William S. Gray (1851-1927), Architect
William S. Gray was born in August 1851 in Illinois to William and Lydia Gray. He married Edith Dehaven in 1878 and they resided in Beardstown, Illinois in 1880, where the census listed him as a "Patent right Ag[en]t".[6][7][8][19] In 1883, he left Beardstown, Illinois for Lincoln, Nebraska.[9] He worked in Lincoln, Nebraska as an architect for at least 24 years.[6][7][8] Gray was married to Maria and had a daughter, Viola.[6][7][8]
This page is a contribution to the publication, Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. See the format and contents page for more information on the compilation and page organization.
Contents
Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings
Lincoln, Nebraska, 1886-1895, 1905
Educational & Professional Associations
1885-1886: Gray & Placey, Architects, Lincoln, Nebraska.
1900: architect, Lincoln, Nebraska.[6]
1901-1903: Vice President of the Eureka Manufacturing Company, Lincoln, Nebraska.[11]
1910: architect, Lincoln, Nebraska.[7]
1920: retired, Lincoln, Nebraska.[8]
Other Associations
1890: Employed Frederick A. Henninger (1865-1944), Architect as draftsman.
Buildings & Projects
Dated
York County Courthouse (1885-1888), York, Nebraska, demolished. (In partnership with O. H. Placey as Gray & Placey, Architects.)
"Forest Hill" (mansion of lumberman Charles C. Munson) (1886), SE corner of 26th & O Streets, Lincoln, Nebraska.[13]
Two-story brick "tenement flat" for Mrs. Osborne (1886), J Street between 10th and 11th, Lincoln, Nebraska.[17][c]
Two 8-room dwellings for C. E. Loomis (1886), corner of 11th & H, Lincoln, Nebraska.[18]
Frank Sheldon house (1887), NW corner 14th & R, Lincoln, Nebraska, demolished.[5][14]
Sheldon Block (1887), SW corner of 11th & N, Lincoln, Nebraska, demolished.[15]
Presbyterian Church (1887), York, Nebraska.[15]
E. Leming house (1887), Lincoln, Nebraska.[21]
Three-story brick block for Bently & Leming (1887), N. 9th Street between U and V, Lincoln, Nebraska.[15]
Strickland Building (1887), S. 10th between N and O.[15]
J. F. Houseman house (1887), Aurora, Nebraska.[15]
St. Mark's English Lutheran Church (1887), Lincoln, Nebraska.[20]
McBride Block (1887-1888), NE corner of 12th & P, Lincoln, Nebraska.[16][b]
Johnson County Courthouse (1888-1889), SW corner 3rd & Clay, Tecumseh, Nebraska.[3:52][4] (JO07-001) National Register narrative
Butler County Courthouse (ca.1889-1890), David City, Nebraska (demolished)
Cass County Courthouse (1891-1892), NE corner Main & 4th, Plattsmouth, Nebraska.[1][3:58][4] (CC14-109) National Register narrative
Hamilton County Courthouse (1894-1896), 12th & M, Aurora, Nebraska.[3:64][4][12][a] (HM01-001) National Register narrative
Undated
Ellen Smith Hall on the University of Nebraska Campus (n.d.), Lincoln, Nebraska.[9]
Other Accomplishments
1898: Invented/Patented the Wonder Grain Grader [9][11]
1903: Invented/Patented the Perfection Cooker [9][10]
Notes
a. The builders were the Atkinson Brothers of Colorado Springs, Colorado.[12]
b. Contemporary photographs of this building were published in 1889 in Lincoln Picturesque and Descriptive, which is reprinted in Lincoln's Early Architecture.[16]
c. Lincoln News of July 2, 1886 reported" "Mrs. Osborne will shortly commence on J street, between 10th and 11th, of a fine 'flat,' the first real tenement flat in the city. It will be of brick, two story with high basement, and will consist of five sections of seven rooms each. It is in accordance with plans drawn by Wm. Gray, the architect, and will have all modern improvements."[17]
References
1. Benjamin W. George, "Soft Eclecticism in the U.S.A., An Example: The Cass County Courthouse, Plattsmouth, Nebraska,” TS (January, 1973).
2. Obituary, Lincoln Star (January 20, 1927).
3. Oliver B. Pollak, Nebraska Courthouses: Contention, Compromise, and Community. Images of America Series (Chicago: Arcadia Publishing, 2002).
4. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
5. William Wood, “Postcards from the past,” Preservation Association of Lincoln Newsletter 19:2 (Spring 2011): 1.
6. 1900 United States Census, s.v. "William Gray," Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska, accessed through HeritageQuestOnline.com.
7. 1910 United States Census, s.v. "William Gray," Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska, accessed through HeritageQuestOnline.com.
8. 1920 United States Census, s.v. "William Gray," Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska, accessed through HeritageQuestOnline.com.
9. “William Gray, 75, Dies at Home Here,” The Lincoln Star (January 20, 1927); "More or Less Personal," (Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal (January 23, 1927), C-4.
10. “A World Beater Perfection Cooker.” (May 13, 1918), accessed October 4, 2016, http://hdl.handle.net/2027/loc.ark:/13960/t9086xf9n?urlappend=%3Bseq=1
11. “William Gray, 1852-1927,” Nebraska State Historical Society, April 7, 2010, accessed October 4, 2016, http://nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/research/manuscripts/family/william-gray.htm
12. Marion Enderle, letter to Omaha World Herald Action Editor. September 1994.
13. "Gone to be a Nabob," Lincoln (Nebraska) Evening News (February 13, 1886), 4.
14. "Notice to Contractors," (Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal (March 17, 1887), 4.
15. "Improvements. Brief Mention of a Few of the Many," Lincoln (Nebraska) Daily News (April 14, 1887), 4; "Notice to Contractors," (Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal (May 5, 1887), 7.
16. "Miscellaneous...Notice Contracting Stone Masons," (Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal (November 8, 1887), 7; illustrated (photos) in Lincoln Picturesque and Descriptive (George B. Pratt: Neenah, Wisconsin, 1889); reprinted in Matthew Hansen, J. L. McKee, E. F. Zimmer, Lincoln's Early Architecture (Arcadia Publishing: Charleston, South Carolina, 2014), 32-34.
17. Lincoln (Nebraska) News (July 2, 1886), 4. 18. Lincoln (Nebraska) Daily News (July 27, 1886), 41
19. Ancestry.com. Illinois, County Marriage Records, 1800-1940 [database on-line]. s. v. "William Gray." Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016; Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. s. v. "William Gray." Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.
20. "Notice to Contractors," (Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal (September 28, 1887), 7.
21. "Notice to Contractors," Lincoln (Nebraska) Evening Call (March 31, 1887), 4.
Page Citation
D. Murphy and E. Zimmer, “William S. Gray (1851-1927), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, January 6, 2018. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, May 15, 2024.
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