Francis D. Lee facts for kids
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Francis D. Lee (born 1826, died 1885) was a talented American architect and inventor. He came from Charleston, South Carolina. He designed many important buildings. He also used his inventing skills during the American Civil War.
Life Story
Francis D. Lee finished his studies at the College of Charleston in 1846. He earned his master's degree two years later, in 1848. He was very involved in his community in Charleston. He was a member of the South Carolina Society and the Scots Rites Masonic Lodge. He also belonged to the Unitarian Church.
In 1852, the Unitarian Church in Charleston hired him. He was the architect chosen to make their church bigger and redesign it. This big project took him two years to finish. He worked as an architect until the American Civil War began.
War and Inventions
During the Civil War, Francis D. Lee became a Captain in the Confederate Army. He worked for General Beauregard. The General knew Lee was very inventive. He encouraged Lee to design a special boat. This boat was called The Torch. It was a small torpedo boat.
The Torch was a "spar boat." This means it had explosive devices. These devices were placed at the end of long poles, called spars. The Torch had three of these spars mounted at the front. Its job was to attack enemy warships that were blocking ports.
After the War
After the war ended, Lee went back to Charleston. He started an architecture business with Edward C. Jones. Their company was called Jones & Lee. Together, they designed many buildings and monuments that became famous across the country. Most of these were built in the 1850s.
In 1868, Lee moved to St. Louis. There, he partnered with a local architect named Thomas B. Annan. They quickly became well-known. They won a design competition for the St. Louis Merchant's Exchange Building. This huge building cost a lot of money to build and was finished in 1875. Lee and Annan stopped working together in 1876.
In 1884, Francis D. Lee helped start the first St. Louis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. He did this with several other architects from the area.
Buildings Designed by Francis D. Lee
Here are some of the important buildings Francis D. Lee designed:
| Name of Building | Location | Date Built | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citadel Square Baptist Church | 328 Meeting St., Charleston, South Carolina | 1855 | |
| Farmers' and Exchange Bank | 141 E. Bay St., Charleston, South Carolina | 1854 | Became a National Historic Landmark in 1973 |
| Kensington Plantation House | 4101 McCords Ferry Road, Eastover, South Carolina | 1851-1853 | Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 |
| Old Colleton County Jail | Jeffries Blvd., Walterboro, South Carolina | 1856 | Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 |
| Orangeburg County Jail | 44 Saint John St., Orangeburg, South Carolina | 1857-1860 | Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 |
| St. Luke's Episcopal Church | 24 Elizabeth St., Charleston, South Carolina | 1862 | |
| St. Mark's Church | W of Pinewood on SR 51, Pinewood, South Carolina | 1855 | Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 |
| Unitarian Church | 6 Archdale St., Charleston, South Carolina | 1852 | Became a National Historic Landmark in 1973 |
