Thomas Wilson Williamson (August 4, 1887 Hiawatha, Kansas[1] – November 16, 1974) was a Kansas architect who specialized in designing school buildings in Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri.

Williamson grew up in Topeka, Kansas[1] and is best known for designing Topeka High School, a magnificent Perpendicular Gothic public high school, completed in 1931. Assisting Williamson was his chief designer Ted Greist, and Linus Burr Smith from Kansas State College (now Kansas State University) to oversee the plans.

Williamson and Griest also designed Clay Elementary School (now Cair Paravel-Latin School), which was completed in 1926.

Thomas W. Williamson (1887-1974), whose full name was Thomas Wilson Williamson, was an American architect. He practiced architecture for more than 50 years, designing schools and courthouses in Kansas and neighboring U.S. states. A number of his works were listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places for their architecture.[2] Firm names including him operated as Thomas W. Williamson and Company, as Thomas W. Williamson, Victor H. Loebsack & Associates, and later as Williamson-Loebsack and Associates. The firm grew to a size of 46 architects, draftsmen, engineers and other specialists.[3]

Early life

He was born in 1886[4] or 1887[3] in Hiawatha, Kansas.[4] He graduated from Topeka High School in 1907. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with an A.B. degree from its school of architecture and returned to Kansas in 1911.[3] He worked briefly for the Kansas state architect's office and for one year for architect John F. Stanton (whose El Dorado Carnegie Library is NRHP-listed). He then opened his own practice in 1912.[5][3]: 33 

Career

He designed schools.[4]

He designed courthouses.[3]

He designed the Jayhawk Theater and linked hotel in Topeka in 1926.[6]

Works

Works include (with attribution to self or firm):

  • Cheyenne County Courthouse (1924–25), 212 E. Washington St., St. Francis, Kansas (Williamson, Thomas W. & Co.), NRHP-listed[2][5]
  • Jayhawk Hotel, Theater and Walk (1926), 700 Jackson Ave., Topeka, (Williamson,Thomas W.), NRHP-listed[2][6]
  • Topeka High School (1931 campus), 800 SW 10th Ave., Topeka, (Williamson, Thomas W.), NRHP-listed[2]
  • Washington Grade School (1938), 209 S. Locust St. Pittsburg, Kansas (Williamson, Thomas W. & Co.), NRHP-listed[2]
  • Central Motor and Finance Corporation Building, 222 W. 7th St., Topeka, Kansas (Williamson,Thomas W.), NRHP-listed[2]
  • Curtis Junior High School, 316 NW Grant St., Topeka, (Williamson, Thomas Wilson), NRHP-listed[2]
  • Fire Station No. 2--Topeka, 719-723 Van Buren, Topeka, (Williamson, Thomas Wilson), NRHP-listed[2]
  • Hiawatha Memorial Auditorium, 611 Utah St., Hiawatha, Kansas (Williamson,Thomas W.), NRHP-listed[2]
  • Sumner Elementary School and Monroe Elementary School, 330 Western Ave. and 1515 Monroe St., Topeka, (Williamson,Thomas W.), NRHP-listed[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Thomas Wilson Williamson - Kansas Memory - Kansas Historical Society Retrieved 2017-03-09.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Sally F. Schwenk (2002). "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation: Historic County Courthouses of Kansas" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 Brenda R. Spencer (2005). "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation: Historic Public Schools of Kansas" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Dana Cloud and Sally F. Schwenk (April 30, 2000). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Cheyenne County Courthouse". National Park Service. and accompanying 11 photos
  6. 1 2 Elizabeth Rosin, Dale Nimz, and Kristen Ottesen (2004). "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation: Historic Theaters and Opera Houses of Kansas" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved March 11, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Bibliography

  • William Elsey Connelley, History of Kansas, State and People, (1928)
  • United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places submission for Topeka High School, Shawnee County, Kansas, (22 April 2005)
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