George Gilliam Steele

George Gilliam Steele Sr. (April 1, 1798 – October 21, 1855) was an American architect in Huntsville, Alabama.

Early life and family

Steele was born April 1, 1798, in Bedford County, Virginia. Around 1818, he moved from his home in Virginia to Huntsville, Alabama. In December 1823 he married Eliza Ann Weaver (1808-1891) and they had eight children.[1] One of his sons, Matthew W. Steele became an architect as well.[2] It is not clear whether George or Matthew designed Quietdale.[3] Another son, Col. Jno. Steele was a civil engineer.[2]

Architectural career

Steele began his architectural career as a builder and constructed his own house in 1824. Initially self taught, he attended architecture lectures in New York.[4] Steele acquired a reputation as a talented architect.[1]

1835 Madison County Courthouse

Much of the labor involved in building Steele's designs was done by slaves. Steele owned 74 slaves at the time of his death, many of whom were trained in construction. He would rent more slaves if a job required it. If slaves could not be found, he contracted work out to white tradesmen.[1]

Over the course of his career, he designed several major buildings in the city. Several were demolished in the 1960s as city leaders sought to modernize and accommodate aerospace industry.[1]

Steele died on October 21, 1855. He was buried in Maple Hill Cemetery.[1]

Selected works

References
  1. Bayer, Linda (Spring 1979). "George Steele: Huntsville's Antebellum Architect" (PDF). The Historic Huntsville Quarterly. 5 (3): 3–22.
  2. Tabler, Dave (May 5, 2017). "Underneath the Huntsville courthouse, yawning caverns".
  3. Gamble, Robert S. (January 1981). "Robinson, Mrs. William, House". National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form. National Park Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 5, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014. See also: "Accompanying photos". Archived (PDF) from the original on July 5, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  4. Thomas, Leslie Nicole (2015). Legendary Locals of Huntsville. Arcadia. ISBN 9781439654637. OCLC 932593739.
  5. "Site of Huntsville Female College Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org.
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