Leitner, Joseph F. (1871-1930)

Variant Name(s):

J. F. Leitner; Joseph Florence Leitner

Birthplace:

Augusta, Georgia, USA

Residences:

  • Wilmington, North Carolina
  • Columbia, South Carolina
  • Atlanta, Georgia
  • Augusta, Georgia

Trades:

  • Architect

Styles & Forms:

Colonial Revival; Romanesque Revival

Joseph F. Leitner (June 13, 1871-June 2, 1930) was a mobile and prolific architect who began his career in Georgia, then worked in South and North Carolina, returned to Georgia, and ended his days in Florida. During a highly productive decade in Wilmington, North Carolina, first with his partner William J. Wilkins and then alone Leitner designed many substantial commercial buildings, residences, schools, industrial buildings, and railroad structures. Especially well known as a railroad architect, he served from 1909 through 1912 as official architect of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company, for which he designed buildings in Wilmington, Rocky Mount, Fayetteville, and elsewhere.

A son of Major Henry Daniel Leitner and Annie E. Jackson of Augusta, Georgia, Leitner received his education at the Emory College School of Technology (now Georgia Tech). He began practicing architecture in 1893 with Albert Wheeler Todd, an established architect in Augusta, as Todd and Leitner. He soon formed his own practice, and from 1894 through 1900 he designed several buildings in Augusta and in South Carolina. In 1895 Leitner married Marie (Birdie) Zachary of Augusta.

In 1901, Leitner left Augusta for Columbia, South Carolina, where he worked in the office of architect Charles C. Wilson, a leading figure in the state’s architectural practice. As draftsman and later traveling representative for the prestigious firm, the young architect gained extensive knowledge and experience. After five years with Wilson, in 1906 Leitner formed a partnership with Florence, South Carolina contractor-architect William J. Wilkins. The two men developed a region-wide practice that extended into Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas, Florida, and Tennessee. In 1906 they established an office in Wilmington, North Carolina, in the Southern Building. During 1906-1908 the firm designed buildings of diverse types in the port city, including commercial, religious, and residential structures. The partners also planned a number of railroad stations, including the 1907 Atlantic Coast Line station in Florence, South Carolina, an important commission for both men, and the large and handsome Goldsboro Union Station in Goldsboro, North Carolina, also in 1907. (Wilkins had previously designed a small depot in Chadbourn, North Carolina, in 1904.) These projects strengthened their expertise and reputation in designing railroad buildings.

Late in 1908 Leitner again established his own firm, staying in Wilmington while Wilkins continued on his own and with other partners until 1932, chiefly in South Carolina. In 1909, probably on the strength of the recent railroad structures, Leitner won an important appointment as official architect for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, a position he held through 1912. In this capacity, as the Wilmington Star reported on August 14, 1909, he had responsibility for planning all of the company’s facilities that cost $10,000 or more. His buildings appeared in Florida, the Carolinas, and elsewhere along the ACL’s north-south line. One of his best known buildings is the Union Station in Tampa, Florida. Like many of his contemporaries, Leitner worked in most popular styles of the day, including the Colonial Revival and various combinations of Romanesque, Flemish, and Italianate modes. Many of his buildings are of red brick with bold, contrasting classical details and curved “Flemish” gables.

In North Carolina, Leitner’s projects for the ACL included some of the most imposing railroad buildings in the eastern part of the state. In Rocky Mount, he designed the expansion of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Passenger Depot as well as the Ricks Hotel and the ACL’s Atlantic Coast Line Railroad YMCA, both large brick buildings near the depot. For the Atlantic Coast Line Railway Station in Fayetteville he employed an eclectic style with shaped gables and classical detailing similar to the earlier depot in Goldsboro. His largest undertaking in North Carolina was the immense complex of the Atlantic Coast Line in Wilmington, where the firm had its headquarters. This included the towering Union Station to serve the ACL and other lines and a large Atlantic Coast Line Office Building. The Wilmington Star of January 6, 1912, announced that the station and office building were expected to cost $300,000. Within a short time Leitner also planned a “mammoth cold storage plant” near the tracks. Farther afield, he designed the Winston-Salem Southbound Freight Depot for a recently established ACL affiliate line in Winston-Salem.

Doubtless because of his association with the ACL, Leitner gained the commission for one of Wilmington’s most prominent residences, the Colonial Revival style Thomas M. Emerson House (Emerson-Kenan House), built for the president of the company. The Wilmington Dispatch reported on August 6, 1910, “Mr. J.F. Leitner, the well known architect of Wilmington, has prepared plans for a very handsome residence which President T.M. Emerson, of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, contemplates erecting at Carolina Heights.” The drawings indicated that it would be a “pleasing brick residence” with “quite a large number of rooms,” and “one of the finest residences in Wilmington.” Leitner found favor with Wilmington leaders, for a series of substantial local projects ensued: the expansion of Tileston School, the Wiggins Building and the Wilmington Savings and Trust Building, all in 1910; the Atlantic Trust and Banking Building in 1911; the large and luxurious Hinton House, in a prime block of Market Street, in 1913; and the William Hooper School in 1914. He also served as the supervising architect of the prestigious Cape Fear Club in 1912, and in July of that year the club was exhibiting Leitner’s sketches of the building.

Leitner’s practice beyond Wilmington included such public and private projects as the Columbus County Courthouse (1914-1915) in Whiteville and a handsome Southern Colonial style residence, the R. E. L. Brown House, in nearby Chadbourn. In 1914 he designed the $80,000 Lumberton Hotel near the Robeson County Courthouse. He gained commissions for several schools, including three proposed in Fayetteville in 1911 and others later on in Charlotte. While in North Carolina, Leitner was active in the state’s architectural profession, serving twice as president of the North Carolina Architectural Association and as a member of the North Carolina Board of Architecture.

After a little more than a decade in Wilmington, Leitner continued his pattern of mobility. He opened an office in Atlanta in 1917 with architect C. P. Niederhauser, formerly active in Jacksonville, Florida. He moved to Atlanta and by 1919 joined the Atlanta firm of Edwards and Sayward (William Augustus Edwards and William J. Sayward), who had a lucrative regional practice. Evidently his architectural career in Atlanta did not prosper. In 1920 he was listed as secretary-treasurer of the Perfect Packing Company. He may be the architect by that name cited as being in Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1921. Drawn southward again, he was probably the architect named Leitner active in St. Petersburg, Florida, in the firms of Leitner and Henson (1926) and Brown and Leitner (1927). By 1930, Joseph F. Leitner and his wife, Birdie, were living in Tampa, Florida, where he identified himself as an architect specializing in bridges. He died June 2, 1930, and was buried in Harlem Memorial Cemetery in Harlem, Georgia, as was his wife, Birdie, who passed away in 1968.

  • Catherine W. Bishir and Michael T. Southern, A Guide to the Historic Architecture of Eastern North Carolina (1996).
  • Susan Taylor Block, Cape Fear Lost (1999).
  • Charlotte Vestal Brown Papers, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, North Carolina.
  • Manufacturers’ Record, various issues.
  • Michelle Ann Michael, “The Rise of the Regional Architect in North Carolina as Seen Through the Manufacturers’ Record, 1890-1910,” M.H.P. thesis, University of Georgia (1994).
  • William Reaves Files, New Hanover County Public Library, Wilmington, North Carolina.
  • Beverly Tetterton, Wilmington: Lost But Not Forgotten (2005).
  • United States Census, 1900-1930.
  • John E. Wells and Robert E. Dalton, The South Carolina Architects, 1885-1935: A Biographical Dictionary (1992).
  • Tony P. Wrenn, Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical Portrait (1984).
Sort Building List by:
  • Atlantic Coast Line Office Building

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1912

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    Front St. and Red Cross Sts., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Transportation

    Images Published In:

    Susan Taylor Block, Cape Fear Lost (1999).


  • Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Passenger Depot

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect (1911); D. J. Rose, contractor
    Dates:

    Ca. 1907; 1911

    Location:
    Rocky Mount, Nash County
    Street Address:

    S. Main St., Rocky Mount, NC

    Status:

    Standing

    Type:

    Transportation

    Note:

    The Manufacturers’ Record of Jan. 12, 1911, reported that Leitner was architect for the remodeling of the ACL depot and office building in Rocky Mount. The depot, one of the most important on the route through North Carolina, developed over several stages. The initial building, credited to Charles E. Hartge in 1891, is shown on Sanborn Maps of 1893 and 1901 as a 1-story, frame building. This structure was either razed or possibly incorporated into the next building. By 1907, the brick station consisted of a 2-story center section and a 1-story wing; the architect of this stage has not been identified. By 1912, thanks to Leitner’s remodeling, the much enlarged 2-story brick building had two 2-story wings, each of which extended to the rear. Further expansions brought the building to its present 3-story form. The postcard image shows the 2-story building created in 1911.


  • Atlantic Coast Line Railroad YMCA

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect; D.J. Rose, contractor
    Dates:

    1910

    Location:
    Rocky Mount, Nash County
    Street Address:

    Florida St., Rocky Mount, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Recreational

    Note:

    Manufacturers’ Record, Nov. 11, 1909 and Dec. 15, 1910 cites the YMCA as Leitner’s design. It appears on the 1912 Sanborn Insurance Map of Rocky Mount as a large brick structure.


  • Atlantic Coast Line Railway Station

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1910-1911

    Location:
    Fayetteville, Cumberland County
    Street Address:

    Corner of Hay St. and Hillsboro St., Fayetteville, NC

    Status:

    Standing

    Type:

    Transportation

    Note:

    The Manufacturers’ Record, Dec. 15, 1910, noted Leitner as architect of the station. Like Leitner’s Goldsboro station, it features curvilinear gables and eclectic details.


  • Atlantic Trust and Banking Building

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect; Joseph Schad, contractor
    Dates:

    1911

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    2-4 N. Market St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Standing

    Type:

    Commercial

    Images Published In:

    Catherine W. Bishir and Michael T. Southern, A Guide to the Historic Architecture of Eastern North Carolina (1996).

    Note:

    The 9-story building was Wilmington’s first skyscraper and remains a landmark in the city skyline.


  • Cape Fear Club

    Contributors:
    C. H. P. Gilbert, architect; Joseph F. Leitner, supervising architect; Kenneth M. Murchison, Jr., consulting architect; Wallace and Osterman, contractors
    Dates:

    1912

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    124 N. 2nd St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Standing

    Type:

    Fraternal

    Images Published In:

    Beverly Tetterton, Wilmington: Lost But Not Forgotten (2005).

    Note:

    The white-columned, red brick edifice, “patterned closely after the Colonial style of architecture” was designed by New York architect C. H. P. Gilbert with Kenneth Murchison, as consulting architect. The men’s club was founded in 1852 and reorganized in 1866 by former Confederate officers and others and is still active.


  • Cold Storage Plant

    Contributors:
    Boyles-Robertson, contractors; Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1912

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    2nd St. at Campbell St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Industrial

    Note:

    The Wilmington Star of July 17, 1912, reported that Leitner was architect for a “mammoth cold storage plant” at the corner of 2nd and Campbell streets, and that the contractor was Boyles-Robertson of Washington, D. C., a firm that was currently constructing the Union Station.


  • Columbus County Courthouse

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect; William P. Rose, attributed contractor
    Dates:

    1914-1915

    Location:
    Whiteville, Columbus County
    Street Address:

    Corner Madison St. and Jefferson St., Whiteville, NC

    Status:

    Standing

    Type:

    Public

    Images Published In:

    Catherine W. Bishir and Michael T. Southern, A Guide to the Historic Architecture of Eastern North Carolina (1996).

    Note:

    The Manufacturers’ Record, Aug. 20, 1914, noted Leitner as architect for the courthouse. The brick edifice with broad Doric portico is the centerpiece of Whiteville. Commissioned originally to design a fireproof building, Leitner produced a plan for a domed building with an estimated cost of $100,000. Amendments to reduce the cost to $50,000 eliminated the dome and limited the fireproof construction to the vaults.


  • Columbus County Jail

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1909

    Location:
    Whiteville, Columbus County
    Street Address:

    Whiteville, NC

    Status:

    Unknown

    Type:

    Public

    Note:

    The Manufacturers’ Record of July 22 and August 12, 1909, noted that Leitner designed the jail.


  • Corbett House

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Variant Name(s):

    M. J. Corbett House

    Dates:

    1909

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Unknown

    Type:

    Residential


  • Elks Building

    Contributors:
    C. C. Hook, architect (1900-1902); Hook and Sawyer, architects (1900-1902); Joseph F. Leitner, architect (1911); Leitner and Wilkins, architects (1906); Frank M. Sawyer, architect (1900-1902)
    Dates:

    1900-1902; 1906; 1911

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    255-259 N. Front St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Altered

    Type:

    Fraternal

    Images Published In:

    Tony P. Wrenn, Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical Portrait (1984).

    Note:

    In early March, 1900, it was reported that architect Charles McMillen was drawing up plans for the Elks building. Later that month the lodge leadership received plans from other architects, including Hook and Sawyer of Charlotte, who gained the commission in April after a personal visit from Frank M. Sawyer. Newspaper references generally identify Sawyer as the architect for the building. The 3-story brick structure was completed within the year, and the Wilmington Messenger of December 7, 1907 noted that the lodge had held their first meeting there on the previous evening. “The elks’ head with electric lights on the tips of the antlers was a pretty sight last night when it was lighted for the meeting. It is on the outside of the building and not only was it lighted but the entire building was brilliantly illuminated.” A previous report in the Wilmington Morning Star of November 14, 1900, had noted the arrival of the bronze elk’s head by a steamer from New York. Within a few years, first the interior and then the front façade were remodeled by architect Leitner, and additional changes were made later in the 20th century. At some point the elk’s head on the façade was removed. Tony P. Wrenn (Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical Portrait [1984]) notes that in 1906 the organizational meeting of the North Carolina Association of Architects, predecessor of the state chapter of the American Institute of Architects, was held here. Charles C. Hook was elected president.


  • Emerson-Kenan House

    Contributors:
    Carrere and Hastings, architects; Thomas Hastings, architect; Joseph F. Leitner, architect; Leonard Schulze, architect
    Variant Name(s):

    Thomas M. Emerson House

    Dates:

    1909-1911; 1923; 1931

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    1705 Market St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Standing

    Type:

    Residential

    Images Published In:

    Tony P. Wrenn, Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical Portrait (1984).

    Note:

    The August 6, 1910 Wilmington Dispatch reported, “Mr. J.F. Leitner, the well known architect of Wilmington, has prepared plans for a very handsome residence which President T.M. Emerson, of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, contemplates erecting at Carolina Heights. Drawings of the proposed residence have been finished. These give illustrations of what will be one of the finest residences in Wilmington. The drawings reveal a pleasing brick residence several stories in height, with quite a large number of rooms. The structure will be of commanding appearance and will be a great addition to the section of the city in which it is to be erected. It is stated that work will be started on the house in the fall and that several months will be required for its completion.” The house was renovated in 1923 for heiress and philanthropist Sarah Graham Kenan from designs by architect Thomas Carrere of Carrere and Hastings of New York. After a fire in 1931, architect Leonard Schulze designed the interior rebuilding. Some accounts (see Tony P. Wrenn, Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical Portrait [1984]), indicate that the house was begun during the ownership of Mary Bridgers from designs by Burrett Stephens and was essentially complete in 1908 before Emerson purchased it. But when Mary Bridgers sold the property to May B. Emerson, Thomas Emerson, the deed, dated Jan. 27, 1909, stated: “No dwelling house shall be erected on the premises to cost less than $4,500.”


  • Fayetteville Schools

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1911

    Location:
    Fayetteville, Cumberland County
    Street Address:

    Fayetteville, NC

    Status:

    Unknown

    Type:

    Educational

    Note:

    The Wilmington Star reported on April 30, 1911, that Leitner had provided designs for three new schools in Fayetteville. They have not been further identified.


  • First Church of Christ, Scientist

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1907

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    17th St. and Market St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Religious

    Images Published In:

    Susan Taylor Block, Cape Fear Lost (1999).
    Beverly Tetterton, Wilmington: Lost But Not Forgotten (2005).

    Note:

    The Wilmington Star, April 27, 1907, described it as a “Colonial style” church seating 200. Mary Bridgers, developer of the Carolina Heights suburb, was a Christian Scientist. The small temple-form building was sold to a Baptist congregation in the 1920s and burned in 1952.


  • First Ward School

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1918

    Location:
    Charlotte, Mecklenburg County
    Street Address:

    Charlotte, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Educational


  • Foster and Davis Building

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1911

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Unknown

    Type:

    Commercial

    Note:

    Manufacturers’ Record, Dec. 29, 1910.


  • Frank T. Mills Stables

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect; Leitner and Wilkins, architects; William J. Wilkins, architect
    Dates:

    1906

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Unknown

    Type:

    Transportation


  • Goldsboro Union Station

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect; Leitner and Wilkins, architects; William J. Wilkins, architect
    Dates:

    1907-1909

    Location:
    Goldsboro, Wayne County
    Street Address:

    Carolina St. at end of Walnut St., Goldsboro, NC

    Status:

    Standing

    Type:

    Transportation

    Note:

    The imposing union station, which served the ACL, Southern, and Norfolk and Southern lines, is a boldly detailed brick building with curvilinear gables on three sides. It was designed by Leitner and Wilkins shortly before the two architects parted and Leitner became official architect for the ACL.


  • Hall and Pearsall Building

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect; Leitner and Wilkins, architects; William J. Wilkins, architect
    Dates:

    1907

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    711 Nutt St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Commercial

    Images Published In:

    Beverly Tetterton, Wilmington: Lost But Not Forgotten (2005).


  • Harper Drugstore

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Variant Name(s):

    Dr. Charles T. Harper Drugstore

    Dates:

    1907

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    NW corner of Front St. and Castle St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Commercial

    Images Published In:

    Beverly Tetterton, Wilmington: Lost But Not Forgotten (2005).

    Note:

    The Wilmington Star of July 9, 1907, reported that the new building was to hold the drugstore of Dr. Charles T. Harper. This may have been a remodeling of an existing building.


  • High School

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1919

    Location:
    Charlotte, Mecklenburg County
    Street Address:

    Morehead St., Charlotte, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Educational

    Note:

    The Wilmington Dispatch noted on March 23, 1917 that Leitner, formerly of Wilmington, had provided plans for two high schools in Charlotte, North Carolina, to cost $150,000 each and a third to cost only $18,000. On Feb. 24, 1919, the Wilmington Star reported that a redesign had reduced the cost of one of the high schools to $135,000. This is probably the former Charlotte High School, which became the Central High School in 1920.


  • Hinton House

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Variant Name(s):

    Joseph Hinton House

    Dates:

    1912-1913

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    1919 Market St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Standing

    Type:

    Residential

    Note:

    The expansive brick house features dramatic curvilinear gables and a deep porch. Joseph Hinton was a businessman who owned the Orton Hotel and other facilities. The Wilmington Dispatch of Sept. 15, 1911, described it admiringly and noted that it was “after the Elizabethan style of architecture,” which was seldom seen in the area.


  • Isaac Bear School

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1912

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    Market St. between 12th St. and 13th St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Educational

    Images Published In:

    Beverly Tetterton, Wilmington: Lost But Not Forgotten (2005).

    Note:

    Wilmington Star, March 3, 1912.


  • James T. Woolvin Store Building

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1906

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Unknown

    Type:

    Commercial

    Note:

    Manufacturers’ Record, June 28 and July 26, 1906.


  • Lumberton Hotel

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect; Frank B. Simpson, architect; John E. Beaman, contractor
    Dates:

    1916

    Location:
    Lumberton, Robeson County
    Street Address:

    Chestnut St. at Courthouse Square, Lumberton, NC

    Status:

    Unknown

    Type:

    Commercial

    Note:

    The Manufacturers’ Record of April 13, 1916, noted that the Lumberton Hotel Company had let a contract to J. E. Beaman of Raleigh to build the hotel designed by Frank B. Simpson. There is no known hotel of this era in downtown Lumberton now.


  • Masonic Temple

    Contributors:
    David Getaz, contractor; David Getaz Company, contractors; Joseph F. Leitner, architect (1914); Charles McMillen, architect (1898-1899); Frederick B. Miles, sculptor
    Dates:

    1898-1899; 1914 [remodeled]

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    25 N. Front St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Standing

    Type:

    Fraternal

    Images Published In:

    Tony P. Wrenn, Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical Portrait (1984).

    Note:

    Wilmington architect-builder James F. Post submitted an earlier design for the Masonic Temple, but the Masons chose the design by the Minnesota architect McMillen, who specialized in Masonic temples. This commission brought McMillen to Wilmington, where he settled down to practice his profession. The cornerstone was laid on May 18, 1899, and the building opened on November 20. The 4-story edifice of pressed brick and brownstone had stores on the first floor, offices on the second floor, the Masonic lodge halls on the third floor, and a ballroom on the fourth floor. Frederick B. Miles executed the carved ornament of the entrance. In January, 1914, the Scottish Rite Masons leased the ballroom from the central body and expended $4000 to create a theater, complete with stage, designed by Joseph F. Leitner. For more details, see Janet K. Seapker, “St. John’s Masonic Lodge, Part II: Other Masonic Lodges,” Lower Cape Fear Historical Society Bulletin, Vol. L, No. 2, April 2006; and Tony P. Wrenn, Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical Portrait (1984).


  • Murchison National Bank Business Building

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1915

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Unknown

    Type:

    Commercial

    Note:

    The Manufacturers’ Record of June 17, 1915, mentioned Leitner in connection with the Murchison National Bank Business Building, but it is not clear what building was referred to.


  • Peterson and Rulfs Building

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect; Leitner and Wilkins, architects; Joseph Schad, contractor; William J. Wilkins, architect
    Dates:

    1906-1907

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    210-212 N. Front St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Commercial

    Note:

    Cited in the Manufacturers’ Record of March 22 and June 7, 1906, the Commercial building was one of Leitner and Wilkins’s first projects in Wilmington.


  • R. E. L. Brown House

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Variant Name(s):

    Robert E. Lee Brown House

    Dates:

    1909

    Location:
    Chadbourn, Columbus County
    Street Address:

    108 N. Howard St., Chadbourn, NC

    Status:

    Standing

    Type:

    Residential

    Note:

    The Manufacturers’ Record of Nov. 11, and Nov. 18, noted that Leitner had designed a “colonial residence” for Brown. It is the most prominent of several Colonial Revival houses in town.


  • Ricks Hotel

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect; D.J. Rose, contractor
    Dates:

    1908

    Location:
    Rocky Mount, Nash County
    Street Address:

    Hammond St., Rocky Mount, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Commercial

    Note:

    The Manufacturers’ Record of Aug. 6, 1908, noted Leitner as architect for a hotel in Rocky Mount for T. L. Bland and R.H. Ricks. By 1912, the Sanborn Insurance Map of Rocky Mount depicted the large brick hotel on Hammond St. The postcard shows the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Passenger Depot after the third story was added, and the Ricks Hotel is on the right.


  • Seashore Hotel

    Contributors:
    Henry E. Bonitz, architect (1897); David Hanna, contractor; Joseph F. Leitner, architect (1910)
    Dates:

    1897

    Location:
    Wrightsville Beach, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    Station Three, 275 S. Lumina Ave., Wrightsville Beach, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Commercial

    Images Published In:

    Susan Taylor Block, Cape Fear Lost (1999).

    Note:

    The Manufacturers’ Record, Feb. 3, 1909, noted that Leitner was architect for an addition to the Seashore Hotel at Wrightsville Beach. The ocean front hotel, as noted by Susan Block, opened in 1898 and was expanded over the years. Renamed the Ocean Terrace Hotel in 1935, it suffered damage from Hurricane Hazel in 1954 and a year later was destroyed by fire. Its site is now occupied by the Blockade Runner hotel.


  • St. Andrews Presbyterian Church Sunday School Addition

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1909

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    520 N. 5th St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Standing

    Type:

    Religious

    Note:

    Manufacturers’ Record, Dec. 30, 1909, and Dec. 25, 1910.


  • Third Ward Grammar School

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1918

    Location:
    Charlotte, Mecklenburg County
    Street Address:

    Charlotte, NC

    Status:

    Unknown

    Type:

    Educational


  • Tileston School

    Contributors:
    Leslie N. Boney, Sr., architect (1937); Cape Fear Building Company, contractors; John A. Fox, architect (1871-1872); Joseph Keen, builder (1871-1872); Joseph F. Leitner, architect (1910); Alex Strausz, architect-builder (1871-1872); James Walker, superintending architect/contractor (1871-1872)
    Dates:

    1871-1872; 1910 [expanded]; 1937 [expanded]

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    400 Ann St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Altered

    Type:

    Educational

    Images Published In:

    Tony P. Wrenn, Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical Portrait (1984).

    Note:

    The development of the school is somewhat complex and the roles of those involved in its 1871-1872 construction uncertain. Newspaper articles mention both Walker and Keen as builders. The original 2-story section of brick was completed in 1872 and was later expanded. One expansion was the “enlarge high school” project noted for Leitner in the Manufacturers’ Record of June 30, 1910. Boney planned the third addition, the Ann Street wings. It was estimated to cost $26,000. The illustration here depicts the Tileston School in essentially its original picturesque form. The porch and most of the decorations have been removed, though the original school still stands at the core of the present complex. A more recent photograph appears in Wrenn, Wilmington.


  • Union Station

    Contributors:
    Boyles-Robertson, contractors; Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Variant Name(s):

    Wilmington Union Station

    Dates:

    1912

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    Front St. and Red Cross Sts., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Transportation

    Images Published In:

    Susan Taylor Block, Cape Fear Lost (1999).
    Beverly Tetterton, Wilmington: Lost But Not Forgotten (2005).

    Note:

    The 6-story edifice served as union station for the lines that made Wilmington a railroad hub, including the ACL. The Wilmington Star reported on Jan. 6, 1912, that Leitner was architect for the ACL union station and office building, which were anticipated to cost $300,000. On Feb. 5, 1913, the Star noted, “Mr. Joseph F. Leitner, the architect, was present to explain the location of an ornamental shed at the new union station, suspended over the streets, for the protection of pedestrians and passengers. No objection to its location was presented by Council, after the plans and drawings were inspected.” It was one of several massive railroad buildings in Wilmington, nearly all of which were destroyed after the ACL moved its headquarters to Florida in 1960. See Beverly Tetterton, Wilmington: Lost But Not Forgotten (2005), for a photograph of its implosion in 1970.


  • Wiggins Building

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1910

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    21 Market St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Standing

    Type:

    Commercial

    Note:

    Wilmington Star, Dec. 12, 1912.


  • William Hooper School

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect; Wallace and Osterman, builders
    Dates:

    1914

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    410 Meares St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    Standing

    Type:

    Educational


  • Williams Apartment House

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1915

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    212 Red Cross St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Residential

    Note:

    The Manufacturers’ Record of Oct. 28, 1915, cited Leitner as architect for an apartment house built for Miss Valeria Williams and R. V. Williams. The Wilmington Star of Oct. 23, 1915, reported Leitner as architect and said that it would have 23 rooms.


  • Wilmington Savings and Trust Building

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Variant Name(s):

    Wilmington Savings and Loan Building

    Dates:

    1910-1911

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    110 Princess St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Commercial

    Note:

    The Manufacturers’ Record of Sept. 8, 1910, noted that Leitner had the commission to design the “Wilmington Savings and Loan Building.”


  • Wilmington Savings and Trust Company

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect; Joseph Schad, contractor
    Dates:

    1911

    Location:
    Wilmington, New Hanover County
    Street Address:

    Princess St., Wilmington, NC

    Status:

    No longer standing

    Type:

    Commercial

    Note:

    The Wilmington Morning Star reported on November 10, 1910, the awarding of the contract for the new Wilmington Savings and Trust Company building on Princess Street near Front Street to Joseph Schad and noted that it was designed by architect Joseph Leitner.


  • Winston-Salem Southbound Freight Depot

    Contributors:
    Joseph F. Leitner, architect
    Dates:

    1913

    Location:
    Winston-Salem, Forsyth County
    Street Address:

    304-308 S. Liberty St., Winston-Salem, NC

    Status:

    Standing

    Type:

    Transportation

    Note:

    Located in Salem, the office and freight terminal was built for the Winston-Salem Southbound, which was associated with the ACL. It has been renovated as offices.


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