William Augustus Edwards, also known as William A. Edwards (December 8, 1866 – March 30, 1939) was an

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 ...

-based

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

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 ...

renowned for the educational buildings, courthouses and other public and private buildings that he designed in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

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 ...

and his native

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 = ...

. More than 25 of his works have been listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

Early life and education

William Augustus Edwards was born in

Darlington, South Carolina Darlington is a city located in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States. In 2010, its population was 6,289. It is the county seat of Darlington County. It is part of the Florence, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. Darlington ...

, the son of Augustus Fulton Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth Sarah Hart. After graduating from St. David's School in

Society Hill Society Hill is a historic neighborhood in Center City Philadelphia, with a population of 6,215 . Settled in the early 1680s, Society Hill is one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Philadelphia.The Center City District dates the Free Soc ...

, Edwards attended Richmond College, now the

University of Richmond The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a private liberal arts college in Richmond, Virginia. It is a primarily undergraduate, residential institution with approximately 4,350 undergraduate and graduate students in five schools: the School ...

for one year and then entered the University of South Carolina where he received a degree in

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...

in 1889.

Career history

He and another

Darlington County Darlington County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 62,905. Its county seat is Darlington. Hartsville is the largest city in the county. Darlington County is home to the Darlington Race ...

native, Charles Coker Wilson, set up an office together in Columbia, having previously worked in

Roanoke, Virginia Roanoke ( ) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 100,011, making it the 8th most populous city in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the largest city in Virginia west of Richmond. It is lo ...

. 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 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 ...

, 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.

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.

Educational buildings

Among the academic institutions for which Edwards designed buildings were:

In Alabama

Camp Hill

In 1930 William A. Edwards and firm designed the educational classroom and administrative building for The Southern Industrial Institute, now known as Lyman Ward Military Academy, in Camp Hill, AL. The structure known as Tallapoosa Hall was designed at the request of well known educator Dr. Lyman Ward who like Edwards was also a Unitarian. Dr. Ward had transplanted to Alabama in 1898 to establish a school for impoverished boys and girls. Completed in 1933, Tallapoosa Hall is also a Gothic Revival design and the building was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 2008.

In Florida

From 1905-1925, William A. Edwards was architect for the

Florida Board of Control The Florida Board of Control (1905-1965) was the statewide governing body for the State University System of Florida, which included all public universities in the state of Florida. It was replaced by the Florida Board of Regents in 1965.

and designed many buildings in the

Collegiate Gothic Collegiate Gothic is an architectural style subgenre of Gothic Revival architecture, popular in the late-19th and early-20th centuries for college and high school buildings in the United States and Canada, and to a certain extent Europ ...

style for the three existing state institutions of higher learning as well as other public schools.

Gainesville

=University of Florida

= As the main architect for Florida's newly reorganized system of higher education, Edwards designed numerous buildings for the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

's new Gainesville campus, which first welcomed students in 1906. Most of his surviving works at the school had already been individually recognized by the

when the

University of Florida Campus Historic District The University of Florida Campus Historic District is a historic district on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The district, bounded by West University Avenue, Southwest 13th Street, Stadium Road and Gale Lemeran ...

was established in the heart of the original campus in 1989. Works by Edwards at the University of Florida:

St. Augustine

Florida School for the Deaf and Blind The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) is a state-supported boarding school for deaf and blind children established in 1885, in St. Augustine, Florida, United States. History In 1882, Thomas Hines Coleman, a young deaf man, was ...

Tallahassee

=FAMU

= Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. Buildings designed by William Augustus Edwards include:Tate, Susan, Preservation and Compatible Growth of a Twentieth Century Campus: The University of Florida, p. 63
/ref> The Carnegie Library and perhaps other buildings designed by Edwards are among 14 contributing buildings in Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College Historic District, NRHP-listed

=FSU

= Florida State College for Women (

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...

). Buildings designed by William Augustus Edwards include:

=Other

= * Caroline Brevard Grammar School, 727 S. Calhoun St., Tallahassee, Florida (Edwards, William A.), NRHP-listed * Lincoln High School, 438 W Brevard St, Tallahassee, Florida (Edwards, William A. and Sayward, William)Tallahassee Democrat, April 16, 1929 * Sealey Memorial Elementary School (demolished), 7th Avenue near Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Florida (Edwards, William A. and Sayward, William) * W. H. Covington Residence, 328 Cortez Street, Tallahassee, Florida (Edwards, William A. and Sayward, William) * Exchange Bank, Southeast corner of Monroe Street and College Avenue, Tallahassee, Florida (Edwards, William A. and Sayward, William)

In Georgia

Agnes Scott College Agnes Scott College is a private women's liberal arts college in Decatur, Georgia. The college enrolls approximately 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The college is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and is considered one of the ...

, Decatur, Georgia: Buttrick Hall, 1930; McCain Library, 1936 *

Columbia Theological Seminary Columbia Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian seminary in Decatur, Georgia. It is one of ten theological institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). History Columbia Theological Seminary was founded in 1828 in Lexington, Geo ...

, Decatur, Georgia *Georgia State Teachers College * Georgia State Women's College (

Valdosta State University Valdosta State University (VSU or Valdosta State) is a public university in Valdosta, Georgia. It is one of the four comprehensive universities in the University System of Georgia. , VSU had over 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students. VSU a ...

)

In South Carolina

*Clemson College (

Clemson University Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enro ...

) *

Furman University Furman University is a private liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826 and named for the clergyman Richard Furman, Furman University is the oldest private institution of higher learning in South Carolina. It became ...

, Greenville: Judson Alumni Hall, 1900–1961. *

Limestone College Limestone University, formerly Limestone College, is a private Christian university in Gaffney, South Carolina. It was established in 1845 by Thomas Curtis, a distinguished scholar born and educated in England. Limestone was the first women's c ...

, Gaffney:

Winnie Davis Hall Winnie Davis Hall, built in 1904, is an historic redbrick college building on the campus of Limestone College in Gaffney, South Carolina. It was designed by Darlington native William Augustus Edwards, who designed academic buildings at 12 instit ...

, 1904, *

McMaster School The McMaster School, built in 1911, is an historic building located at 1106 Pickens Street on the corner of Senate Street in Columbia, South Carolina. It was designed by noted Columbia architect William Augustus Edwards of the firm of Edwards and ...

, now USC's McMaster College, Columbia *

South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind The South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind is a school in unincorporated area, unincorporated Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States, near Spartanburg, South Carolina, Spartanburg and with ...

, 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 Winthrop University is a public university in Rock Hill, South Carolina. It was founded in 1886 by David Bancroft Johnson, who served as the superintendent of Columbia, South Carolina, schools. He received a grant from Robert Charles Winthrop, ...

, Rock Hill:

Withers Building The Withers Building, also known as the Winthrop Training School or W.T.S., is an historic building complex located at 611 Myrtle Drive on the campus of Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The complex consists of three parts: the old ...

, Main Classroom - Office Building, 1912–1913.

County courthouses

William Augustus Edwards designed many county courthouses, as follows:

In Florida

* Hernando County Courthouse, 1913. *

Sumter County Courthouse (Florida) The Sumter County Courthouse, built in 1912–1914, is an historic courthouse building located in Bushnell, Florida, Bushnell, Florida. The total costs of construction for the courthouse were $56,000. It was designed by Atlanta-based architect Wil ...

, 1914

In Georgia

* Fannin County Courthouse, Georgia, 1937, replaced 2004 by new courthouse next door. Old one is leased as ''Georgia Mountain Center for the Arts''. * Tift County Courthouse (1912), Courthouse Sq.,

Tifton, Georgia Tifton is a city in Tift County, Georgia, United States. The population was 17,045 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Tift County. The area's public schools are administered by the Tift County School District. Abraham Baldwin Ag ...

, 1912–13, NRHP-listed Beaux Arts in style, listed on the National Register of Historic Places individually and as part of

Tifton Commercial Historic District Tifton Commercial Historic District, in Tifton in Tift County, Georgia, is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1986 and expanded in 1994. The original listing was portions of 10 blocks incl ...

In South Carolina

Between 1908 and 1915 Edwards designed nine county

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

s for the state of South Carolina, all of which are still standing except the ones in Kershaw and Darlingon which were destroyed. The courthouses are as follows: *

Abbeville County Courthouse The Abbeville County Courthouse, built in 1908, is an historic courthouse located in the east corner of Court Square, in the city of Abbeville, South Carolina, Abbeville in Abbeville County, South Carolina. It was designed in the Beaux-Arts archi ...

, Court Sq.

Abbeville, South Carolina Abbeville is a city and county seat of Abbeville County, in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is located west of Columbia and south of Greenville. Its population was 5,237 at the 2010 census. Settled by French Huguenot settlers, it was ...

, NRHP-listed * Calhoun County Courthouse, S. Railroad Ave.,

St. Matthews, South Carolina St. Matthews is a town in Calhoun County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,021 at the 2010 census, a decline from 2,107 in 2000. It is the county seat of Calhoun County. St. Matthews is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metro ...

, NRHP-listed *Darlington County Courthouse, 1904–1964, replaced by highrise courthouse on same site *

Dillon County Courthouse The Dillon County Courthouse, built in 1911, is a historic courthouse located at 301 West Main Street in the city of Dillon in Dillon County, South Carolina. It was designed in the Classical Revival style by Darlington native William Augustus E ...

, 1303 W. Main St.,

Dillon, South Carolina Dillon is a city in Dillon County in eastern South Carolina, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Dillon County. It was established on December 22, 1888. Both the name of the city and county comes from James W. Dillon, an earl ...

. (Edwards, William Augustus), NRHP-listed *Kershaw County Courthouse, destroyed * Jasper County Courthouse, Russell St.,

Ridgeland, South Carolina Ridgeland is a town in Jasper and Beaufort counties, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,749 at the 2020 census, a 7.1% decrease from 2010. It has been the county seat of Jasper County since the county's formation in 1912. As defin ...

, NRHP-listed * Lee County Courthouse, 123 Main St.,

Bishopville, South Carolina Bishopville is a town in Lee County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,471 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lee County. Geography Bishopville is located at (34.219027, -80.248877) near Lee State Park. According t ...

, NRHP-listed * Sumter County Courthouse, 141 N. Main St.,

Sumter, South Carolina Sumter ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Sumter County, South Carolina, United States. Known as the Sumter Metropolitan Statistical Area, the namesake county adjoins Clarendon and Lee to form the core of Sumter-Lee-Clarendon Tri-county (o ...

, NRHP-listed * York County Courthouse, corner of W. Liberty and S. Congress Sts.,

York, South Carolina York is a city in and county seat of York County, South Carolina, York County, South Carolina, United States. The population was approximately 6,985 at the 2000 census and up to 7,736 at the 2010 census. York is located approximately southwes ...

, NRHP-listed

Other buildings

In Florida

* Covington House, 328 Cortez St.,

Tallahassee, Florida Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, Florida, Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In ...

, 1926, NRHP-listed * Exchange Bank Building, Tallahassee, Florida *

Hotel Thomas The Thomas Center, formerly known as Hotel Thomas and Sunkist Villa, is an historic building in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It was built starting in 1910 in the Classical Revival style by noted Atlanta-based architect, William Augustus ...

, 1919, bounded by N.E. 2nd and 5th Sts. and N.E. 6th and 7th Aves.,

Gainesville, Florida Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, Alachua County, Florida, and the largest city in North Central Florida, with a population of 141,085 in 2020. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gaine ...

, NRHP-listed

In Georgia

City Hall and Firehouse The City Hall and Firehouse, built in , is an historic city hall and fire station building located on the corner of Crawford and Water streets in Bainbridge, Georgia, Bainbridge, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It was designed by Atlanta-based a ...

Bainbridge, Georgia Bainbridge is a city in Decatur County, Georgia, Decatur County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The city is the county seat of Decatur County. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 14,468. Hi ...

Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium The Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium, located at 228—250 Auburn Avenue, N.E. in the Sweet Auburn Historic District of Atlanta, Georgia, are historic buildings built in 1912 and 1913, respectively, as the headquarters of the District Grand Lod ...

, 1912–1913, 228-250 Auburn Ave., NE, Atlanta, Georgia (Edwards, William A.), NRHP-listed * University Homes in the

Atlanta University Center The Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUC Consortium) is the oldest and largest contiguous consortium of African-American higher education institutions in the United States. The center consists of four historically black colleges and universi ...

area * Unitarian Church of Atlanta, 669 West Peachtree Street, 1915Historical notes on Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta
/ref> *

United States Post Office and Courthouse (Columbus, Georgia) The U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, built in 1933, is an historic United States Post Office and federal courthouse building located at 120 12th Street in Columbus, Georgia. It was designed by Atlanta-based architect William Augustus Edwards w ...

, 1933 *former Bank of Tifton (1917), Tifton, Georgia, a C&S Bank in 1985, "a fine example of the Neoclassical style", a contributing building in NRHP-listed

with *One or more works in Lakewood Heights Historic District, jct. of Jonesboro Rd. and Lakewood Ave., Atlanta, Georgia (Edwards, William), NRHP-listed *One or more works in

Southern Railway North Avenue Yards Historic District The Southern Railway North Avenue Yards, now repurposed as the NorthYards business park, is located just west of the railway line northwest from downtown Atlanta, south of the Marietta Street Artery Marietta Street Artery (formerly designated as ...

, 539 John St. NW, Atlanta, Georgia (Edwards, William), NRHP-listed

In South Carolina

Abbeville Opera House The Abbeville Opera House, also known as the Abbeville Opera House and Municipal Office Building is an historic building located in Abbeville, South Carolina. Designed by William Augustus Edwards of Edwards and Wilson, it was opened in 1904 and de ...

* Cain House at 1619 Pendleton Street, Columbia, South Carolina. 1912. now ''The Inn at USC. * South Carolina State Armory, 1219 Assembly Street, Columbia, South Carolina, 1905, NRHP-listed

NRHP-listed works

More than 25 of his works have been listed on the

, either as individual buildings or as contributing buildings within

historic districts A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from cer ...

Gallery

Image:Gville UF Library East06.jpg, Library East, UF Image:CarnegieLibraryTLH.JPG, FAMU's Carnegie Library in 2008 File:CarolineBrevardSchTLH.JPG, Caroline Brevard School, Tallahassee File:Agnes Scott College - Buttrick Hall.jpg, Buttrick Hall, Agnes Scott College File:Agnes Scott College - McCain Library.jpg, McCain Library, Agnes Scott College File:Walhalla Civic Auditorium, 101 E North Broad St, Walhalla (Oconee County, South Carolina).JPG, Walhalla Graded School, SC File:Winthrop College, Withers Building, Oakland Avenue, Rock Hill (York County, South Carolina).jpg, Withers Building at Winthrop University, SC Image:Sumter_Courthouse_11.08.08.jpg, Historic Sumter County Courthouse, Florida, 2008 File:Tift County Georgia Couthouse.jpg, Tift County Courthouse, Georgia, in 1971 Image:Sumter courthouse 1369.JPG, Sumter County Courthouse, South Carolina File:08-07-08 CovingtonHouseTLH2.JPG, Covington House, Florida File:Thomas-center-gville04.jpg, Thomas Hotel, Florida File:HABS-ATL-OFBA-570648cr.jpg, Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium, Atlanta, 1979 File:Columbus, Georgia Post Office.jpg,

File:AbbevilleSC operahouse.jpg, Abbeville Opera House, South Carolina File:West Hall VSU.jpg, West Hall,

References

External links

Biography at the University of Florida library website

Tate, Susan, Preservation and Compatible Growth of a Twentieth Century Campus: The University of Florida
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, William Augustus 1866 births 1939 deaths People from Darlington, South Carolina Architects from South Carolina Florida State University people University of Florida people Architects from Atlanta University of South Carolina alumni 19th-century American architects 20th-century American architects