WILLIAM JAY - REGENCY ARCHITECT IN GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA

137 Pages·07.857 MB·English

by  MCDONOUGH, JAMES VERNON

WILLIAM JAZ
Regency Architect in Georgia and South Carolina.
by
James Vernon McDonough
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A DISSERTATION
Presented to the
Facility of Princeton University
in Candidacy for the Degree
of Doctor of Philosophy
Recommended for Acceptance by the
Department of
Art and Archaeology
June 1950
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ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION
wTLLIAII JAY
Regency Architect in Georgia and South Carolina
In treating the architecture of the United States, scholars give
proper emphasis to the Georgian and Classic Revival periods but tend
to neglect the brief but important transition between the two,, the
Regency style in America. In spite of a universal aesthetic which gave
rise to the Classic Revival throughout the western world, architecture
in America continued to reflect English influence up through the early
years of the nineteenth century. This late influence was exerted
principally by professional architects trained in England, such as
Bulfinch of Boston and Latrobe and Haviland of Philadelphia.
Through similarity of background and training, ’william Jay occupies
a place of importance along with these men in bringing to an end an
outmoded eighteenth—century style and in giving impetus to the develop­
ment of the Greek Revival in America which was in full swing six years
after his return to England. Like other typical Regency architects,
he was versed in a knowledge of past historic styles and like the men
of the developed Classic Revival, he showed a preference for Greek
forms. A review of his work, however reveals that he was aware of all
that was talcing place in the development of English Regency architecture
through the contributions of its leading designers, particularly Sir
John Soane. In spite of his isolation and in view of the consistency
of his style, a specific evaluation of Regency in America can parhaps
best be realized through a study of the work of ’william Jay especially
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since the majority of it ivas limited to Savannah, Georgia for a soci­
ety decidedly pro-British. Because of her heavy commercial exchange
with England every aspect of Savannah's taste and culture continued
under direct influence from England rather than affected by other flour­
ishing cities in states to the north. The story of the architecture
of Savannah, consequently is one of successive buildings reflecting
taste and style of the mother country.
Because changes of time have obliterated or modified the larger
portion of Jay's structures, it is necessary to resort to restorations
of their plans and elevations for a clearer idea of original concept­
ions which are harmonious throughout. A consistency of style is always
evident, a style in which commonly occur elements that were repeatedly
used in the best English Regency work up through the first twenty years
of the nineteenth century.
Regardless of his source of inspiration, whether a historic style,
a specific building, or the work of a particular architect, YYilliam
Jay was never a copyist. Through a complete understanding of the canons
of his art, his designs were the product of his own fertile imagination.
Whether planning a mansion, theater, bank or church, he gave vent to
his own creative individuality by means of a discreet combination of
inspiration from both Greece and Rome, using their forms freely but
with restraint and dignity. Every aspect of his design was considered
from the standpoint of total effect with a skillful subjugation of de­
tail to general harmony.
In a very short time his potential greatness expressed itself in
the diversity of his proposed and executed works in Georgia and South
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Carolina. Originality and versatility are recorded not only in his
variety of different types of structures but in the manner in -which
he adapted his buildings to the needs of climate and locality.
Despite his brief stay of seven years in Savannah, v/illiam Jay's
tradition became so firmly implanted that it left a marked influence
on subsequent building there until the Civil Y/ar, and to the present
time it has never been completely ignored.
Although the strongest reflection of Jay’s style is to be seen
in Augusta, Georgia, his influence -was transmitted into other regions
of the South by visitors and carpenter-architects who were familiar
with his work in Savannah.
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WILLIAM JAT
VOLUME I - TEXT
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CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION............ . . . ................ 1
II. BACKGROUND AND TRAINING...................... 7
III. ALBION CHAPEL ............................. 13
IV. SAVANNAH................................. 17
V. JAY'S WORK IN SAVANNAH........................ 28
VI. JAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA........................ 79
VII. JAY INFLUENCE IN GEORGIA ................. 87
VIII. ENGLAND AND MAURITIUS........................ 92
NOTES...................................... 95
APPENDIX
A. CHRONOLOGY RELATED TO WILLIAM JAY....... 109
B. WILLIAM JAY'S EXHIBITS AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY 113
C. PROPORTIONS OF ORDERS JAY USED IN SAVANNAH 114
D. CARPENTER—ARCHITECTS WORKING IN GEORGIA . . 115
E. WILLIAM E T T Y .......................... 118
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................. 120
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I. INTRODUCTION
Little that has been written about the unique character of the archi­
tecture of the Far South goes beyond what was originally stated by Mrs*
Thaddeus Horton and J. Robie Kennedy in the early part of this century.
Consequently, after a lapse of almost fifty years and in view of the rapid
disappearance of both monuments and records, it seems imperative that the
problem receive immediate serious attention. Because of its vast scope
and the manner in which architecture varies within a region, because of
local culture, economics, climate and material, a study of Classic Revival
in the South in general, or one state or perhaps one city in particular,
would lack in ■uniformity and thoroughness. With this in mind, a more sig­
nificant contribution to the whole can be made by limiting it to a local
monograph, concerned with the introduction of the style, its establishment
in the taste of a particular locality, and the spread of its influence.
This study, therefore, is confined to one chapter, treating not the
whole story of architecture in the Far South or even one state, but the
young English-trained Regency architect, William Jay (ca. 1794^*1837), ■who
worked for a very short time in Savannah, Georgia, and "who with Robert
Mills may share the honor of having been the first to introduce the Greek
Revival movement into the Southeast."2 Since so little is generally known
about William Jay, and since his activity in America was limited to South
Carolina and Georgia, such a statement is apt to be dismissed as a slight
exaggeration at least. If, however, the meager documentary material re­
lated to h-im and an analysis of his work are considered, the result will
justify his scattered but growing recognition.
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2
First mention and criticism of* William Jay* s work appeared in the
Savannah Georgian. December 9, 1818, five days after the opening perfor­
mance in the theater designed and built by Mr. Jay. The author of the
article, a traveler evidently from the North and writing under the pseu­
donym, nPeregrinus,M paid tribute to Jay as a sound and capable architect
by comparing the theater’s beauty, comfort and acoustics with the finest
theaters in northern cities.3
Earliest publication of Jay's work appeared in 1823 in a Commercial
Directory of the United States for merchants and travellers* This book,
made up of some twenty-four chapters with each devoted to commercial in­
formation relative to a particular state, has as a frontispiece to each
chapter an illustration of the most prominent building or local scene in
the respective state. That chosen for the section on Georgia was an en­
graving of William Jay’s design for the Savannah Branch of the Bank of
the United States, completed in 1820. Such a choice indicates early wide­
spread recognition of Jay’s masterpiece of commercial building design.4-
James Elmes, eminent British architect, writer and teacher of John
Haviland paid tribute to the young architect by the very inclusion, in his
voluran on early nineteenth century London architecture, Albion Chapel,
Moorfields, designed by Jay when he was only twenty-tiro years old. Sig­
nificant too was the text in which Elmes commented on the pleasing and
c
original thinking evident in the design.
Again in 1831, Jay's work seemed sufficiently notable to be used in
an English publication of the History and Tonography of the United States
of America. The illustrations in this book are referred to as of "the
most beautiful buildings in the United States," and included among them is
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3
a second engraving of the Savannah Branch of the Bank of the United
States.^
Tyrone Power, the popular Irish actor, after a three—year tour in
this country, published his Impressions of America in 1836, On his visit
to Savannah he -was sufficiently impressed with William Jay's "very ambi­
tious looking dwellings .... and .... very well designed and well-built
theatre" to mention them in his book.?
After his visit about 1839, James Silk Buckingham published his Slave
States in America. In it he wrote of the ".... many handsome and commo­
dious brick buildings and an occassional private residence of brick and a
few mansions, built by an English architect, Mr. Jay, .... which are of
beautiful architecture, of sumptuous interior and combine as much elegance
and luxury as are to be found in any private dwelling in the country. "8
In 184.7, "G", who remains unident if led, reviewing Louisa Caroline
Tuthill's History of Architecture from the Earliest Times; its Present
Condition in Europe and the United States, declared tliat "an allusion at
least" should have been made to the "private edifices erected by the late
Mr. Jay in Savannah."9
Edward Andrew Crane and Eric Ellis Soderholtz, in 1895, in one of the
pioneer records of the architecture of the South, included a number of
illustrations of work by William Jay .10
Corinne Horton, with the publication of her Savannah and Parts of
the Far South, in I898, was the first American since the 1818 description
of the Savannah Theater to write about William Jay's architecture. Since
then, it has been referred to numerous times in print, but such references
have been, for the most part, local Savannah or Georgia publications and
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