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.
- 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
Inter-County Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation and Tafel Electric and Supply Company correspondence, 1951
Storm water drainage clippings, legal documents, accounts, 1943-1955
Property deeds, 1950-1959
Project files, 1925-1996
Cleveland Heights subdivision houses photographs, Lakeland, Florida, 1925-1926
City Jail photographs, Lexington, Kentucky, 1934-1935
George Washington Carver Elementary photographs and clippings, 522 Patterson Street, Lexington, Kentucky, 1934-1935
Bluegrass Park Housing Project photographs, 1936
Dunbar High School project description, 1936
New Castle High School project description, 1936
Lafferty Hall (Law building) photographs and papers, University of Kentucky, 1936
Engineering building, University of Kentucky, photographs and papers, 1936-1937
Morton Junior High School, Tates Creek Road, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, 1937-1938
Woodford County High School photograph, 1938
Lexington Water Company building photographs, 1938
Southern Railway Company railroad depot platform shed photograph and clipping, 1938
Cassidy School, Lexington, Kentucky photographs, 1938-1958
Funkhouser Building (also Biological Sciences Building), University of Kentucky photograph and rendering, 1939, 1939
Woodford County school building, Pisgah, Kentucky, photograph, 1939
Julius Marks Sanatorium, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, 1940
Euphrasia Hall, St. Joseph's Hospital photographs and clippings, 1940-1941
Signal Depot, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, clipping, 1941
Kentucky and West Virginia Power Company clipping, 1941
Fairway subdivision, Lexington, Kentucky, clipping, 1941
Danville General Hospital, Danville, Kentucky, photographs, correspondence, 1941-1942
Bourbon County Vocational High School, Paris, Kentucky, photographs, 1948
Memorial High School clipping, 1951
Hillenmeyer Nurseries building, Lexington, Kentucky clipping, correspondence, 1951
Central Baptist Hospital photograph, 1952
Kentucky State Highway Department building photographs, 1952
St. Peter School, Barr Street, Lexington, Kentucky photographs, 1954
Northern Belt Line photographs, clippings, 1954
Yates Elementary School, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, 1954
Glendover Elementary School, Lexington, Kentucky, clipping, 1957
Bryan Station High School, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, clipping, 1958
Holmes Hall dormitory, University of Kentucky clippings, correspondence, photographs, 1958
Wesson Metal Research Laboratory addition, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, 1958
College of the Bible (later known as Lexington Theological Seminary) campus buildings, Lexington, Kentucky, photographs, clippings, 1958-1959
National Linen Service, 1036B New Circle Road, Lexington, Kentucky, photograph, clipping, 1959
Gilson Plaza, New Circle Road, Lexington, Kentucky, legal description, plats, drawings, clippings, photographs, 1959-1990
Belle Wisdom Hall, Midway Junior College (later Midway University), Midway, Kentucky, clippings, correspondence, photographs, 1960
Lawrenceburg Elementary School, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, clipping, 1960
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
Adams Apartments, 106 Dantzler Court, Lexington, Kentucky photograph, undated
Unidentified project photographs, drawing, 1941-1955
Drawings, 1936-1963
Boiling Springs Country Club pool site plan, 1949
Fairway subdivision, Lexington, Kentucky, neighborhood plot maps, storm water drainage drawings, 1936-1954
Northern Belt Line development plot maps, architectural drawings, 1953-1957
1044-1080 New Circle Road, Lexington, Kentucky, development plot maps, architectural drawings, 1958-1963
Scrapbook and personal papers, 1953-1985
Employers Council of Kentucky strike and jobsite vandalism clippings, reward poster, 1953
Alton School clipping, 1960
Citizens Union National Bank and Trust urban renewal project, Lexington, Kentucky, clipping, 1972
Building projects photograph scrapbook, undated
Gilson, Edwin memorial service notes; Hugh Taylor, Leslie Pope, Sr. obituaries, circa 1973-1985
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.
Table of Contents
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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.
Requests
No items have been requested.
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.
