The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION
Creator: Charles H. Marsh
Title: Architectural Drawings
Dates: 1876-1879
Call No.:
Acc. No.: 69x186.1-.20
Quantity: 20 items
Location: Map Case 6, drawer 1 and Map case A, drawer 2
BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT
Charles H. Marsh was an architect.
According to city directories for the 1870s, he had an office at
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The collection consists of twenty architectural drawings; eleven are
for the Washtenaw County (Michigan) Court House, five are for Fireman's
Monument at Elmwood, one is a design for a house in the French Revival style
for the Hon. Philo Parsons, one is a ground floor plan for an unidentified
residence, and one is for a factory for the Detroit Grape Sugar Company. Two plans include notes about costs.
ORGANIZATION
The drawings are
arranged in accession number order, first the drawings for the Washtenaw County
Courthouse, followed by those for the Fireman’s Monument, then the house and
factory plans.
PROVENANCE
Purchased from
Timothy Trace.
ACCESS POINTS
Topics:
Architectural
drawing.
Architectural design.
Architecture - Designs and plans.
Public architecture -
Public architecture -
Public architecture - Designs and
plans.
Dwellings - Designs and plans.
Courthouses -
Monuments -
Fire fighters - Monuments.
Architectural drawings.
Architects.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: Map Case 6
Series I: Washtenaw
Note:
All labeled "A Design for the Washtenaw Co. Court House" and signed
Chas. Marsh, Architect. Marsh prepared
alternative designs for the building.
.1 Section
of building.
Section shows
supports, floor beams, and other structural details; it gives interior details
of offices, courtroom, and cells, with moldings and other decorations. Offices are located on the first and second
floors; the courtroom is on the second floor.
.2 Elevation
of building.
Side elevation with
front doors and tower to the left are depicted.
The tower runs off the page; the central doors have a protruding
keystone arch. There are two windows
above the door. The building has a
mansard roof. The courthouse is flanked
by two rows of windows with large dentil molding, round finial, and rusticated
joints. The tower has bells and a clock.
.3 Plan of
Basement
Structural plan of
floor beams and ventilation pipes; the plan is symmetrical. Storerooms are located in the center with
boiler rooms, fuel rooms, and offices on the left and jailers rooms, cells,
janitor's rooms, and offices on the right.
There are four staircases to the first floor. The rear of the building has an entrance to
the basement from the street.
.4 Floor
plan
The plan
illustrates the probate, register of deeds, clerks, and treasurer's offices, and
supervisor's room. The floor is designed
with a checkerboard pattern for the tile.
Entrances from four sides are shown.
There are two staircases to the second floor and basement.
.5 Plan of
Second Floor
Floor plan showing
the courtroom, jury rooms, judge's chamber, sheriff's office, district
attorney's office, waiting rooms, and stair halls. The plan shows the shafts and heating vents
as well as a checkerboard pattern for the floor tile. [in map case A]
.6 South
elevation. Scale 4 feet per 1 inch
Drawing shows a
central tower with arched windows, clock, cupola, and mansard roof. The tower is flanked by two identical wings;
each wing has two floors, a full basement, and an attic. Entrances on both sides of the building are
topped with a mansard roof and a wrought iron balustrade. The first floor windows are designed to have
a straight sash; other sashes have a Roman arch. [in map case A]
.7 Transverse
section. Scale 8 feet per inch
This cross-section
view shows the central tower, the courtroom with its gallery on the second
floor, and the office on the first floor.
The rear entrance to the basement is also visible.
.8 North
front elevation
Since the building
is symmetrical, this drawing is almost identical to .6. Two staircases leading to the first floor
flank the middle section. The central
stairs also go to the basement.
.9 East end
elevation, alternate design. Scale 1/8
inch per foot
This design shows
central double doors in a section topped with a mansard roof. The central portion of the building is
flanked by identical wings, each with a staircase. Large dentil molding is found on the
building. While the first floor windows
have straight sashes, all others are arched.
The central tower has a clock and mansard roof. "$2200 tol. mon." is written in
pencil.
.10 South
elevation, alternate design
Identical to the
drawing in .6, except for the tower. The
tower has a clock and mansard roof with balustrade, architectural sculpture,
and an arch with screen for the bells.
The tower sits on a pediment with large dentil molding.
.11 Sketch
view interior of the Court Room
Watercolor sketch
of a large room with thin arched windows behind the judge's bench. The windows are separated by green marble
Corinthian columns. The room is surrounded
with large dentil molding and Doric pilasters.
There is low wood paneling on the walls; the floors are wooden as
well. The ceiling is wood paneled with
chandeliers.
Series II: Design
for Fireman's Monument at Elmwood,
.12 Sketch of
the monument. Scale 1 1/2 inch to 1 foot
The pedestal
contains the text "Firemen" and "DFD". Figures resembling fire hydrants are sculpted
on both sides. A statue of a man in a
fire hat, holding a horn, and leaning on a hydrant sits on top of the
pedestal. In general, the monument has
little decoration. A note in pencil
indicates that the monument is to be built using some type of Italian marble
granite at a cost of $3300.00.
.13 Watercolor
of the monument, No. II. Drawn from 1
inch scale. Full height 30 feet.
The pedestal
contains the text "Firemen" and has a plaque that reads, "Duty
on Earth, Reward in Heaven." Also
present are panels with reliefs of fire trucks.
The monument has a large Corinthian column. A statue of a man holding a horn and hat sits
on top of the pedestal. The illustration
also shows a man wearing a brown suit and hat standing beside the monument.
.14 Watercolor
of the monument, No. III. Full height 28
feet.
The pedestal contains the text "Firemen
Rest in Peace." The corners are cut
with pediments at the top of the base. A column
with relief panels of fire trucks and horns and a hat rests on the base. The general design is very plain, almost
Doric. The statue is of a man holding a
hat and horn.
.15 Elevation of Design No. 3
Drawing shows same design as .14, though
the front view also gives the breakdown
of dimensions. The plan for the base is
also given.
.16 Elevation of Design No. 1. Full height 30 feet.
Drawing shows pedestal with
"Firemen" carved in stone and a plaque that says "After Life's
Turmoil Peacefully Sleep." The
column has a Doric capitol and swags with bows around it. The statue is of a man holding a hat and a
horn. The drawing gives the breakdown of
dimensions.
.17 Elevation of Design No. 2
Design is the same as .13, except that a
breakdown of the dimensions is given.
Series
III: House and factory plans, .18-.20
.18 Front elevation of a house for Philo
Parsons.
Signed by Chas. Marsh,
Drawing of a house in the French Revival
architectural style. The house has a
central tower with two sets of central doors. The house is designed with
porticos, dentil molding, Corinthian pilasters, quoins, ornate dormers with
windows on either side, and bow windows on both floors. The house has a mansard roof, a wrought iron
balustrade, and heavy molding.
.19 Design for Detroit Grape Sugar Co. Signed by Chas. Marsh.
Pen and ink drawing of a factory made of
brick. The building has five rows of
windows with Romanesque and Gothic arches.
The ground floor has five Moorish arches. The middle arch has a door in the center; the
other arches have windows in the center.
The building has four small towers.
.20 Ground floor plan. Signed Chas. Marsh, architect,
The floor plan is done in ink with
corrections made in pencil. The floor is
laid out in a rambling, irregular shape.
There is a central vestibule with a hall leading from it to the dining
room and kitchen. The left side has the
library, sitting room, conservatory, while the parlor and toilet are to the
right.