Edwin C. Gilson architectural records

Abstract

The Edwin C. Gilson architectural records (dated 1925-1996; 3 cubic feet; 2 boxes, 1 oversize box, 4 flat file folders) contains photographs, plot maps, architectural drawings, and a scrapbook regarding building projects in and around Lexington, Kentucky, in the 1930s-1960s as well as photographs of houses built in Lakeland, Florida, in the 1920s.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Edwin C. Gilson architectural records
Date
1925-1996 (inclusive)
Creator
Gilson, Edwin C., 1901-1985
Extent
3 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Architecture, Domestic.
Architecture -- Kentucky
Blueprints.
Hospital buildings -- Design and construction
Hospital architecture
Houses -- Kentucky -- Lexington.
Real estate development -- Kentucky.
Real estate business -- Kentucky.
School buildings -- Kentucky -- Fayette County.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged by format.
Finding Aid Author
Carol Street
Preferred Citation
2009ms148 : [identification of item], Edwin C. Gilson architectural records, 1925-1996, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
Edwin Craig Gilson was born in 1901 and died in Lexington in 1985. He was married to Ruby Cosby Gilson and they had two daughters, Carolyn and Patricia. Gilson was a builder and general contractor responsible for the construction of numerous homes, schools, and businesses in Lexington, Kentucky. Early in his career in the 1920s, he built homes in the Cleveland Heights subdivision in Lakeland, Florida, however, he moved back to Lexington after the Great Depression.
In 1934, Gilson and another builder, H.R. Taylor, formed their general contracting business, named Gilson-Taylor, Inc. The company was very successful in the Lexington area and built numerous homes, schools, university dormitories and classroom buildings, hospitals, and businesses. At one point, Gilson-Taylor, Inc. employed 150 carpenters, painters, plumbers, electricians, plasterers, stonemasons, landscapers, excavators, and bricklayers. Among their most notable projects, they were responsible for developing the Fairway subdivision of houses in Lexington, Kentucky; the 21 building hospital campus for the U.S. Army in Danville, Kentucky; numerous buildings on the University of Kentucky campus (Funkhouser Building, Holmes Hall, Law School Building, and Engineering School Building); and Gilson Plaza Shopping Center.
Scope and Content
The Edwin C. Gilson architectural records (dated 1925-1996; 3 cubic feet; 2 boxes, 1 oversize box, 4 flat file folders) contains photographs, plot maps, architectural drawings, and a scrapbook regarding building projects in and around Lexington, Kentucky, in the 1930s-1960s as well as photographs of houses built in Lakeland, Florida, in the 1920s. The collection primarily consists of photographs that depict construction and the final building. Many of the images are pasted to wallpaper or trade catalog publications, most likely in a scrapbook. A scrapbook was recreated around 1996 and includes original black and white photographs next to color photographs of the same house taken in 1996; this was most likely done by Edwin Gilson's daughter, Carolyn Gilson Gabbert, prior to donating the collection.
The few architectural drawings in the collection are for properties owned by Edwin Gilson: Gilson Plaza shopping center on New Circle Road and a development on the Northern Belt Line. Plot maps and storm water drainage drawings reflect the Fairway housing subdivision in Lexington. The collection is arranged chronologically by project. The scrapbook contains the greatest number of houses, while the larger projects are primarily reflected in the project files. The few office files contain deeds to property, correspondence, and awards. There is a significant file on storm water drainage issues in Lexington, which includes clippings and legal documents.

Restrictions on Access and Use

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Use Restrictions
The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Contents of the Collection

Business records, 1924-1959

Gilson-Taylor, Inc. project list, 1924-1959

  • Box 1, folder 1
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Inter-County Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation and Tafel Electric and Supply Company correspondence, 1951

  • Box 1, folder 2
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Storm water drainage clippings, legal documents, accounts, 1943-1955

  • Box 1, folder 3
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Property deeds, 1950-1959

  • Box 1, folder 4
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Project files, 1925-1996

Cleveland Heights subdivision houses photographs, Lakeland, Florida, 1925-1926

  • Box 2, folder 1
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City Jail photographs, Lexington, Kentucky, 1934-1935

  • Box 2, folder 2
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George Washington Carver Elementary photographs and clippings, 522 Patterson Street, Lexington, Kentucky, 1934-1935

  • Box 2, folder 3
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Bluegrass Park Housing Project photographs, 1936

  • Box 2, folder 4
  • Box 3, folder 1
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Dunbar High School project description, 1936

  • Box 2, folder 5
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New Castle High School project description, 1936

  • Box 2, folder 5
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Lafferty Hall (Law building) photographs and papers, University of Kentucky, 1936

  • Box 2, folder 6
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Engineering building, University of Kentucky, photographs and papers, 1936-1937

  • Box 2, folder 7
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Morton Junior High School, Tates Creek Road, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, 1937-1938

  • Box 2, folder 8
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Woodford County High School photograph, 1938

  • Box 2, folder 9
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Lexington Water Company building photographs, 1938

  • Box 2, folder 10
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Southern Railway Company railroad depot platform shed photograph and clipping, 1938

  • Box 2, folder 11
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Cassidy School, Lexington, Kentucky photographs, 1938-1958

  • Box 2, folder 12
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Funkhouser Building (also Biological Sciences Building), University of Kentucky photograph and rendering, 1939, 1939

  • Box 2, folder 13
  • Box 3, folder 3
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Woodford County school building, Pisgah, Kentucky, photograph, 1939

  • Box 2, folder 14
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Julius Marks Sanatorium, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, 1940

  • Box 2, folder 15
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Euphrasia Hall, St. Joseph's Hospital photographs and clippings, 1940-1941

  • Box 2, folder 16
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Signal Depot, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, clipping, 1941

  • Box 2, folder 17
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Kentucky and West Virginia Power Company clipping, 1941

  • Box 2, folder 18
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Fairway subdivision, Lexington, Kentucky, clipping, 1941

  • Box 2, folder 19
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Danville General Hospital, Danville, Kentucky, photographs, correspondence, 1941-1942

  • Box 2, folder 20
  • Box 3, folder 4
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Bourbon County Vocational High School, Paris, Kentucky, photographs, 1948

  • Box 2, folder 21
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Memorial High School clipping, 1951

  • Box 3, folder 4
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Hillenmeyer Nurseries building, Lexington, Kentucky clipping, correspondence, 1951

  • Box 2, folder 22
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Central Baptist Hospital photograph, 1952

  • Box 2, folder 23
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Kentucky State Highway Department building photographs, 1952

  • Box 2, folder 24
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St. Peter School, Barr Street, Lexington, Kentucky photographs, 1954

  • Box 2, folder 25
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Northern Belt Line photographs, clippings, 1954

  • Box 2, folder 26
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Yates Elementary School, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, 1954

  • Box 2, folder 27
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Glendover Elementary School, Lexington, Kentucky, clipping, 1957

  • Box 2, folder 28
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Bryan Station High School, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, clipping, 1958

  • Box 2, folder 29
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Holmes Hall dormitory, University of Kentucky clippings, correspondence, photographs, 1958

  • Box 2, folder 30
  • Box 3, folder 3
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Wesson Metal Research Laboratory addition, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, 1958

  • Box 2, folder 31
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College of the Bible (later known as Lexington Theological Seminary) campus buildings, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, clippings, 1958-1959

  • Box 2, folder 32-33
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National Linen Service, 1036B New Circle Road, Lexington, Kentucky, photograph, clipping, 1959

  • Box 2, folder 34
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Gilson Plaza, New Circle Road, Lexington, Kentucky, legal description, plats, drawings, clippings, photographs, 1959-1990

  • Box 2, folder 35-36
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Belle Wisdom Hall, Midway Junior College (later Midway University), Midway, Kentucky, clippings, correspondence, photographs, 1960

  • Box 2, folder 37
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Lawrenceburg Elementary School, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, clipping, 1960

  • Box 2, folder 38
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Residences: 1810 Bon Air; Holiday Road; Carolyn Drive; 310, 319 Eastin Road; 344 Kingsway Drive; 814 Montclair Drive; 320 Ridgeway; Dudley Road, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, 1950-1996

  • Box 2, folder 39-44
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Adams Apartments, 106 Dantzler Court, Lexington, Kentucky photograph, undated

  • Box 2, folder 45
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Unidentified project photographs, drawing, 1941-1955

  • Box 2, folder 46
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Drawings, 1936-1963

Boiling Springs Country Club pool site plan, 1949

  • Box 3, folder 2
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Fairway subdivision, Lexington, Kentucky, neighborhood plot maps, storm water drainage drawings, 1936-1954

  • Folder 1-2
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Northern Belt Line development plot maps, architectural drawings, 1953-1957

  • Folder 3
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1044-1080 New Circle Road, Lexington, Kentucky, development plot maps, architectural drawings, 1958-1963

  • Folder 4
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Scrapbook and personal papers, 1953-1985

Employers Council of Kentucky strike and jobsite vandalism clippings, reward poster, 1953

  • Box 3, folder 5
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Alton School clipping, 1960

  • Box 3, folder 6
To top

Citizens Union National Bank and Trust urban renewal project, Lexington, Kentucky, clipping, 1972

  • Box 3, folder 6
To top

Building projects photograph scrapbook, undated

  • Box 1, folder 5
To top

Gilson, Edwin memorial service notes; Hugh Taylor, Leslie Pope, Sr. obituaries, circa 1973-1985

  • Box 1, folder 6
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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.

UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.

Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.

Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.

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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.