Tom McCabes Genealogy 2022

Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941 about John W Gaddis Name: John W Gaddis Spouse Name: E E Loten Marriage Date: 26 Nov 1885 Marriage County: Knox Source Title 1: Knox County, Indiana Source Title 2: Index to Marriage Record 1854 - 1920 Inclusive Vol Source Title 3: W. P. A. Original Record Located: County Clerk's O Book: C-11 OS Page: 324

From email: "The family story is that Gory wanted John William to go into the furniture business with him and opposed JW's college education so he earned the money and did it on his own. Then when JW's son William Gory wanted to be a lawyer the same thing happened. One of them taught school to earn the money for college. I forget which...."

From the web document, ARCHITECTS AND ARCHITECTURE OF VINCENNES:

Vincennes Architects: By the turn of the twentieth century, Vincennes was home to several talented architects and you will see many examples of their work along this tour. John W. Gaddis was the first of these noted architects to establish a firm in Vincennes. He began working here in 1883 and his impressive career spanned into the twentieth century. He designed the American National Bank, and the George Rogers Clark Junior High, ... He also designed several Indiana county courthouses, including ones in Clay, Huntington, and Putnam counties. John Gaddis died in 1931.

John William has an entry on Wikipedia that shows some of his noted buildings:

John W. Gaddis (died 1931) was a noted architect of Vincennes, Indiana. He designed numerous buildings that are preserved and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Works include:

Dr. Nelson Wilson House, 103 E National Highway, Washington, IN (Gaddis, John W.) NRHP-listed[1]
Case Library, Baker University, Eighth and Grove, Baldwin City, KS (Gaddis,J.W.) NRHP-listed[1]
Clarksville High School, Greenwood Ave., Clarksville, TN (Gaddis,John W.) NRHP-listed[1]
Clay County Courthouse, Bounded by US 40, Harrison, Jackson, and Alabama Sts., Brazil, IN (Gaddis, John W.)
Olney Carnegie Library, 401 E. Main St. Olney IL (Gaddis) NRHP-listed[1]
Pineville Courthouse Square Historic District, Along Kentucky, Pine, Virginia, and Walnut Sts., Pineville, KY (Gaddis,John W.) NRHP-listed[1]
Shadowwood, 6451 E. Wheatland Rd., Vincennes, IN (Gaddis, J.W.) NRHP-listed[1]
Shriver House, 117 E. 3rd. St., Flora, IL (Gaddis,J. W.) NRHP-listed[1]
Vincennes Masonic Temple, 501 Broadway St., Vincennes, IN (Gaddis, J.W.)

Taken from: History of Knox and Daviess Counties, Indiana, Goodspeed Publishing, 1888.

U.S. City Directories 1900 John W Gaddis Street Address: 19 N 4th Vincennes, Indiana Occupation: Architect Publication Title: Vincennes, Indiana, City Directory, 1900

In 1888 he lived at 17 N 4th.

Some of John William's designs are on the Register of Historic Places: Dr. Nelson Wilson House From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dr. Nelson Wilson House located in Indiana 103 E. National Highway, Washington, Indiana

Area: less than one acre Built: 1896 Architect: John W. Gaddis Architectural style: Queen Anne Added to NRHP: June 27, 2008

The Dr. Nelson Wilson House is a place on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, Indiana. It was placed on the Register on June 26, 2008,[2] due to its unique architecture (a mix of Queen Anne and Eastlake), and for being the work of prominent local architect John W. Gaddis. The Daviess County Interim Report gave the house its highest rating: "Outstanding".[3]

Nelson H. Wilson, born in Jefferson County, Indiana on November 12, 1844, married Matilda M. Campbell in 1889. From 1890 to 1895 he practiced dentistry is Washington, Indiana. In 1893 they had the house built. In 1895, Nelson Wilson died. Sometime between Wilson's death and 1900 the house went to William Beck, whose family would own the house until 2001. Matilda Wilson died on August 11, 1914.[3]

The Dr. Nelson Wilson House is a two-story Queen Anne-style house, with a brick foundation, brick and limestone walls, and asphalt roof, built in 1893 by a John W. Gaddis, an architect from nearby Vincennes, Indiana who would later become known for building courthouses, such as those for Clay County, Huntington County, and Putnam County. Gaddis included elements of the Eastlake style in the house as well, as demonstrated by its "stickwork"; it is highly unusual, however, that the stickwork was not done with wood, as typical in Eastlake, but instead with brick.[3]

Of particular note are the pattern on the side porches, which is Masonic Cross pattern. This Masonic Cross pattern could be seen as a Maltese Cross motif, save that both Nelson Wilson and John Gaddis were active Freemasons, and the thought of deviating from the Eastlake style to the Masonic Cross style in constructing the side porches is easily explained in one of the two deciding on the style.

From Wikipedia, where John William Gaddis has his own entry:

John W. Gaddis (died 1931) was a noted architect of Vincennes, Indiana. He designed numerous buildings that are preserved and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Works include:

Dr. Nelson Wilson House, 103 E National Highway, Washington, IN (Gaddis, John W.) NRHP-listed[1]
Case Library, Baker University, Eighth and Grove, Baldwin City, KS (Gaddis,J.W.) NRHP-listed[1]
Clarksville High School, Greenwood Ave., Clarksville, TN (Gaddis,John W.) NRHP-listed[1]
Clay County Courthouse, Bounded by US 40, Harrison, Jackson, and Alabama Sts., Brazil, IN (Gaddis, John W.)
Olney Carnegie Library, 401 E. Main St. Olney IL (Gaddis) NRHP-listed[1]
Pineville Courthouse Square Historic District, Along Kentucky, Pine, Virginia, and Walnut Sts., Pineville, KY (Gaddis,John W.) NRHP-listed[1]
Shadowwood, 6451 E. Wheatland Rd., Vincennes, IN (Gaddis, J.W.) NRHP-listed[1]
Shriver House, 117 E. 3rd. St., Flora, IL (Gaddis,J. W.) NRHP-listed[1]
Vincennes Masonic Temple, 501 Broadway St., Vincennes, IN (Gaddis, J.W.)

BLOOMFIELD NEWS, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana, Thursday, September 10, 1931,Volume LV, Number 45, Page 1, Column 6, “JOHN W. GADDIS, VINCENNES, DIES—Was Noted Architect; Drew the Plans For Greene County Court House in 1885.” [Transcribed February 26, 2003 from the original newspaper on file in the Office of the Recorder of Greene County, Court House, Bloomfield, IN.]

John William GADDIS, seventy-three, widely known Vincennes architect, died Saturday night at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes following a heart attack. Mr. GADDIS, who was a native of Olney, Illinois, and prominent in Vincennes Masonic circles, entered the hospital for treatment about a month ago, and although his condition was regarded as serious, his death came unexpectedly.

Three brothers and two sisters are Mr. GADDIS’s closest survivors, his wife, formerly, Miss Ella LOWTEN, and two children, having preceded him in death.

The deceased located in Vincennes when a youth and gained wide recognition throughout Indiana and the middle west in planning of court houses and other public buildings. Among the buildings designed by him in Greene County is the courthouse. He also designed many other Greene County structures.