O’Toole, William G. (1898-1956) Architectural Drawings, 1909-1956

Held by The Filson Historical Society

Creator: William G. O’Toole, 1898-1956

Title: Architectural drawings, 1909-1956

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for this collection, contact the Curator of Special Collections.

Size of Collection: 5 cubic feet (23 rolls)

Locator Number: Mss./AR/O88

Biographical Note

William G. O’Toole (1898-1956) was an architect in Louisville, Ky. during the early 20th century. A Louisville native, O’Toole was born on 11 August 1898 to Theodore and Martha M. O’Toole. He graduated from Saint Xavier High School (1914) and the University of Louisville (1918) and continued his studies at Harvard University where he earned a master’s degree at the Graduate School of Architecture in 1921. While studying at Harvard, O’Toole was awarded the Julia Amory Appleton fellowship, allowing him to spend two years (1921-1923) furthering his studies in Europe. After this post- graduate experience, O’Toole taught at the Georgia Institute of Technology for one year. He then returned to Louisville where he joined the architectural firm D. X. Murphy & Brothers as a draftsman, eventually becoming president in 1943, a position he held until his death in 1956.

O’Toole married Martha Gardiner and had six children: William Jr., Laurence T., Miriam, Thomas J., David P., and Martin M. He was president of the Kentucky chapter of the American Institute of Architects, served as chairman of the board of trustees of Strathmoor Manor, and was a member of Holy Name Society of St. Raphael Catholic Church. O’Toole died in 1956 at age 57.

Scope & Content Note

Collection includes architectural drawings created by O’Toole, mostly dating to ca. 1925-1956 when he worked for the Louisville, Kentucky architectural firm D. X. Murphy & Bro., Architects. Architectural records include working drawings on blueprint, drafting linen, and pencil on trace paper representing surveys, plot plans, elevations, floor plans, details, and cross sections for residential, commercial, religious, medical, and educational buildings as well as a subdivision and sewer system. Except for four drawings in Spanish of the Juarez Jockey Club dated 1909 and two drawings for the Standard Oil Co. Service Station in Louisville dated 1919, all drawings in the collection are from O’Toole’s years (ca. 1925-1956) at D. X. Murphy & Bro., Architects. The majority of the architectural projects are located in the Louisville, Kentucky area however there are projects located in Owensboro (Ky.), Mexico, Georgia, and Indiana. Projects include but are not limited to the John N. Norton Memorial Infirmary, Federal Land Bank, U.S. Marine Hospital, Nazareth College and Presentation Academy Gymnasium, Churchill Downs, and Waverley Hills Sanatorium. See project index for more information.

Folder List

Project Roll 1: American Tobacco Co., Warehouse “E” and “B”; Broadway & 17th Streets; Louisville, KY; 7/14/1947

Project Roll 2: Church, unidentified; n.d.

Project Roll 3: Churchill Downs, ‘New’ Press Stairs, second floor to roof; Fourth & Central Ave.; Louisville, KY; 1/30/1956

Project Roll 4: Churchill Downs seating; Fourth & Central Ave.; Louisville, KY; 1/1/1946

Project Roll 5: City of Louisville, Ky., Topographical Map; Louisville, KY; 1930

Project Roll 6: Dant, Sam, residence; Tyler & Lover’s Lane; Louisville, KY; n.d.

Project Roll 7: Federal Land Bank, A; 620 S. Third Street; Louisville, KY; 7/15/1925

Project Roll 8: Federal Land Bank, B; 620 S. Third Street; Louisville, KY; 7/15/1925

Project Roll 9: Juarez Jockey Club; Juarez, Mexico; 7/14/1909

Project Roll 10: Louisville Trust Company, Branch Bank; 2450 Bardstown Road; Louisville, KY; 1/24/195

Project Roll 11: Nazareth College and Presentation Academy, Gymnasium; North side of Breckinridge Street between Third & Fourth Streets; Louisville, KY; 6/24/1938

Project Roll 12: Norton, John N., Memorial Infirmary; Third & Oak Streets; Louisville, KY; 12/21/1928

Project Roll 13: Our Lady of the Holy Ghost; Conyers, GA; 1944-1948

Project Roll 14: St. Anthony’s Hospital, additions and alterations; Michigan City, IN; 7/3/2024

Project Roll 15: St. Steven Cathedral, Bishop’s Throne; 610 Locust Street; Owensboro, KY; 5/12/1941

Project Roll 16: Security Bank; Preston & Market Streets; Louisville, KY; 1/3/1926

Project Roll 17: Sheffield Subdivision, Preliminary Survey; near Newburg Road & Norris Place; Louisville, KY; 5/29/1941

Project Roll 18: Standard Oil Co. Service Station; 10th & Market Streets; Louisville, KY; 8/28/1919

Project Roll 19: Strathmoor Manor Sewer System; Boundaries: Bardstown Rd.; Emerson Ave.; Lakeside Dr.; Lowell Ave.; Louisville, KY; January 1940

Project Roll 20: T. P. Taylor Building; 644-646 So. Fourth Street; Louisville, KY; 15-August-27 & 17-Oct-27.

Project Roll 21: U.S. Marine Hospital, New Building; Louisville, KY; 10/29/1931.

Project Roll 22: Waverley Hills Sanatorium, Addition to Hospital for Negroes; Waverley Hills, KY; n.d.

Project Roll 23: Zoning District Maps; Louisville, KY; 1945

Subject Headings

Architects – Kentucky – Louisville

Architecture – Designs and plans

Architecture, Domestic

Banks and banking – Kentucky – Louisville – Buildings, structures, etc.

Central business districts – Kentucky – Louisville

Church architecture – Kentucky – Louisville

Churchill Downs Racetrack (Louisville, Ky.)

Commercial buildings – Kentucky – Louisville

D. X. Murphy & Bro., Architects (Louisville, Ky.)

Farley, Jean D., 1927-

Hospital architecture – Designs and plans

Louisville (Ky.) – Buildings, structures, etc.

Luckett and Farley Inc.

Luckett, Thomas D., 1909-1996

Medical centers – Designs and plans

Nazareth College (Louisville, Ky.)

O’Toole, William G., 1898-1956

O’Toole, William G., 1898-1956

Presentation Academy (Louisville, Ky.)

Racetracks (Horse racing) – Mexico

Religious architecture – Kentucky – Louisville

Segregation – Kentucky – Louisville – Buildings, structures, etc.

Service stations – Designs and plans

Sewerage – Kentucky – Louisville

Strathmoor Manor (Louisville, Ky.)

U. S. Marine Hospital (Louisville, Ky.)

Waverly Hills Sanatorium

Zoning – Kentucky – Louisville

Additional Authors:

Farley, Jean D., 1927-

Luckett, Thomas D., 1909-1996