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Manuscript Group 303
R. BROGNARD OKIE ARCHITECTURAL PAPERS
1793, 1828-1949
85 cubic feet
Duhring, Okie, and Ziegler specialized in the then popular Cotswold and Pennsylvania
farmhouse styles. After he began working independently, Okie specialized in
the restoration and reconstruction of Pennsylvania colonial era buildings, restoring
such landmarks as the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia and the Paxton, Silver
Spring, and Winchester Presbyterian Churches. In 1925 he was appointed by the
Women's Committee of the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Exposition to design
the reconstruction of High Street and eleven years later the Philadelphia Chapter
selected him as the architect for the reconstruction of Pennsbury Manor. In
the latter project, he was guided only by the fragmentary remains of foundations,
scraps of pavement and William Penn's letters of instruction to his steward
James Harrison at Pennsbury. Okie designed many new colonial style residences
along the Main Line and other Philadelphia suburbs and restored and expanded
numerous colonial era dwellings throughout southeastern Pennsylvania. Hallmarks
of his designs included undressed fieldstone walls having either pointed or
struck joints, doors and window frames made out of of solid oak or cypress,
flat lintels having three stones including the center key, and segmental arches
of the same undressed fieldstone. Particularly distinctive features of his work
included prominent chimneys and spacious well-proportioned fireplace openings.
This collection contains extensive correspondence and detailed architectural
drawings for all of his major commissions including particularly the reconstruction
of the manor house and ancillary buildings at Pennsbury Manor. Also present
are detailed sets of specifications and photographs for many of his most important
projects, historical prints and engravings used as research materials, a postcard
file, records of accounts, and catalogs of architectural parts. The Edward R.
Barnsley Papers contain correspondence and contracts relating primarily to the
reconstruction of Pennsbury Manor. (Edward R. Barnsley was one of the commissioners
of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission responsible for monitoring the progress
of the Pennsbury Manor project.) The correspondence and architectural drawings
are for the most part arranged alphabetically by name of the client.
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