Leila Ross Wilburn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leila Ross Wilburn
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| Born | November 8, 1885 |
| Died | November 12, 1967 |
| Alma mater | Agnes Scott College |
| Occupation | Architect |
Leila Ross Wilburn (1885–1967) was a very important architect in the early 1900s. She was one of the first women in Georgia to become an architect. She designed many homes, especially for middle-class families. Her work helped shape the look of neighborhoods across the Southern United States.
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Her Early Life and Training
Leila Ross Wilburn was born in Macon, Georgia. She was the first of five children. Her father was a bookkeeper. Her mother had studied art at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts.
In 1895, her family moved to Atlanta because of an economic downturn. From 1902 to 1904, Wilburn attended Agnes Scott Institute. There, she studied liberal arts and science. She also took special lessons in architectural drawing.
After college, Wilburn traveled around the country. She wanted to learn about the new Arts and Crafts movement in home design. She collected about 5,000 photos of homes that inspired her.
In 1906 and 1907, she worked as an apprentice for B. R. Padgett and Son. This company specialized in designing homes. She learned most of her skills there. She became the second female architect in the South. Her first big project was designing a three-story building. It became the YMCA gym at Georgia Military Academy (now Woodward Academy).
Becoming an Independent Architect
In 1909, Leila Wilburn started her own architecture firm. She focused on designing homes. At the time, home design was seen as a good field for women architects. She opened her office in the Peters Building. This building was home to real estate agents and developers. This helped her connect with people who built houses.
Instead of working for very rich clients, Wilburn designed homes for middle-class families. She sold her designs through special books called "plan books." This was a smart idea because Atlanta's suburbs were growing fast. Many new homes and apartments were needed. Builders and developers bought her plan books and used her designs to build hundreds of houses. This way, middle-class families could have well-designed homes without paying high architect fees.
Wilburn published nine plan books, starting with Southern Homes and Bungalows in 1914. She is the only known female architect to have published plan books. In her first book, she focused on homes that suited the warm climate of the Southeast. These homes often had porches and sunrooms. Her ready-made plans cost between $25 and $40. Custom plans cost more than $100.
Wilburn is best known for her Craftsman style homes. But she also created designs for brick, ranch, and colonial style houses. She often said that being a woman helped her design better homes. She believed she knew "the little things" that make a house a pleasure for the whole family. However, she didn't always encourage other women to become architects. She felt the long training and low starting pay made it a good choice only for women who were very committed to a long career.
During World War I, Wilburn worked for the War Department in 1918. She was at Fort McPherson in Atlanta. In World War II, she worked as an engineering drafter.
Later Life and Legacy
Leila Wilburn continued to work as an architect until she passed away in 1967. She is buried in Decatur Cemetery.
Many people consider Wilburn to be Georgia's most productive architect. She designed at least 80 houses, 20 apartment buildings, and 24 duplexes in Atlanta alone. Many homes in the MAK Historic District in Decatur were also her designs. You can also find Wilburn homes in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Michigan.
Every May, the City of Decatur gives out the Leila Ross Wilburn Award. This award honors people or groups who help preserve old buildings or create excellent new designs. The Atlanta Historical Society has over 300 sets of her house plans.
In 2018, Sarah J. Boykin and Susan M. Hunter wrote a book about the homes built from Wilburn's plan books. They explored her impact and achievements. The University of Georgia Press described her work as "appealing, historic homes." They said her designs are some of the best examples of Southern architecture from the plan book tradition.
Notable Buildings She Designed
Here are some of the buildings attributed to Leila Ross Wilburn:
- Horner Houses, 304 and 308 N. Fisher St., Burlington, NC (NRHP-listed)
- Hedrick-Ashley House, 310 S. 10th Ave., Lanett, Alabama (1916, Design No. 564, from Southern Homes And Bungalows)
- Kidd House, 222 Hartwell Rd., Lavonia, GA (NRHP-listed)
- Martin Historic District, Along both sides of GA 17 and the Norfolk Southern RR tracks, Martin, GA (NRHP-listed)
- Piedmont Park Apartments, 266 11th St., Atlanta, GA (NRHP-listed)
- Piedmont and Third Condominiums, previously known as The Chatham Court, 690 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA (NRHP-listed)
- Alexander Stephens Skelton House, 214 Athens St., Hartwell, GA (NRHP-listed)
- One or more works in Ayden Historic District, Ayden, NC (NRHP-listed)
- One or more works in Collins Avenue Historic District, Collins Ave., Acworth, GA (NRHP-listed)
- One or more works in Greenville Street-LaGrange Street Historic District, Newnan, GA (NRHP-listed)
- One or more works in West Avenue-Roberts Street Residential Historic District, Lavonia, GA (NRHP-listed)
- One or more works in Winnona Park Historic District, Decatur, GA (NRHP-listed)
- Candler Park, 1234 Mclendon Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30307
- Virginia Highland, 1102 Saint Charles Pl NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
- Morningside, 1319 Northview Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
- Historic Druid Hills, 923 Springdale Road, Atlanta, GA 30307
- Sherman House, 16870 Co Rd 32, Summerdale, AL, 36580 (constructed 1937 from plan #5668 in Homes in Good Taste)
Awards and Recognition
In 1961, Wilburn was honored by the Society of American Registered Architects. At that time, their membership certificate still said, "Having given evidence of his qualifications...." This shows how rare it was for a woman to be an architect then.
In 2003, Wilburn was named a Georgia Woman of Achievement. She was recognized as "one of the pioneering women architects in the United States."
