-language surname * Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer * Clan ...

, though his request for a permanent transfer was denied and he returned to Columbia. After a few weeks in Columbia, he received a letter from a friend and fellow Union sympathizer in Graham that said he would help him escape if he could return to the city. Parkins departed to Charlotte and then to Graham, making sure not to arouse suspicion or draw the attention of authorities, and once in Graham he again found work in the rail yard. While there, Emma visited him to tell him that Confederate soldiers had searched their house for him, and following the visit, he decided to try to escape into Union-held territory via

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...

. Parkins was joined on his journey by some other workers from the rail yard, with the group planning to make the trip by hiding out during the day and moving at night. The group made it past

Wilkesboro, North Carolina Wilkesboro is a town in and the county seat of Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,687 at the 2020 census. The town is located along the south bank of the Yadkin River, directly opposite the town of North Wilkesbor ...

, before they were found by

Confederate Home Guard The Home Guard of the several states of the Confederacy during the American Civil War included all able-bodied white males between the ages of 18 and 50 who were exempt from Confederate service, excepting only the governor and other officials. ...

s who imprisoned Parkins in a nearby house. However, unbeknownst to the Confederates, the house belonged to a Union sympathizer who helped Parkins escape. Parkins then traveled alone for some time before meeting two Union cavalry officers who had escaped from the Confederate

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

(POW) camp in Salisbury, North Carolina, with the men deciding to travel together back to Union lines. By this point, Parkins had been attempting to leave the South for over a year. As they continued traveling, they were joined by other Union POW escapees and Confederate deserters, with the group calling themselves the "Union Jacks of the Blue Ridge". At one point during their travels, this group became involved in a shootout with guerrilla soldiers under General

John Hunt Morgan John Hunt Morgan (June 1, 1825 – September 4, 1864) was an American soldier who served as a Confederate general in the American Civil War of 1861–1865. In April 1862, Morgan raised the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment (CSA) and fought in ...

's command, with the soldiers retreating from the skirmish. Eventually, the group reached the

Nolichucky River The Nolichucky River is a river that flows through Western North Carolina and East Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Traversing the Pisgah National Forest and the Cherokee National Forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the river's wate ...

and were able to cross it despite being shot at by soldiers under Longstreet's command. After the crossing, the group made it to the Union frontlines. While Union officials were initially skeptical of the group, Parkins was able to convince them of his loyalty by showing them a letter from his father, who lived in

Champaign, Illinois Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metro ...

. The group was then transported to

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

, before being taken by steamship to

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, via the Cumberland and Ohio Rivers. Here, the group split up, with Parkins working for some time in New Albany, Indiana, before making enough money to travel to Champaign, where he met up with his parents. He stayed here for some time and worked with his father before moving to New York. By this time, the war had ended and Emma and Frank were able to travel to New York to be with William. Parkins's accounts of his journey would later be adapted into the 1889 novel ''How I Escaped'', written by noted

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

-based author Archibald Clavering Gunter. Additionally, the

Atlanta History Center Atlanta History Center is a history museum and research center located in the Buckhead district of Atlanta, Georgia. The Museum was founded in 1926 and currently consists of nine permanent, and several temporary, exhibitions. Atlanta History Cen ...

has a 430-page

holograph An autograph or holograph is a manuscript or document written in its author's or composer's hand. The meaning of autograph as a document penned entirely by the author of its content, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by a copyist o ...

by him telling of his activities during the Civil War.

Career in Atlanta

In early 1868, Parkins and his family moved to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, where he would practice

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

. The city had been heavily damaged during the Civil War with the 1864

Battle of Atlanta The Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply hub of Atlanta, Un ...

, but the city was rebuilding and growing into a regional economic powerhouse. Parkins became the first practicing architect to operate in the city. Around this time, his offices were located above the Georgia National Bank, and in addition to architecture, he also offered an

interior decorating Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordin ...

service. Parkins quickly became a prominent citizen in Atlanta. He was a leading member of the group that established the first library system in the city, a predecessor to the Atlanta–Fulton Public Library System. Additionally, Parkins was the

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational h ...

for St. Philip's Episcopal Church and was the founder and first president of the "Beethoven Society", a social club for musicians. One of the first projects Parkins worked on in Atlanta was designing the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception in

downtown Atlanta Downtown Atlanta is the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The larger of the city's two other commercial districts ( Midtown and Buckhead), it is the location of many corporate and regional headquarters; city, county ...

. The original church building at the site had been constructed in 1848 and had been one of the few structures in the city not destroyed by Union soldiers under General

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...

during the war. Despite being saved from destruction, the building was still severely damaged, leading church officials to construct a new building designed by Parkins. The Reverend

Abram Joseph Ryan Abram Joseph Ryan (February 5, 1838 – April 22, 1886) was an American poet, Catholic priest, Catholic newspaper editor, orator, and former Vincentian. An active proponent of the Confederate States of America, he has been called the "Poet-Priest ...

laid the

cornerstone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over tim ...

on September 1, 1869. The building was completed and dedicated in 1873. The building is an example of

Gothic Revival architecture Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th cent ...

, with the design heavily influenced by French Gotchic and

High Victorian Gothic High Victorian Gothic was an eclectic architectural style and movement during the mid-late 19th century. It is seen by architectural historians as either a sub-style of the broader Gothic Revival style, or a separate style in its own right. Promo ...

styles. The building would later be rededicated as a

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ...

in 1954. During his early career, Parkins would design several other churches, including First Methodist and Second Baptist, though all of these buildings except for the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception have since been demolished. Both the Catholic and Methodist church were designed in the Gothic Revival style and helped cement Parkins as one of the leading architects in the state. In the late 1860s, he also designed an

opera house An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically fo ...

on Marietta Street. In 1868, the building was sold by businessman

Hannibal Kimball Hannibal Ingalls Kimball (May 16, 1832 – April 28, 1895) was an American entrepreneur and important businessman in post-Civil War Atlanta, Georgia. Early years Born in Oxford County, Maine to family of Methodist wheelwrights. He was the f ...

to the state government, who used it as a capitol building until the Georgia State Capitol was completed in 1889. During this time, many of his works were in the

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...

or

Second Empire Second Empire may refer to: * Second British Empire, used by some historians to describe the British Empire after 1783 * Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396) * Second French Empire (1852–1870) ** Second Empire architecture, an architectural styl ...

styles. In 1869, he designed North Hall for

Atlanta University Clark Atlanta University (CAU or Clark Atlanta) is a private, Methodist, historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Clark Atlanta is the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the Southern United States. Fou ...

, a

historically black university Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. Mo ...

. The building, later known as Gaines Hall and owned by Morris Brown College, was an Italianate academic building with High Victorian details. In a 2016 article in ''

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'', history professor Tim Crimmins of

Georgia State University Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the largest institution of hig ...

called the building "the city's most important historic landmark" for its role in African American education in the Reconstruction era. That same year, he designed a mansion for businessman John H. James. This house later served as the

Georgia Governor's Mansion The Governor's Mansion is the official home of the governor of the U.S. state of Georgia. The mansion is located at 391 West Paces Ferry Road NW, in the Tuxedo Park neighborhood of the affluent Buckhead district of Atlanta. Construction Th ...

. Other examples of Parkins's Italianate features are the original

Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat: *Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton *Fulton County, Georgia *F ...

Courthouse and the Hancock County Courthouse, which both sported Italianate details such as Mansard roofs. Kimball-house-1871

In 1870, Parkins was hired by Kimball to design a six-story hotel for the city, the Kimball House. The construction of the building, an elaborate hotel that sported a Mansard roof and several ornamental towers, was covered on the front page of ''

The Atlanta Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'', with the newspaper calling the design the "highest style of improved modern architecture". Following its construction, Parkins moved his offices into the building. The building burned down in 1883, but was rebuilt under Parkins's supervision, though this later building was eventually demolished in 1959. In the early 1870s, a man named J. Warner moved to Atlanta and entered into a

partnership A partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as business partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments ...

with Parkins that lasted for several years, and in 1878 Parkins moved his offices into a three-story building at Five Points. The following year, Parkins established a partnership with Alexander Campbell Bruce that would last into the 1880s. The firm, known as Parkins & Bruce, was established in January of that year, with Bruce moving to Atlanta from Knoxville that March. At the time, Bruce was the only member of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

living in Atlanta. In May, they hired Thomas Henry Morgan as an assistant for the firm. He worked for them as a

drafter A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman or drafting technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings or plans for ...

and at the time was the only architectural drafter in the city. In 1882, Parkins retired and moved to a farm in

Calhoun County Calhoun County is the name of several counties in the United States of America named after U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun: * Calhoun County, Alabama * Calhoun County, Arkansas * Calhoun County, Florida * Calhoun County, Georgia * Calhoun Cou ...

. Following this, Morgan and Bruce became partners, and their new firm, named

Bruce & Morgan Bruce & Morgan was an American architectural firm based in Atlanta. It was established in 1882 as the partnership of architects Alexander Campbell Bruce (1835-1927) and Thomas Henry Morgan (1857-1940). History Bruce & Morgan were the successo ...

, would go on to design many academic buildings in the region. Parkins died in 1894 and was buried in Atlanta's Oakland Cemetery.

Notable works

* First Methodist Episcopal Church, South (1870),