Ellamae Ellis League

Ellamae Ellis League, FAIA (July 9, 1899 – March 4, 1991) was an American architect, the fourth woman registered architect in Georgia and "one of Georgia and the South's most prominent female architects."[3] She practiced for over 50 years, 41 of them from her own firm. From a family of architects, she was the first woman elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) in Georgia and only the eighth woman nationwide. Several buildings she designed (including her own home) are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). In 2016 she was posthumously named a Georgia Woman of Achievement.

Ellamae Ellis League
Born
Ellamae Ellis

(1899-07-09)July 9, 1899
Macon, Georgia
DiedMarch 4, 1991(1991-03-04) (aged 91)
Macon, Georgia
OccupationArchitect
Years active1922–1975
Children2[1][2]
Relatives
Signature

Biography

Ellamae Ellis was born in Macon, Georgia on July 9, 1899, the fourth child of Susan Dilworth Choate and Joseph Oliver Ellis.[4] She attended public schools and graduated from Lanier High School in 1916.[5]. She attended nearby Wesleyan College in 1917 and 1918[6] but did not graduate, as her marriage to George Forest League on June 27, 1917,[4] would change her path.

League's children Jean and Joe were born in 1919 and 1921. In 1922 her husband of five years left her, so she found herself divorced with two children and no means of income. Six generations of her family had been architects including Charles Edward Choate, a well known architect in Atlanta at the time.[7] Several other relatives were artists including Nell Choate Jones and Nell Choate Shute.[8] According to League's son Joe, the architect Curran R. Ellis (1872–1934), who designed the county courthouse and baseball stadium in Macon, is a distant relative as well.[9] League credited her uncle with "putting the idea in her head" of becoming an architect.[2]

Early career

In 1922 the Georgia School of Technology, whose Department of Architecture was the primary venue for architecture education in Georgia,[10] did not allow women to attend. (This would not change until 1952).[11] In a later newspaper interview League observed, "it's almost impossible to get a license in this state, unless you have a diploma from Georgia Tech. And women are barred as students there."[2]

League had to seek out a different route to an architectural education. She found a job as an apprentice at the Macon firm of Dunwody and Oliphant, where she worked from 1922 to 1929.[6] While working, she took correspondence courses[7] from the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design (BAID) from 1924 to 1926.[6] BAID was modeled after the École des Beaux-Arts in France and League wanted to take her education further in that vein. Leaving her young children with her parents, she continued her education with a year at Ecole des Beaux-Arts at Fontainebleau, which she attended with her cousin Nell Choate Shute in 1927 and 1928. Of the thirty people in her architecture class there, only three were women.[7]

The Herman and Allene Shaver House (1936)

Upon her return she worked with other architects in Macon including George W. Shelverton and William F. Oliphant. When Oliphant started his own firm, League went with him along with Delmar A. Warren, a Georgia Tech student. Oliphant died suddenly in April 1933 at the age of 40,[12] leaving League and Warren with a problem – neither was licensed, so they could finish existing commissions but could not legally accept new work.[13]

The state registration for architects in Georgia required either an architecture degree (which League did not have) or ten years experience in a licensed office (which she did) and passing a week-long examination. Her uncle gave her a crash course in the engineering parts of the test with which she was not familiar. She passed that part of the exam but failed the test on design – which was her strong suit. (One of the examiners disliked her submission). She commented later that the test was "designed to keep you out." She quickly retook that part of the exam and passed.[14]

Her own practice

League opened her own firm in October 1933.[6] At that time only two percent of American architects were women, and the percentage of women architects in Georgia was particularly low. League was only the fourth woman registered as an architect in the state.[15] Most women architects at this time concentrated on residence design, but League took on a wide variety of projects.[16] The list of her commissions from 1934 through 1969 includes many residences but also offices, retail stores, churches, schools, public housing, auditoriums, gymnasiums, hospitals, a service station and a reservoir.[17]

The Lee Happ house (1941) at 1271 South Jackson Springs Road in Shirley Hills in Macon is her "best known and most copied residential design".[18]

I am always an architect. Not a woman architect, but an architect. I encourage women going into the profession not to concentrate on being separate as a woman but to concentrate on being a good architect.

— Ellamae Ellis League, Macon Telegraph interview, 1962[19]

As her firm was founded in the middle of the Great Depression, one source of non-residence projects was commissions by the Public Works Administration. League designed a number of schools and hospitals. These became "her favorite projects, because they were so complex and were public buildings."[16]

Another source of many commissions was James H. Porter, president of the Macon-based Bibb Manufacturing Company.[20] His philanthropic commissions for League in Macon led to work in other locations where Bibb had operations around the statue, including Porterdale[21] and Bibb City.[22]

League did not establish her own distinctive style but instead followed the Ecole des Beaux Arts philosophy of "designing something that answers the need of the owner as far as function is concerned and which is pleasant to look at for both the owner and the public."[23] She designed buildings in such styles as Colonial Revival[24][25][26], Classical Revival[22], French Vernacular Revival,[25] Contemporary,[27] and others.

Her firm expanded in the Post-World War II era, and League hired many young architects and gave them their start.[28] One was Georgia Tech student Bernard A. Webb, who went on to design noted residences in the Macon area himself.[29] League's own daughter Jean (later known as Jean League Newton) graduated from the Harvard School of Design in 1944[30] and joined League in her architectural practice.[1] The firm eventually changed its name to League, Warren & Riley.[20]

Over her career League undertook commissions in five states and 42 different counties in Georgia. A collection of 9,200 of her architectural drawings is held at the Washington Memorial Library in Macon.[31]

Community involvement

She was selected to be a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in June 1944,[32] only the second woman from Georgia. For years she was the only woman member of the Atlanta chapter of AIA, and held several offices at the chapter and state level.[28] In 1957 she established the Macon chapter of AIA and was its first president. Later she was chairman of the committee formed to unify the Georgia chapters, and served as president of the resulting Georgia Council of AIA from 1963 to 1964.[33]

In 1968 League became the first woman in Georgia to be named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects,[34] having been nominated for that honor by the Georgia Council "for service to the profession."[5] She was one of only eight women architects named an FAIA up to that date.[4]

She was also involved in various civic organizations in Macon including the Macon Civic Improvement Committee and the Macon Little Theater.[33] When demolition was threatened for Macon's Grand Opera House in 1967, League helped form the Macon Arts Council, Inc. to save it, and subsequently supervised the restoration of the building in 1969 and 1970.[35]

Later life

League retired from her practice in 1975 after suffering a serious illness[36] but remained an Emeritus member of AIA.[37] She continued to receive honors from her profession after her retirement (see Honors below). She died on March 4, 1991[4] and is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Macon.[38][39]

The tradition of architects in League's family has continued. Along with her daughter Jean, her grandson Joseph Choate League Jr. (1944-2018) was also an architect.[40]

NRHP listed properties

League designed, collaborated on, or restored a number of properties now listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP):

Jones County High School (1936)

Other works

Selected additional works by League:

Honors

League was awarded the Alumnae Award for Distinguished Achievement by Wesleyan College in 1969.[67] She received the Ivan Allen Senior Trophy for her work on the Macon opera house renovation in 1975.[68] On her retirement, League was presented the AIA Bronze Medal for "outstanding service to the AIA and/or the community." The Georgia chapter bestowed their Bernard R. Rothschild FAIA Award ("the highest honor AIA Georgia can bestow on an individual") on her in 1982, its inaugural year.[69] In 2016 she was posthumously inducted into the Georgia Women of Achievement Hall of Fame.[19]

See also

References

Notes
  1. Berkeley & McQuaid 1989, p. 180.
  2. McMullen 2013, p. 16.
  3. Brock 2004, p. 14.
  4. Ray 2005.
  5. "Nomination for Fellowship by Chapter". (September 27, 1967) found in AIA 1991, pp. 8–12
  6. League 1946, p. 1.
  7. Brock 2004, p. 16.
  8. "Creator Record – Shute, Nell Choate". Columbus Museum. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2017. Nell Choate Shute was the product of a very talented family whose other members included the painter Nell Choate Jones and the architect Ellamae League.
  9. Fain, Travis (November 10, 2003). "Little Martha's Death is Not Her Own". Macon Telegraph. Retrieved April 18, 2017. Joe League lives in Shirley Hills and always understood himself to be related to the Ellis family through his mother – Ellamae Ellis League, a prominent local architect much like Martha's brother Curran. The family trees available don't list the same names, but it seems likely League's side branched off before Martha was born. League believes his great-grandfather was a brother of Martha's grandfather, William Ellis.
  10. "Built By Women: Ellamae Ellis League Residence, Macon, Georgia". Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation. August 2, 2014. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014.
  11. Terraso, David (March 21, 2003). "Georgia Tech Celebrates 50 Years of Women". Georgia Tech. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  12. Withey, Henry F.; Withey, Elsie Rathburn (1970) [1956]. Biographical Dictionary of American Architects (Deceased). Hennessey & Ingalls, Inc. (Facsimile Edition). p. 448. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  13. Love 1981, pp. 16–17. cited in Brock 2004, p. 16
  14. Love 1981, pp. 18–19. cited in Brock 2004, pp. 16–17
  15. Smith 1979, p. 85-87. cited in Brock 2004, p. 17
  16. Brock 2004, p. 17.
  17. Love & League 2004.
  18. Brock 2004, p. 13.
  19. Corley, Laura (March 6, 2016). "Three Georgia women to be honored posthumously Wednesday at Wesleyan". Macon Telegraph. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  20. Pallante 1999, p. 7.
  21. "2015 Preservation Awards: Excellence in Preservation – Porter Memorial Gymnasium, Porterdale, Newton County, Porterdale, Newton County". Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. 2015. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2017. Constructed in 1938, the Porter Memorial Gymnasium was a gift to the city of Porterdale from Oliver and Julia Porter, owners of the Bibb Manufacturing Company.
  22. Brock, Gretchen A. (December 2009). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Bibb City Historic District". National Park Service. pp. 20, 24. Retrieved April 24, 2017. With 7 photos from October 2008
  23. Love 1981, p. 46. cited in Brock 2004, p. 17
  24. Pallante 1999, p. 6.
  25. Speno 2014, p. 7.
  26. "Porterdale is Georgia's 85th Certified Local Government". Georgia Department of Natural Resources Historic Preservation Division. January 30, 2013. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2017. The City of Porterdale is currently involved in several preservation projects, including the rehabilitation of the Colonial Revival-style Porter Memorial Gymnasium. Built in 1938, the historic gymnasium was designed by noted Macon architect Ellamae Ellis League and served as a community space until burning in 2005. The city broke ground on rehabilitating the gymnasium earlier this month.
  27. Speno 2014, p. 4.
  28. Brock 2004, p. 18.
  29. "Macon home listed on National Register of Historic Places". Macon Telegraph. February 10, 2016. Archived from the original on February 11, 2016.
  30. Howard, Trudy (February 26, 1956). "Talk About Careers". The San Bernardino Sun. p. 43. Prejudice against older women? Not any more than against younger women! Down in Macon, Ga., Ellamae League started her career, in order to support her two children, without a day's previous training. Her first job was as a draftswoman in the office of a local architect. In 1928, convinced that architecture was the field for her, she left her two children with their grandmother and went off to study at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. After serving her apprenticeship, she opened her own office in Georgia about 20 years ago. Her architectural assignments have included working on schools, mill villages, stores, factories, private homes and the Macon airport building. Besides, she has a bonus satisfaction in her career. Her daughter, Jean, who graduated from the Harvard School of Design in 1944, also is a full-fledged architect today.
  31. "Ellamae Ellis League Inducted in the Georgia Women of Achievement Hall of Fame". Middle Georgia Regional Library System. March 10, 2016. Archived from the original on January 29, 2017. Retrieved April 10, 2016. In 1934 League became part of the only two percent of American architects who were women at that time. Over 9,200 of League’s architectural drawings are held at the Washington Memorial Library including commissions within five states and forty-two Georgia counties.
  32. AIA 1991, p. 6.
  33. Brock 2004, p. 19.
  34. Allaback, Sarah (2008). The First American Women Architects. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. pp. 4, 238. ISBN 9780252033216. OCLC 167518574. Archived from the original on April 10, 2017. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  35. Mitchell, William R. (April 1970). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Grand Opera House". National Park Service. pp. 2, 3. Retrieved April 25, 2017. The same commendation as above could be given Mrs. League and her staff. They have carefully restored and refurbished what was relatively well-preserved, and put back anything taken away after 1905....In 1967 and 1968 to save the about to be razed building, the Macon Arts Council, Inc. was formed under the guidance of prominent citizens, including the architect Mrs. Ellamae Ellis League. With 3 photos from June 1970
  36. League, Ellamae Ellis (December 3, 1977). "Application for Emeritus Status". Letter to American Institute of Architects. found in AIA 1991, p. 20
  37. AIA 1991, p. 23.
  38. Walden, Katherine (October 27, 2016). "A colorful past and cultural present in Macon". Macon Telegraph. Archived from the original on October 28, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2017. The history of some of the other more famous citizens included Jane Winston as Ellamae Ellis League, who practiced architecture in Macon for more than 50 years in the last half of the 20th century, after working for the Dunwody firm, which encouraged her to attend architecture school — a most unusual move in a then male-dominated field. League’s work, which included houses, commercial buildings, schools, public housing and hospitals is represented on the National Trust’s list of historically significant structures.
  39. "Interment: Ellamae Ellis League". Riverside Cemetery. Retrieved April 19, 2017. Lot Designation: Daisy, Row G, Lot 14 Includes obituary, gravestone photo and useful links.
  40. Cloues 2008, p. 19.
  41. Pallante 1999.
  42. Lurie-Smith, Debbie (July 19, 2007). "Civic Center to be renamed for W. E. Knox". The Jones County News. Archived from the original on 2011-01-07. Retrieved April 10, 2017. ...friends and former Jones County High School students who filled the Charlotte Wilson Conference Room at the Government Center supporting the request of Sam Kelly....Kelly said he focused on the old high school building after a conversation with former Commission Chairman G.B. Moore III. Kelly said he told Moore his idea of naming something for Knox and Moore suggested the former high school building.
  43. Moffson, Steven; Acosta, Ruben (August 2013). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Herman and Allene Shaver House" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2017. Includes 25 photos from 2013.
  44. Brock 2004.
  45. "Ellamae Ellis League House, Macon, Georgia". National Park Service. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  46. Cloues 2008.
  47. Kovac Jr., Joe (February 20, 2009). "House in Shirley Hills getting historic designation today". Macon Telegraph. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  48. Speno 2014, p. 9.
  49. McMullen 2013, p. 19.
  50. Moffson, Steven (July 2001). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Porterdale Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved April 25, 2017. With 71 photos from October 2001, #12 is the Porter Gymnasium.
  51. Knowles, Barbara (May 17, 2013). "Care being given to restore Porterdale Gym as architect intended". Rockdale Newton Citizen. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  52. "Porter Memorial Gymnasium". Lominack Kolman Smith Architects. 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2017. (Includes 9 photos of the building).
  53. Raflo, Lisa (May 1989). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: North Harris Street Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved April 13, 2017. With 28 photos from June 1988
  54. Owen, Mike (August 29, 2013). "Renovated Comer Center reopens after $2 million in repairs". Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. Archived from the original on April 25, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  55. "Weather damage repaired, Comer Center returns to Bibb City". WTVM. September 5, 2013. Archived from the original on May 19, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017 – via WALB. Formerly known as Comer Auditorium, it returns to the community after a long hiatus. The building on 41st street has been a venue for concerts, sporting events, and a place for the youth of Columbus to spend time after school since 1941. Bill Holland remembers it as his home away from home.
  56. Speno, Lynn (February 2016). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Ingleside Historic District" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017. Includes 39 photos from October 2014.
  57. League, Ellamae Ellis (1949). "Senior High School for Negro Boys and Girls for Bibb County Board of Education and Orphanage" – via Middle Georgia Archives, Washington Memorial Library. Ballard-Hudson High School in Bibb County was designed by Ellamae Ellis League, who opened her own architecture practice in Macon in 1934. Before her retirement in 1975, League designed many churches, schools, and hospitals, which were reportedly her favorite projects.
  58. Herold, Kendall (October 4, 2009). "Ballard Hudson Middle School: A 'Historic' Dedication". News Central. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  59. Love & League 2004, p. 17,29.
  60. Speno 2014.
  61. Milburn, Betty (September 28, 1957). "We Wanted A Completely Informal House". Tucson Daily Citizen. p. 39. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018 – via newspapers.com. The charming wing-swept new home of Mr. and Mrs. John Haynes Jr. was designed by Ellamae Ellis League, AIA, long-time friend from Macon, Ga. Includes 4 photos.
  62. Love & League 2004, p. 26.
  63. McMaster, Cecilia (November 16, 1957). "Burnt Adobe Accents Best Home". Tucson Daily Citizen. p. 36. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018 – via newspapers.com. From the soft Moroccan rugs to the furniture and accessories, shades of beige, brown and black were chosen for this home designed by Mrs. Ellamae Ellis League, AIA, Mrs. Best's sister of Macon, Ga. Includes 3 photos.
  64. McMullen 2013, p. 18.
  65. Love & League 2004, p. 28.
  66. Fabian, Liz (June 1, 2017). "Gregg Allman and Cher had hidden hideaway in 'Grand Topper' house". Macon Telegraph. Archived from the original on June 29, 2017.
  67. "Ellamae Ellis League, Class of 1921". The Wesleyan Alumnae. Macon, Georgia: Wesleyan College Alumnae Assn. May 1969. p. 22. OCLC 17682092. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  68. Brock 2004, p. 12.
  69. "Honor Awards Presented by the American Institute of Architects, Georgia Association" (PDF). AIA Georgia. 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  70. Brock 2004, p. 10-11.
  71. Brock 2004, p. 9-10.
  72. Brock 2004, p. 11.

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