The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware  19735

Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:         Welch, Franklin I., 1852-1930                                  

Title:               Architectural Drawings

Dates:             ca.1890-ca.1910

Call No.:         Col. 217

Acc. No.:        81x277

Quantity:        37 items

Location:        42 I 9

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Franklin I. Welch was an architect in Boston and Malden, Massachusetts.  He was born in Malden in October 1852, the son of Cyrene Elizabeth Potter (1820-1878) and John Allen Welch (1818-1875; in the 1870 census, his occupation was listed as house painter).  In 1874, Franklin Welch married Lizzie (Elizabeth) Dunbar; they had at least two children.  According to census and city directories, Welch was a rubber cutter as late as 1888.  By 1893, he was listed as an architect in city directories; he worked in Boston for many years.  A practicing Christian Scientist (he and his wife were admitted as members of the church in Boston in April 1893), his first major architectural commission was the original Christian Science Church in Boston, which was completed at very end of 1894;  he also designed the Christian Science Church in Manchester, New Hampshire.  In 1918, Welch began working for the architectural department of the Boston Elevated Railway Co., a position he held until his death on May 21, 1930.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

The collection consists of thirty-seven pen and ink drawings, showing plans for libraries (7 plans for 4 libraries) and schools (30 plans for 6 schools).  Floor plans, perspectives of building exteriors, and sectional views are featured.  It is not known if any of these were executed; nor is it known if these were drawn for several different projects or were just variations proposed for one library and one school.  Library plans include spaces for book shelves (stacks), reading, art, and librarians’ work.  The schools have classrooms, offices for principals, exercise rooms for the students, toilets and coat rooms, assembly rooms, and storage.  One school also included a cooking room for girls and a manual training room for boys.

 

Each of the drawings has Franklin I. Welch's name written on it; most are labeled either Boston or Malden, Massachusetts.  Drawings were done on a scale of 1/8 inch to one foot, unless otherwise indicated.

 

Drawings are in good condition, in spite of being somewhat brittle.  Five of the drawings are mounted to acidic backing and are more discolored than the rest. 

 

 

ORGANIZATION

           

The drawings are grouped by project and are in accession number order, with the library plans coming before the school plans. 

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are mostly visual, but text is in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

 

 

PROVENANCE

           

Purchased from N. David Scotti.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Interior architecture.

            Architecture - Designs and plans.

            Architectural drawing - Detailing.

            Schools - Massachusetts - Designs and plans.

            Libraries - Massachusetts - Designs and plans.

            Architectural drawings.

            Architects.

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 42 I 9

 

 

Library plans:

 

Folder 1: “Design for Public Library”: all drawn by Welch, architect, Malden, Mass. (acc. 81x277.1-.3)

 

            .1         front and side elevations of a public library;

 

            .2         Section through the library depicted in .1:

                        Shows three stories: basement, main floor, and what might be attic space rather than another stack level; the main floor shows a fireplace and books on shelves.

 

            .3         Floor plan: first floor and basement, for the public library in .1:

                        Labeled rooms are Delivery Room, Reading Room, Art Room, Librarians Room, First and Second Floor stacks, Work Room (in basement),and niches off the Delivery Room. 

                        A restroom is located in the basement; most basement space is not labeled but was presumably for heating apparatus and additional storage or stack space.

 

 

Folder 2: “Designs for Public Library”: all drawn by Welch, architect, Boston, Mass. (acc. 81x277.4-.7):

 

            .4         Front and side elevations of a public library

                        A dome with a finial marks the center of the building; a smaller dome tops the entrance porch.

 

            .5         Sectional view of the library in .4, showing section A to B and section C to D.

                        Shows basement, main floor, two levels of stacks, and the doom; includes a few details of the rooms, with a glass floor under the dome to let in more daylight.

 

            .6         Design for a public library:

                        Floor plan showing the basement and first floor, with room dimensions.  Labeled rooms are the delivery, reading, and reference and periodical rooms; the stack area; the trustees and librarians room; the art room (with overhead light); the entrance; and niches.  None of the basement space is labeled, but a restroom is located there.

 

            .7         Design for a public library:

                        Floor plan showing the basement and first floor, with room dimensions.  Labeled rooms are the delivery, reading, and reference and periodical rooms; the art room (with overhead light); the stack area (two levels); the trustees room (with vault); and niches for statue.  None of the basement space is labeled, but a restroom is located there.

 

 

School plans:

 

Folder 3: School plans: Lot no. One, drawn by Welch, Boston (acc. 81x277.8-.12):

 

            .8         Perspective view of school: front and one side shown

 

            .9         Basement floor plan for school: Lot No. 1

                        Segregated boys’ and girls’ exercise rooms; heating rooms; boiler room, with coal storage; and closets under the stairs. 

 

            .10       First floor plan for school: Lot No. 1

                        Four classrooms; girls’ and boys’ toilets; “wardrobe” [coat room]; closets; heating registers; and two sets of stairs (exterior and interior stairs) at either end of the building.

 

            .11       Second floor plan for school: Lot No. 1

                        Four classrooms, with teachers’ room and toilet on one end; principal's office and toilet at the opposite end (principal’s room has speaker tubes and call bells); girls’ and boys’ toilets; and wardrobe in the center. 

 

            .12       Third floor plan for school: Lot No. 1

                        Assembly hall with two anterooms in back of the platform; and two store rooms.

 

 

Folder 4: School plans: Lot no. Two, drawn by Welch, Boston (acc. 81x277.13-.16):

 

            .13       Basement floor plan for school: Lot No. 2

                        Boiler room with coal storage and a furnace; heating rooms; boys’ and girls’ exercise rooms.

 

            .14       First floor plan for school: Lot No. 2

                        Four classrooms; girls’ and boys’ toilets at opposite ends of the building; and central wardrobes.  Placement of heating registers indicated; classrooms have closets.

 

            .15       Second floor plan for school: Lot No. 2

                        Four classrooms; teachers' room with toilet; girls’ and boys’ toilets; wardrobes, and principal's office (with speaking tubes, bells, and a toilet); along with vents and closets.

 

            .16       Third floor plan for school: Lot No. 2

                        Assembly room and anteroom shown, along with two extra front chambers and two sets of stairs.

 

 

Folder 5: School plans: Lot no. Three, drawn by Welch, Boston (acc. 81x277.17-.21):

 

            .17       Perspective of the building for school: Lot No. 3

                        Shows front and one side; plan includes two short towers (which house stairs);

 

            .18       Basement floor plan for school: Lot No. 3

                        Boiler room with furnace; heating rooms; boys’ and girls’ exercise rooms.

 

            .19       First floor plan for school: Lot No. 3

                        Four classrooms; girls’ and boys’ toilets; wardrobes; and a store room.  Placement of vents indicated; classrooms have closets.

 

            .20       Second floor plan for school: Lot No. 3

                        Four classrooms; teachers' room with toilet; girls’ and boys’ toilets; wardrobes; storeroom; and principal's office (with speaking tubes, call bells, and a toilet); along with vents and closets.

 

            .21       Third floor plan for school: Lot No. 3

                        Assembly room, with flanking anterooms; also a storeroom.

 

 

Folder 6: School plans: drawn by Welch, Boston (acc. 81x277.22-.26):

 

            .22       Perspective view of the school

                        Shows front and one side; dormer windows on the top floor.

 

            .23       Basement floor plan for a school

                        Boiler room with coal storage; heating areas;vents;  and boys’ and girls’ spaces (probably exercise rooms); boys’ and girls’ toilets.

 

            .24       First floor plan for school

                        Five classrooms, with bookcases and vents; wardrobes and registers in center hall; a teachers' room with lockers, alcove, and toilet; two sets of stairs; and two wash sinks.

 

            .25       Second floor plan for school

                        Five classrooms, one labeled “principal’s class room”; principal's office (with toilet); storeroom; sinks in hallway; and wardrobes.

 

            .26       Third floor plan for school

                        Assembly hall with a seating capacity of 750, platform, and two set of stairs.  Unlabeled rooms on either side of assembly hall.

 

 

Folder 7: School plans: drawn by Welch, Boston (acc. 81x277.27-):

 

            .27       Perspective view of school; showing front and one side

 

            .28       Basement floor plan for school:

                        Boiler room, with furnace and two coal storage rooms; heating rooms; girls’ and boys’ exercise rooms; girls’ and boys’ toilets.

 

            .29       First floor plan for school

                        Four classrooms (with two sets of dimensions), with closets; wardrobes; heating registers.  A side drawing appears to be a mezzanine level; this contains a room for principal and teachers, with a toilet. 

 

            .30       Second floor plan for school

                        Shows four classrooms (with closets), a hall with wardrobes, and two sets of stairs at either end of a central hall.

 

            .31       Third floor plan for school

                        Exhibition hall featured, with what appear to be storage areas under the pitch of the roof.

 

 

Folder 8: School plans: #7: all marked with a seven pointed star (acc. 81x277.32-.37):

 

            .32       Front elevation of the school

 

            .33       Side elevation of the school

 

            .34       Basement floor plan:

                        Boiler room, coal storage, and heating room; also shows vents pipes for sanitary purposes and for smoke; girls’ and boy’s exercise areas; cooking school room (for girls) and manual training room (for boys).

 

            .35       First floor plan for the school:

                        Four classrooms (with closets); coat rooms (marked “clothes”); boys’ and girls’ toilets; and vents; rectangles with hatch marks are probably registers.

 

            .36       First floor plan of addition:

                        Two classrooms, additional coat rooms; the V pencil marks match marks on .35 above to show where the addition goes

 

            .37       Second floor plan

                        Four classrooms (with closets); coat rooms (marked “clothes”); boys’ and girls’ toilets; principal’s office (with tubes, call bells, closet, and toilet); teachers’ room (with lockers and toilet); and vents.

 

 

 

 

(finding aid revised Feb. 26, 2019)