Introduction
This exhibit highlights the work of master builders who were skilled in the design and construction of buildings. In some cases, they collaborated with architects, but often they designed the structures themselves. Many of these builders assumed several roles, a hallmark of the evolving nature of the architecture, engineering and construction industry.
It also highlights delineators, or technical illustrators, whose work is found within the architectural collections at the Foundation. They were responsible for bringing architectural drawings to life in a time when artistry was important, before it was largely replaced by digital renderings. Their work was instrumental in selling the project and was shown to clients, investors, and the public to garner support.
Ernest Benjamin Walton
Ernest Benjamin (E.B.) Walton
Prior to his distinguished career as a Florida developer, builder, and designer, Ernest Benjamin (E.B.) Walton (1881-1976) was born in Nebraska and graduated from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania with a degree in civil engineering in 1907. Walton worked for Pencoyd Iron Works near Philadelphia as a structural steel draftsman and served in the United States Army Corps of Engineers during World War I (and later as an engineer in World War II). One of his first major projects was the Glenburnie Inn in Lake George, New York.
Walton moved to West Palm Beach in 1917 and soon established his contracting firm E.B. Walton Inc. His first projects were in the El Cid neighborhood of West Palm Beach. He later developed the subdivisions and streets in Palm Beach: Monterey Road, Colonial Lane, Sanford Avenue and the East Shore Addition-Plantation Road and Southland Road. He also developed the North Shore Addition which included Seagate, Dolphin, and Reef Road. In 1945, he developed Mount Vernon Motor Lodges throughout Florida including West Palm Beach.
Walton developed over 200 projects in Palm Beach and worked with architects such as John Volk, Maurice Fatio, Belford Shoumate, and Wyeth, King, & Johnson. Depending on the project, Walton served as designer, builder, or developer. His work is recognizable for its clear interpretation of Mediterranean Revival. Walton’s company was passed down to his son E.B. Walton II and grandson, E.B. Walton III.
Harry Corwin
Harry (H.R.) Corwin
Originally from Nebraska, Harry (H.R.) Corwin (1891-1967) and his carpenter father, Henry, moved to Palm Beach in 1911. In 1922, Corwin established his contracting firm, Harry R. Corwin and Co., and worked out of his garage apartment on Hibiscus Avenue — which would become his family home and later the site of Pan’s Garden. From 1916 to 1926, Corwin built 35 projects in Palm Beach with architects Marion Sims Wyeth, Addison Mizner, and Maurice Fatio. Along with the Golfview Road Development, Corwin worked on notable residences such as Frederick Guest’s Villa Artemis, Henry Bingham’s Casa Apava, and Wyeth’s Middle Road house. In addition to building, Corwin served on the Palm Beach Town Council from 1932-1962. To learn more about Corwin, view our Preservation in Place exhibit.
Cooper Crawford Lightbown
Cooper Crawford Lightbown
Cooper Crawford Lightbown (1886-1941) began his building career in Washington D.C. before moving to Palm Beach and finding work as a carpenter in 1912. Lightbown is credited with the construction of several Mizner oceanfront estates, including the Stotesbury and Dodge mansions, and Mar-a-lago. He also worked on the original construction of the Everglades Club in 1919. In 1922, Lightbown was elected as mayor of Palm Beach, which he served for six years. Regarding Palm Beach, Lightbown once remarked, “If Addison Mizner had not met up with Paris Singer when Paris was in the mood to spend his money, Palm Beach would have been only a flag stop of the Florida East Coast Railway.” After his tenure as mayor, Lightbown left South Florida to establish a family-based construction firm in Maryland. The firm was best known for developing the English village-styled Brookdale community in 1938.
Seth Harrison Gurnee
Seth Harrison (S.H.) Gurnee
Seth Harrison (S.H.) Gurnee (1888-1979) was born in Brooklyn, New York and studied at the Pratt Institue and the Art Students League in New York City. For three seasons, Gurnee designed and painted scenery for the Beaux Arts Ball at the Astor Hotel. In 1946, Gurnee entered the field of architectural delineation at the Tennessee Valley Authority in Knoxville, Tennessee. Here, he was commissioned to draw dams in Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina. Gurnee’s self-taught technique as a delineator was inspired by the late Otto R. Eggers, the architect behind the Jefferson Monument and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Gurnee drew the plans for his home in Lake Worth and enjoyed building early American furniture and picture frames.
Wallace McTammany
Wallace McTammany
Wallace McTammany (1921-2015) was one of the most prolific architectural delineators of the twentieth century. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island and attended the Rhode Island School of Design. McTammany started out as an architectural draftsman for George Voltaw – who previously worked for Treanor and Fatio Architects — before focusing on renderings. McTammany’s watercolor renderings ranged from private residences to office buildings, houses of worship, highway systems and more. Like his mentor S.H. Gurnee, McTammany was inspired by architect Otto R. Eggers.
Between 1944 and 1996, McTammany completed 163 commissions in Palm Beach alone and had 3,448 credits in 34 states. Throughout his career, he worked with architects such as Marion Sims Wyeth, John Stetson, John L. Volk, and Howard Major. He was a member of the Palm Beach Chapter of American Institute of Architects (AIA), where he received an honor award. About his specialized field, McTammany once remarked “It’s up to me to take the architect’s design and make it smashing. After I make the rendering, it’s the architect’s job to carry it as far as his talent allows.”
John Schell Lewis
John Schell Lewis
John Schell Lewis (1886-1974) was born in Moline, Illinois before moving to New York when he was a child. By 1920, Lewis was known for his skill in architectural delineation. He worked at the office of Charles A. Platt and was briefly licensed as an architect when he moved to West Palm Beach in December 1925.
