Owen Southwell
Owen James Trainor Southwell (1892–1961) was an American architect who practiced in Atlanta, Georgia, Beaumont, Texas, and New Iberia, Louisiana in the early 1900s. His architecture style was a mixture of Southern greek revival, other revival styles, and antebellum.
Owen Southwell | |
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Born | Owen James Trainor Southwell September 20, 1892 New Iberia, Louisiana, U.S. |
Died | April 7, 1961 68) | (aged
Nationality | American |
Other names | Owen J. T. Southwell |
Alma mater | Carnegie Institute of Technology |
Occupation | Architect |
Buildings | St. Peter's Church |
Biography
Southwell was born September 20, 1892 in New Iberia, Louisiana, to parents Catherine Trainor and William D. Southwell.[1][2] Southwell's father lived in New York between 1885-1888 while studying architecture, returning to New Iberia to open an architecture practice in 1888.[3] Southwell attended high school in Beaumont, Texas.[2] Southwell attended Tulane University for two years before transferring to Carnegie Institute of Technology, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Architecture in 1915.[1][3] At Carnegie Tech he studied with architect Henry Hornbostel.[3] Between 1914–1916, Southwell was hired as an instructor of architecture at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.[4][5]
During World War I, Southwell served in the Naval Reserve.[1][3] He was married to Yvonne Arnandez (1895–1993).[6]
He lived in Atlanta from 1919-1931, moving there to manage Henry Hornbostel’s local architecture office.[3] During the early years in Atlanta, Southwell worked on designing early buildings for Emory University.[3] By 1923, Southwell opened his own private architecture practice in Atlanta.[3] In 1931, Southwell moved back to New Iberia because of the Great Depression, and moving his private architecture practice with him.[7][8]
Southwell died in April 1961, at the age of 68, and is buried in Saint Peter's Cemetery in New Iberia.
Notable buildings
- 1888–1953 – Old St. Peter’s Church in New Iberia, Louisiana (now demolished)[9]
- 1927 – Sardis United Methodist Church, Atlanta, Georgia[8]
- 1928 – Caed Mile Failte, the John Henry Phelan mansion and 15.4-acre estate in Beaumont, Texas[7]
- c.1936 – Buddha House at the Jungle Gardens in Avery Island, Louisiana[7]
- 1937 – Essanee Theater in New Iberia, Louisiana[10]
- 1953 – St. Peter’s Church in New Iberia, Louisiana (same location as the earlier church)[7]
- 1951 – Sugar Festival Building in New Iberia, Louisiana[11]
References
- "Owen J. Southwell Papers". Edith Garland Dupré Library. University of Louisiana at Lafayette. 2014-10-13. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- "Owen James Southwell". The Georgian Revival. 2009-12-09. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- "Owen Southwell". Atlanta Homes and Lifestyle (AH&L). Esteem Media. 2011-04-01. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- Announcement of Courses. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 1914. p. 100.
- Chatburn, G.R.; Jacoby, Henry S.; Bishop, F .L. (1916). Bulletin of the Society of the Promotion of Engineering Education. Charlottesville, Virginia: American Society for Engineering Education. p. 181.
- Branton, Vicky (2016-03-14). "If trees could talk". The Daily Iberian. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- "Art, Architecture & Literature of the Teche Country". Discover Iberia. Arcadia Media Ventures. 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- Marshall (2011). "Owen Southland" (PDF). Atlanta Homes Magazine.
- "Saint Peter's Catholic Church « Phone Home". Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- "Essanee Theater in New Iberia, LA". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- "Mr. Owen Southwell - Builder of the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival Building". The Eunice News. 1950-06-02. p. 10. Retrieved 2019-01-25 – via newspapers.com.