A Guide to the Charles F. Gillette, Papers, ca. 1880-1985 (bulk 1918-1969)
Accession Number 34472
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia



Contact Information:
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Phone: (804) 692-3888 (Archives Reference)
Fax: (804) 692-3556 (Archives Reference)
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov (Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/

Processed by: Library of Virginia Staff

© 2005 By the Library of Virginia. All rights reserved.

Conditions of Use

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Charles F. Gillette, Papers, ca. 1880-1985 (bulk 1918-1969). Accession 34472 , Business records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Gift of the University of Virginia, Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library, Charlottesville, Virginia, 21 July 1993.

Gift of David Cottrell, Richmond, Virginia, 10 December 1993. Accession 35686.

Gift of Thomas Wack, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 30 July 2002. Accession 40039.

Lent for copying by Mr. and Mrs. Eppa Hunton, Richmond, Virginia, 10 October 2002. Accession 40047.

Gift of Beverly Riedel, Richmond, Virginia 17 October 2002. Accession 40081.

Gift of Irene Preston, Richmond, Virginia, 15 July 2003. Accession 40075.

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Mark M. Gambill, Richmond, Virginia, 1 April 2003. Accession 40600.

Gift of Bertie D. Heiner, Charlottesville, Virginia, 26 November 2002. Accession 40231.

Gift of Mary Converse, Richmond, Virginia, 5 November 2003. Accession 40959.

Gift of Mrs. Thomas H. Wyllie, Jr., Richmond, Virginia, 24 February 2004. Accession 41083.

Gift of Paul and Julia Overstreet, Goode, Virginia, 24 February 2004. Accession 41097.

Lent for copying by John W. Pearsall, Richmond, Virginia, 27 February 2004. Accession 41104.

Lent for copying by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Freeman, Richmond, Virginia, 11 March 2004. Accession 41121.

Lent for copying by Yvonne Gold, Richmond, Virginia, 16 March 2004. Accession 41122.

Lent for copying by W. T. Lamm III, Wilson, North Carolina, 16 March 2004. Accession 41123.

Lent for copying by Mr. and Mrs. George T. Jamerson, Richmond, Virginia, 16 March 2004. Accession 41125.

Gift of Jane Tucker, Richmond, Virginia 19 March 2004. Accession 41126.

Gift of Jeanne Hamilton, New York, New York, 4 May 2004. Accession 41212.

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Johnson, Richmond, Virginia, 30 March 2004. Accession 41213.

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Johnson, Richmond, Virginia, 30 March 2004. Accession 41214.

Gift of Susan Green, Chester, Virginia, 15 March 2004. Accession 41215.

Gift of Constance F. Ingles, White Marsh, Virginia, 19 May 2004. Accession 41236.

Gift of Thomas H. White, Vienna, Virginia, 26 May 2004. Accession 41234.

Gift of Jean and Arnold Frederick, Richmond, Virginia, 30 March 2004. Accession 41234.

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Wesley O. Morris, Midlothian, Virginia, 15 June 2004. Accession 41351.

Gift of Wyatt A. Williams, Jr., Houston, Texas, 8 June 2004. Accession 41439.

Gift of Shelley Arthur, Richmond, Virginia, 11 May 2004. Accession 41441.

Gift of Josephine L. Schwarzschild, Staunton, Virginia. Accession 41739.

Gift of Thomas N. Allen, Richmond, Virginia, 14 February 2005. Accession 41774.

Gift of Elizabeth J. Parrish, Richmond, Virginia, 14 February 2005. Accession 41806.

Gift of Jane Frost Bowden, Lynchburg, Virginia, 14 February 2005. Accession 42005.

Gift of Martha Sherman, Richmond, Virginia, 14 February 2005. Accession 42054.

Gift of Anne K. and R. Garnett Hall, Jr., Richmond, Virginia, 24 June 2005. Accession 42071.

Lent for copying by Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Kelly, Staunton, Virginia, 7 March 2005. Accession 42089.

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Dewey Morris, Richmond, Virginia, 14 February 2005. Accession 42090.

Gift of E. R. Campe, Richmond, Virginia, 7 September 2005. Accession 42298.

Gift of Helen Scott Townsend Reed, Richmond, Virginia, 16 August 2005. Accession 42299.

Descriptive Summary

Repository: Library of Virginia
Accession number: 34472
Title: Charles F. Gillette, Papers, ca. 1880-1985 (bulk 1918-1969)
Physical Characteristics: 5,538 architectural drawings and 54.5 cubic feet of textual and photographic materials.
Language: English

Scope and Content

The Charles F. Gillette Papers are housed in 117 archival boxes on shelf, tubes, map case drawers, and 3 custom oversize boxes. The collection is arranged into nine (9) series. Series have been designated for: I. Administrative Records; II. Client Correspondence; III. Drawings; IV. Housing Projects; V. Maps; VI. Personal Papers; VII. Photograph Files; VIII. St. Giles Church Files; IX. Vendors and Sub-Contractors. These records include correspondence, invoices, clippings, contracts, specifications, photographs, architectural drawings, surveys, landscape drawings, card indices, catalogs, promotional materials, family histories, and tax returns. This collection spans nearly the entire career of arguably one of the most influential landscape architects in the Commonwealth.

Not all of Gillette's business materials survive as many were purged to make room in the office or for other reasons. Accordingly, in some instances the collection holds both drawings and correspondence for a particular project; in other instances, only drawings or correspondence exists; and in other cases, no materials survive for a project. A numbering system was superimposed by the institution in order to deal with inconsistencies in record-keeping practices in Gillette's office. The Client Control Number (CCN) is a unique number to each of Gillette's clients and is similar to Gillette's account numbering system. However, Gillette's system sometimes reused numbers or did not assign numbers to certain clients, hence the need for a uniform system. The CCN is used throughout several series within the collection, but is most associated with the Drawings series (SERIES III). Series III is arranged and accessed by CCN.

A client may have more than one CCN if two or more projects were undertaken with a significant time lapse in between and/or if Gillette's office assigned more than one account number. While the bulk of the records were donated in 1993 by the University of Virginia, additional donations have been made and continue to be made as records are discovered by private individuals. Accordingly, each addition is separately accessioned and listed as a distinct entity. While these records are treated distinctly for administrative purposes, they are inter inter-filed with the collection and arranged in the appropriate series and folder.

SERIES I: ADMINISTRATIVE FILES, 1942-1968

The Administrative files are housed in three (3) archival boxes on shelf and arranged alphabetically by folder title with general materials arranged to the rear. The series consists of correspondence with professional organizations, such as the Society of Landscape Architects, professional license registration information, client lists, applications for employment, and tax returns.

SERIES II: CLIENT CORRESPONDENCE AND CARD FILE, 1921-1968

The Client Correspondence files are housed in 80 archival boxes on shelf and arranged alphabetically by client name. Miscellaneous materials are arranged alphabetically by addressee or sender and inter-filed alphabetically within the series in "General" files (Example: "A General, 1942-1965"). The series includes correspondence, invoices, photographs, sketches, and plant lists. Correspondence files do not survive for all of Gillette's clients. Likewise, not all correspondence files have corresponding drawings and vice versa. Along with the Drawings (SERIES III), the Client Correspondence files make up the bulk of the Charles F. Gillette Papers. These records mostly contain written correspondence between Gillette's office and the clients. The file can be useful in documenting the development of individual garden plans, as well as an illustration of the architect/client relationship during a particular project. A significant portion of the original letters and other materials were typed or written on acidic paper. Accordingly, the processing archivist made preservation photocopies of these materials. The card file contained in this series was maintained in Gillette's office. In some instances, files and drawings were purged, and the card file may be the only indication of Gillette's involvement in a specific project.

In addition to the container listing found in this finding aid, the research can also search for client correspondence on the Gillette Drawings and Correspondence Database. While this searchable database was primarily created for the extensive list of Gillette's project drawings, it does include complete information on the client correspondence files. The card files are not included in this database. Researchers interested in finding correspondence can search under Gillette Account Number, Client Control Number, and Client Name. The page also includes a drop-down list of clients organized alphabetically by the last name of the client or the business name. General searches, such as a Client Name search of "Jones," returns a list of results containing links that will take the researcher to the full listing for that client name or client control number. As previously stated, correspondence does not survive for all projects. It is important to note that not all of Gillette's materials survive and a search may yield no results.

SERIES III: DRAWINGS, 1902-1968

The Drawings are housed in 531 archival drawings tubes and arranged by Client Control Number (CCN), an institutionally imposed numbering system. The series includes sketches, perspective drawings, renderings, plot plans, surveys, plans, architectural blueprints, and planting lists. The majority of the drawings were produced in Gillette's office by his draftsmen. Some projects include architectural drawings for structures, mostly residences, associated with a particular project. Gillette worked closely with several architects, most notably William Lawrence Bottomley. The drawings in this series are executed on bumwad, heavy paper, linen, and the like. Copies may be found in blueprint, Diazo print, inkjet or electrostatic print. Many of the drawings are colored with colored pencil and ink giving them an artistic quality. A project may be housed on several tubes, or several projects may be housed on one tube, depending on the volume of materials. Additionally, various types of architectural drawings and reproductions can chemically interact with one another. To avoid potential loss of information or damage to the drawings, certain of these drawing types have been separated on the rolls by sheets of buffer paper. It is imperative that these remain segregated when returned to the roll.

Due to the size of this series, a container listing has not been included in this finding aid. Instead, a searchable database has been created to aid the researcher in using this collection. The database's web-interface can be found on the Gillette Drawings and Correspondence Database. The database can be searched by Drawing Description, Gillette Account Number, Client Control Number, and Client Name. The Drawing Description field is searchable by keywords in the title of the drawing. Typically, this will include a description of the drawing (e.g. "Planting Plan") and the client's name. The page also includes a drop-down list of clients organized alphabetically by the last name of the client or the business name. General searches, such as a Client Name search of "Jones," returns a list of results containing links that will take the researcher to the full listing for that client name or client control number. If correspondence exists for a particular project, the results will also return a reference to those materials. Correspondence does not survive for all projects. Likewise, drawings do not survive for each project and in some cases only correspondence results are returned. It is important to note that not all of Gillette's materials survive and a search may yield no results.

SERIES IV: HOUSING PROJECTS, 1924-1960 (bulk 1939-1955)

The Housing Projects records are housed in 10 archival boxes on shelf and arranged alphabetically by folder title. Included are correspondence, manuals, specifications, and federal government bulletins relative to Gillette's work on public housing projects. These materials were treated as a separate series and are therefore not included in Series II: Client Correspondence. However, drawings for these projects, if they exist, have been organized in Series III: Drawings. Before and following World War II, Gillette did extensive work on public housing projects as many of his wealthier clients scaled down or eliminated their plans for large landscape projects. Reflected in this series are projects from Virginia (Richmond, Newport News, Portsmouth, Hopewell, Bristol, Lynchburg, Camp Pendleton, and Fort Story); North Carolina (Rocky Mount); and New Jersey (Asbury Park and Long Branch).

SERIES V: MAPS, 1883-1961

The Maps are housed in one (1) map case drawer and arranged alphabetically by locality (town/city). The series consists mainly of subdivision plans, park layouts, and perspective drawings for various projects across the United States. Heavily represented is the work of the Olmstead Brothers firm of Brookline, Massachusetts. It is unclear whether Gillette participated in any of these projects during his time in Boston or whether these were simply reference materials that he maintained in his office. Three (3) drawings are signed as being traced by Gillette and date from the time period that he began to strike out on his own in Richmond, Virginia. These materials seem to be unrelated to any of Gillette's known projects.

SERIES VI: PERSONAL PAPERS, 1865-1985 (bulk 1912-1968)

The Personal Papers are house in five (5) archival boxes on shelf and arranged alphabetically by folder title. Included are correspondence, family histories, journals, clippings, internment records, and writings. The majority of this series consists of the personal correspondence of Charles F. Gillette. Also included are personal letters from his wife, Mrs. Ellen C. Gillette, as well as materials related to Filmore Cogswell, Mrs. Gillette's father. A Gillette family history, materials related to Mr. and Mrs. Gillette's 50th anniversary celebration, and will and estate information are also in this series. Memorial reminiscences of Gillette's life and career and an article by Dr. George Longest are also organized in this series.

SERIES VII: PHOTOGRAPH FILES, ca. 1880-1969 (bulk 1920-1960)

The Photograph Files are housed in five (5) archival boxes on shelf and arranged alphabetically by folder title. This series consists of a mix of personal and business-related photographs. Several folders contain images of Charles and Ellen Gillette in their youth and young adulthood. Also of note are images of the Cogswell family on camping trips in Colorado and Connecticut circa 1880s. Items such as Christmas cards, brochures for ornamental statuary, and clipping are in this series also. Not all photographs have been separated into this series. In some cases, photographs and negatives have remained with the client correspondence files (SERIES II). All of the photographs in this series have been digitized and are available on the Library of Virgina website on the Photographic Collections page.

SERIES VIII: ST. GILES CHURCH, 1937-1967

The St. Giles Church files are housed in five (5) archival boxes on shelf and arranged alphabetically by folder title. Included in this series are sermons, correspondence, deeds, plats, meeting minutes, membership rolls, church committee papers, and financial materials. This series deals with Gillette's work in the establishment, construction, and administration of St. Giles (Presbyterian) Church in Richmond, Virginia. Gillette was a crucial member in the creation of the church after a dogmatic schism within the congregation of Richmond Grace Covenant Church. As one of the original St. Giles elders, a member of the construction committee, and a Sunday School teacher, Gillette contributed inestimable value to the church congregation. Also included in this series are materials related to Dr. John Blanton Belk, the controversial preacher and missionary whose sermons precipitated the split within Grace Covenant Church.

SERIES IX: VENDORS AND SUB-CONTRACTORS, 1915-1968 (bulk 1936-1966)

The Vendors and Sub-contractors files are housed in seven (7) archival boxes on shelf and arranged alphabetically by folder title. Included are catalogs, promotional literature, and company information from firms with which Gillette did business or that were soliciting projects from the landscape architect. Individual firms are listed separately by name with general materials grouped alphabetically within the folder listing.

Biographical/Historical Information

Charles Freeman Gillette, born 14 March 1886, in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, is nationally recognized as one fo the premier landscape architects associated with the restoration and recreation of historic gardens in the upper South and especially Virginia. Gillette established a regional style -known as the "Virginia Garden"- characterized by its understated classicism and attention to detail. He linked architecture and landscape by emphasizing the traditional features of landscape design but also carefully sheaping each of his creative outdoor environments to compliment the most distinctive elements of his clients' homes and broader surroundings.

Gillette received no formal training in landscape design. However, his father was a locally known herbalist and farmer. With young Charles' help, he treated neighbors' illnesses using his knowledge of plant materials. With this firm foundation in the curative powers of plant material, Gillette went on to work at the Wisconsin Home for the Feeble-Minded. There, he recognized the soothing effect of plants and greenery on the mentally disturbed during their walks on the hospital grounds. Gradually, Charles Gillette's desire to study gardening, plants, flowers, and trees became clear. At the turn-of-the-20th-century, however, few educational institutions offered formal programs of study in landsape architecture. Instead, Gillette became an apprentice in the Boston office of Warren Manning (1860-1938), a leading landscape architect.

Gillette married Ellen Cogswell in 1912 and by 1913 arrived in Richmond as Manning's representative to supervise the completion of the design for the Richmond College (now the University of Richmond). Sometime around 1919, Gillette established his own practice in Richmond and remained there to pursue a career in landscape design that spanned over 50 years. During the height of the "Country Place" era, Gillette worked for wealthy clients in central Virginia. In addition to the gardens at the Nelson House in Yorktown (1915) and Kenmore in Fredericksburg (1924), Gillette designed plans for Virginia House and Agecroft Hall in Richmond's Windsor Farms neighborhood; he oversaw the restoration of the Executive Mansion gardens in the 1950s; and he planned the grounds for the Richmond headquarters of Reynolds Metals and Ethyl Corporation. Gillette also undertook projects in North Carolina and St. Louis, Missouri.

Charles Gillette died 30 March 1969 following a stroke, less than three years after the death of his beloved Ellen. He is interred next to her in a cemetery near New Preston, Connecticut.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically by series title. Each series, except Series III, is arranged alphabetically by folder title. Series III is arranged by the Client Control Number imposed by the processor.

Contents List