William Nichols (architect)
Encyclopedia
William Nichols, Sr. was an English
-born architect
who emigrated to the United States
and became most famous for his early Neoclassical
-style buildings in the American South
. He is best known for designing early statehouse
s for North Carolina
, Alabama
and Mississippi
.
-style architecture in the 18th century. He was brought up in a family of builders, learning the trade through them. Nichols emigrated to North Carolina in 1800, initially settling in the New Bern
area. He married Mary Rew in 1805 and had taken his first apprentice by 1806. His earliest commissions in the area remain unclear, although several buildings have been suggested as candidates. He applied for American citizenship in 1813, and in 1815, following the death of his first wife, married Sarah Simons.
In 1818 Nichols was employed as North Carolina's state architect. This made him responsible for new state buildings and for repairs and improvements to existing ones. One of his early jobs in this capacity is believed by scholars to be the addition of an Ionic
portico
to the Governor's Palace in Fayetteville
. His most important commission during this time, however, was a complete remodeling of the old North Carolina State House, which he completed in 1822. Incorporating Palladian and early Greek Revival
elements, it included a new central rotunda surmounted by a dome. The Senate chamber and House of Commons both included galleries supported by Ionic columns. Widely admired at the time, it drew the praise of fellow architect Ithiel Town
. Nichols was involved in numerous private projects during this time, as well as projects at the University of North Carolina
.
Nichols relocated to Alabama in 1827, after receiving a commission from the legislature there to become the new state architect and build a state capitol building in the new capital of Tuscaloosa
. The new capitol building was cruciform
in plan, the second and third floors resting upon a high rusticated stone basement. The main eastern facade featured a gabled pseudo-portico with Ionic columns. The ground level contained main entrances, with identical north and south one-story porticoes supported by Doric
columns, each column carved from a single shaft of sandstone. A dome surmounted the central rotunda and was topped by a lantern that admitted light into the space. While working on the statehouse, Nichols also designed the original campus for the newly established University of Alabama
. Influenced by Thomas Jefferson
's plan at the University of Virginia
, the campus featured a 70 feet (21.3 m) wide, 70 feet (21.3 m) high domed rotunda
building that served as the library and nucleus of the campus. This building and all but one of Nichols' structures were razed by the Union Army
on April 4, 1865.
In 1833, with a letter of recommendation from his friend, Alabama Governor John Gayle, Nichols applied for the post of state architect for Mississippi. Although he didn't receive the job at the time, he was later summoned to Jackson
in 1835 to fill the post and assume construction of the new Mississippi capitol
. The configuration and ornament on the new building reflected his earlier statehouses in North Carolina and Alabama, on a grander scale. Nichols went on to design the Mississippi Governor's Mansion
, completed in 1842, and the Lyceum
at the University of Mississippi
, completed in 1848. He died on December 12, 1853, and was interred in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Lexington, Mississippi
.
, completed in 1840 following additional design work by Ithiel Town, Alexander Jackson Davis
, and David Paton. The capital of Alabama moved to Montgomery
in 1845; the old capitol building became the Alabama Central Female College in 1857. It fulfilled that role until it too burned on August 22, 1923 during renovations. Nichols' Mississippi capitol building was used until 1903, when the state government moved several blocks away to a new capitol designed by Theodore C. Link. Initially unused, it was eventually converted to state offices. Between 1959 and 1961 it was renovated for use as a state historical museum and served that purpose until 2005 when Hurricane Katrina seriously damaged the building. After being restored from 2006 to 2009, it reopened as the Old Capitol Museum, focusing on the history of the building, Mississippi government during the time that the Old Capitol served as the capitol building, civics, and preservation .
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
who emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and became most famous for his early Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
-style buildings in the American South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. He is best known for designing early statehouse
Statehouse
State House or statehouse may refer to:*The capitol building of a U.S. state; see list of state capitols in the United States**In this sense, "Statehouse" is sometimes used as a metonym for the state governor...
s for North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
Biography
William Nichols was born in 1780 in Bath, a center for English Palladian and AdamAdam style
The Adam style is an 18th century neoclassical style of interior design and architecture, as practiced by the three Adam brothers from Scotland; of whom Robert Adam and James Adam were the most widely known.The Adam brothers were the first to advocate an integrated style for architecture and...
-style architecture in the 18th century. He was brought up in a family of builders, learning the trade through them. Nichols emigrated to North Carolina in 1800, initially settling in the New Bern
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
area. He married Mary Rew in 1805 and had taken his first apprentice by 1806. His earliest commissions in the area remain unclear, although several buildings have been suggested as candidates. He applied for American citizenship in 1813, and in 1815, following the death of his first wife, married Sarah Simons.
In 1818 Nichols was employed as North Carolina's state architect. This made him responsible for new state buildings and for repairs and improvements to existing ones. One of his early jobs in this capacity is believed by scholars to be the addition of an Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
to the Governor's Palace in Fayetteville
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
. His most important commission during this time, however, was a complete remodeling of the old North Carolina State House, which he completed in 1822. Incorporating Palladian and early Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
elements, it included a new central rotunda surmounted by a dome. The Senate chamber and House of Commons both included galleries supported by Ionic columns. Widely admired at the time, it drew the praise of fellow architect Ithiel Town
Ithiel Town
Ithiel Town was a prominent American architect and civil engineer. One of the first generation of professional architects in the United States, Town made significant contributions to American architecture in the first half of the 19th century. He was high-strung, sophisticated, generous,...
. Nichols was involved in numerous private projects during this time, as well as projects at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
.
Nichols relocated to Alabama in 1827, after receiving a commission from the legislature there to become the new state architect and build a state capitol building in the new capital of Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
. The new capitol building was cruciform
Cruciform
Cruciform means having the shape of a cross or Christian cross.- Cruciform architectural plan :This is a common description of Christian churches. In Early Christian, Byzantine and other Eastern Orthodox forms of church architecture this is more likely to mean a tetraconch plan, a Greek cross,...
in plan, the second and third floors resting upon a high rusticated stone basement. The main eastern facade featured a gabled pseudo-portico with Ionic columns. The ground level contained main entrances, with identical north and south one-story porticoes supported by Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns, each column carved from a single shaft of sandstone. A dome surmounted the central rotunda and was topped by a lantern that admitted light into the space. While working on the statehouse, Nichols also designed the original campus for the newly established University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. Influenced by Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
's plan at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, the campus featured a 70 feet (21.3 m) wide, 70 feet (21.3 m) high domed rotunda
Rotunda (architecture)
A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...
building that served as the library and nucleus of the campus. This building and all but one of Nichols' structures were razed by the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
on April 4, 1865.
In 1833, with a letter of recommendation from his friend, Alabama Governor John Gayle, Nichols applied for the post of state architect for Mississippi. Although he didn't receive the job at the time, he was later summoned to Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
in 1835 to fill the post and assume construction of the new Mississippi capitol
Old Mississippi State Capitol
The Old Mississippi State Capitol, also known as Old Capitol Museum or Old State Capitol, is a building that is a Mississippi State Historic Site and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1990....
. The configuration and ornament on the new building reflected his earlier statehouses in North Carolina and Alabama, on a grander scale. Nichols went on to design the Mississippi Governor's Mansion
Mississippi Governor's Mansion
The Mississippi Governor's Mansion is a historic U.S. residence in Jackson, Mississippi, located at 300 East Capitol Street. It is the second oldest executive residence in the United States that has been continuously occupied as a gubernatorial residence .On November 25, 1969, it was added to the U.S...
, completed in 1842, and the Lyceum
Lyceum-The Circle Historic District
The Lyceum-The Circle Historic District is a historic district in Oxford, Mississippi that includes eight buildings and several monuments lining University Circle which surrounds "The Circle" on the campus of the University of Mississippi...
at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, completed in 1848. He died on December 12, 1853, and was interred in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Lexington, Mississippi
Lexington, Mississippi
Lexington is a city in Holmes County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,025 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Holmes County.-Geography:Lexington is located at ....
.
Legacy
The Old Mississippi State Capitol is the only one of Nichols' three statehouses to survive. The North Carolina State House burned in 1831 during roof repairs. However, Nichols and his son, William Nichols, Jr., did contribute to the design of the new North Carolina State CapitolNorth Carolina State Capitol
The North Carolina State Capitol is the main house of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Housing the offices of the Governor of North Carolina, it is located in the state capital of Raleigh on Union Square at One East Edenton Street. The cornerstone of the Greek Revival building was...
, completed in 1840 following additional design work by Ithiel Town, Alexander Jackson Davis
Alexander Jackson Davis
Alexander Jackson Davis, or A. J. Davis , was one of the most successful and influential American architects of his generation, in particular his association with the Gothic Revival style....
, and David Paton. The capital of Alabama moved to Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
in 1845; the old capitol building became the Alabama Central Female College in 1857. It fulfilled that role until it too burned on August 22, 1923 during renovations. Nichols' Mississippi capitol building was used until 1903, when the state government moved several blocks away to a new capitol designed by Theodore C. Link. Initially unused, it was eventually converted to state offices. Between 1959 and 1961 it was renovated for use as a state historical museum and served that purpose until 2005 when Hurricane Katrina seriously damaged the building. After being restored from 2006 to 2009, it reopened as the Old Capitol Museum, focusing on the history of the building, Mississippi government during the time that the Old Capitol served as the capitol building, civics, and preservation .
Extant
- Hayes Plantation HouseHayes PlantationHayes Plantation, also known as Hayes Farm, is a historic plantation near Edenton, North Carolina that belonged to Samuel Johnston , who served as Governor of North Carolina from 1787 to 1789. Johnston become one of the state's first two United States Senators, serving from 1789 until 1793, and...
(1814–17) in Edenton, North CarolinaEdenton, North CarolinaEdenton is a town in Chowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,966 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Chowan County. Edenton is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. In recent years Edenton has become a popular retirement location and a destination for...
. - Gerrard Hall (1822–37) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
in Chapel Hill, North CarolinaChapel Hill, North CarolinaChapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
. - Old West (1822–23) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Altered 1844–48)
- Eagle Lodge (1823) in Hillsborough, North CarolinaHillsborough, North CarolinaHillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
. - Mordecai HouseMordecai HouseThe Mordecai House , built in 1785, is a registered historical landmark and museum in Raleigh, North Carolina that is the centerpiece of Mordecai Historic Park, right outside the Historic Oakwood neighborhood. It is the oldest residence in Raleigh on its original foundation...
(1824) in Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh... - Gorgas House (1829) at the University of AlabamaUniversity of AlabamaThe University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
in Tuscaloosa, AlabamaTuscaloosa, AlabamaTuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
. The only Nichols-designed building to survive the destruction of the campus. - Christ Episcopal Church (1831) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Altered in 1882)
- ThornhillThornhill (Forkland, Alabama)Thornhill is a historic plantation near Forkland, Alabama. The Greek Revival main house was built in 1833 by James Innes Thornton. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 10, 1984.-History:...
(1833) in Forkland, AlabamaForkland, AlabamaForkland is a town in Greene County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 629. It is part of the Tuscaloosa, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Forkland has one site on the National Register of Historic Places, St...
. - Old Mississippi State CapitolOld Mississippi State CapitolThe Old Mississippi State Capitol, also known as Old Capitol Museum or Old State Capitol, is a building that is a Mississippi State Historic Site and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1990....
(1839) in Jackson, MississippiJackson, MississippiJackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
. - Mississippi Governor's MansionMississippi Governor's MansionThe Mississippi Governor's Mansion is a historic U.S. residence in Jackson, Mississippi, located at 300 East Capitol Street. It is the second oldest executive residence in the United States that has been continuously occupied as a gubernatorial residence .On November 25, 1969, it was added to the U.S...
(1842) in Jackson, Mississippi. - LyceumLyceum-The Circle Historic DistrictThe Lyceum-The Circle Historic District is a historic district in Oxford, Mississippi that includes eight buildings and several monuments lining University Circle which surrounds "The Circle" on the campus of the University of Mississippi...
(1848) at the University of MississippiUniversity of MississippiThe University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
in Oxford, MississippiOxford, MississippiOxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....
.
Destroyed
- Old North Carolina State House (1820–22) in Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Guilford County Courthouse (1820s) in Greensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
. - Davidson County Courthouse (1824–25) in Lexington, North CarolinaLexington, North CarolinaLexington is the county seat of Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 19,953. It is located in central North Carolina, twenty miles south of Winston-Salem. Major highways include I-85, U.S. Route 29, U.S. Route 70, U.S. Route 52 ...
. - Wake County Jail (1825) in Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Christ Episcopal Church (1826–29) in Raleigh, North Carolina.
- George E. Badger House (1827) in Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Old Alabama State Capitol (1827–29) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
- Forks of Cypress (1830) in Florence, Alabama.
- Original campus of the University of Alabama (1831) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.