Gideon Shryock Papers MSS 14 Page 1

MSS 14 Gideon Shryock Papers, 1823-1954

OVERVIEW

Number: MSS 14 Title: Gideon Shryock Papers Creator: Gideon Shryock, Mary Field Dates: 1823-1954 Media: newspaper clippings, correspondence, scrapbooks Quantity: 1 mss box; 1 FF1 folder Location: Archival Storage. Historical Society, 100 W. Broadway, Frankfort, Kentucky, 40601-1931, Phone: (502) 564-1792, Email: [email protected], http://history.ky.gov

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE COLLECTION

Shryock was born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1802. His parents were Mathias and Mary Elizabeth Shryock. Gideon Shryock apprenticed with his father, a contractor and builder, then studied for a year in with the famous architect, William Strickland.

In 1824 Shryock returned to Kentucky and opened an office in Lexington. The following year, the state’s second Capitol building went up in flames just as its predecessor had, and plans were requested for a new building. Shryock originally did not plan to compete for the award due to his youth and inexperience but eventually did so and won the commission.

He moved to Frankfort in 1827 and remained three years to supervise construction of the Capitol. In 1829 he married Elizabeth P. Bacon of Frankfort. After completing the state house, Shryock returned to Lexington where he designed and supervised construction of Morrison Hall (or “Old Morrison”) on the campus of . The Doric-style building was finished in 1833, delayed by the cholera epidemic that claimed the life of the architect’s father. It burned in 1863.

Among other noteworthy Shryock projects were the Arkansas state house; the Franklin County Courthouse; the Orlando Brown house; and the Jefferson County Courthouse. Shryock moved to Louisville in 1835 and remained there until his death in 1880. Gideon Shryock Papers MSS 14 Page 2

SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION

Letters by Gideon Shryock, noted nineteenth-century architect who designed the Old State Capitol. Also included are clippings, letters, and other writings about Shryock originally compiled in a scrapbook by his niece, Elizabeth Shryock Field. Among the letters by Shryock is a description of the Kentucky Capitol written in 1833 to Robert Scott. In addition, the collection contains the original Indenture between Shryock and Transylvania Board of Trustees to construct Old Morrison. Other materials include some poetry by his sister, Sophia Shryock Oliver and letters concerning research on Shryock and his work conducted by Fields as well as pictures of Shryock buildings and other examples of classic architecture.

RELATED MATERIAL Researchers are encouraged to search the Online Collection Catalog for additional related materials.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation: [Identification of item]. Gideon Shryock Papers, 1823-1954, MSS 14, Kentucky Historical Society. Provenance: Donated by Jean Field Processed by: Anne Robbins Property rights: The Kentucky Historical Society owns the property rights to this collection. Copyrights: Copyrights have not been dedicated to the public. Consideration of the requirements of copyright is the responsibility of the author and publisher.

CONTAINER LIST Box Folder Title Date Description Kentucky architecture, William Strickland, Reuben Durrett, Louisville Court House, Transylvania University, Burris A. Jenkins, Morrison Chapel, Old Morrison, James Morrison, Stone stairs at Frankfort Newspaper Articles 1828-1937 State House, Latrobe, 1 1 Gideon Shryock, Caroline Berry, Old State Capitol fire, Christ Episcopal Church, , Southern National Bank Building in Louisville, Louisville Water Works Roy Vincent Shryock, Old Capitol in Frankfort, Louisville Court House, University of Louisville, Gideon Shryock Papers MSS 14 Page 3 Gideon Shryock, Albert Fink, Elisha Winters, Ashland, Henry Clay, Main Street in Louisville, Whitestone, Old State Capitol, Fred Kluth, Winton House, Mathias 1 2 Newspaper Articles 1940-1955 Shryock, Elizabeth Shryock, Rev. Nathan Headington, Greek temple, Louisville City Hall, Jefferson County Courthouse, Transylvania University, Old Morrison, Thomas Library, Hunt- Morgan House, Dr. Richard H. Howland, Greek architecture Parthenon, Lord Elgin, Dr. Glanville Terrell, Post Office, Old State Capitol, Gideon Shryock, Mrs. Willis Field, Wright Merrick, Transylvania College, Prof. Robert Milligan, Old Morrison, Rafinesque, Jefferson Co. Court House, Louisville City Hall, Mary Todd House, Louisville Water Works, Fayette County Court House, 1 3 Alice S. Anderson, Newspaper Articles Undated Glengarry, Cassius Clay Home, White Cottage, Farmer Deweese, Nashville State Capitol, William Strickland, Mathias & Elizabeth Shryock, Williamsport, MD, Christ Episcopal Church, Morrison College, University Square in Louisville, Gov. Goebel, Mathias Shryock, Rev. James Moore, Burris A. Jenkins, William e. Railey, credit for construction of Old State Capitol, H. V. McChesney, Strickland Correspondence – 1902-1925 letters, William Strickland, 1 4 Mrs. Willis (Elizabeth) Alfred Pirtle, member of KY Field State Historical Society, Filson Club membership, “Giedon Shryock—His Life and Work” manuscript A. Brown Ransdall, credit for construction of Old State Capitol, Jefferson Co. Gideon Shryock Papers MSS 14 Page 4 Courthouse, Old Morrison, portrait of Gideon Shryock, Correspondence— 1926-1946 Shryock genealogy, Carl 1 5 Mrs. Willis (Elizabeth) Bernhardt, Mathias Shryock, Field Peerless Laundry, Old Medical School at University of Louisville, Allan Trout, John A. Bryan, Caroline Price, Clay Lancaster, 1 6 Correspondence—Ms. Mr. Clift, Mathias & Mary Jean Field 1933-1954 Elizabeth Shryock, Frank L. McCarthy, “Death of Gideon Shryock,” Louisville Water Works, Galt House 1 7 Family George Shryock, Gideon Correspondence 1823-1877 Shryock, Jacob Ashton, William Strickland, Sophia Shryock, Lafayette Academy examinations, thoughts about Civil War and Reconstruction 1 8 Shryock Genealogy & Letters from and to various Family History Shryock descendants as descendants search for connections to various Shryock families. Newspaper article about Martin Luther’s 1914-1939 descendants from Eisleben, Germany, letter extract from John Shryock, letter from Miss Mabel Shryock, Henry Shryock family record, letter from H. V. Jamison about Shryock family 1 9 Indenture between Contract between Transylvania College 1832 Transylvania Trustees and & Gideon Shryock Gideon Shryock to “erect and finish a college edifice,” Morrison College 1 10 Biographical Papers & Morrison Chapel, biography Papers about of Shryock, Morrison Shryock’s Architecture College, death of Mathias Shryock, Nov 5, 1833 Commencement in Morrison College, Louisville Courthouse, William undated Strickland, Gideon Shryock, His Life & Work by Mrs. Elizabeth S. Field, Louisville Buildings by Gideon Shryock by Caroline Price, KY State Capitol 1 11 Shryock Buildings Louisville Court House, KY undated Old State Capitol, AK State Capitol Gideon Shryock Papers MSS 14 Page 5 1 12 Buildings other than Postlehwait’s Tavern, TN Shryock-designed undated State Capitol, Monticello, University of VA, The Exchange, 1 13 Miscellaneous undated Turner Family Register, Transylvania College 1930 Commencement invitation, Historical Society of PA, Gideon Shryock, His Life and Work, pews of Christ Episcopal Church, Lexington, KY, Alexandrian Age art, 1823 50 cent notes, 1875 25 cent note 1 14 Poetry of Sophia “Hope,” “Melrose Cottage,” Shryock Oliver undated Marriage records, untitled poems, “Death and Flowers,” “Stanzas”

Strickland buildings, tomb of Matthias and Elizabeth Shryock, Morrison Chapel, Dr. Peter’s home, Dr. J. C. Architecture of Gideon Carrick, Louisville Court Shryock Scrapbook Undated House, Louisville Institute of 1 15 the Blind, Morrison Hall, Orlando Brown House, Capt. John Starks House, Southern National Bank, Louisville Water Works, AK State War Memorial, Old KY Capitol, , Franklin Co. Court House, 1 16 Mathias Shryock’s New Testament 1816 New Testament of Jesus Christ, translated “out of the original Greek” FF1.212 Scrapbook Most news clippings mention Gideon Shryock or his architecture, Transylvania College, J. Winston Coleman, Westminster Abbey, Elmendorf Farm, Lexington buildings,