Davis & Associates Architectural Drawings

Collection

Identifier: SC 0210

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The Davis & Associates Architectural Drawings, 1925-1986, consist of 9,580 sheets of records from approximately 695 different projects. The materials relate to the design and construction of a number of buildings in Harrisonburg and the surrounding areas. The types of structures represented include schools, public buildings, private residences, and businesses. The collection consists primarily of original pencil drawings on paper and vellum, sketches in a variety of media on tracing paper, and diazo and sepia diazo prints on vellum, paper, and drafting film (Mylar or frosted polyester). Several blueprints are also included, as are a few "stickybacks."

Dates

1925-1986

Creator

Davis & Associates (firm) (Organization)

Access Restrictions

Collection open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

Administrative History

Davis & Associates, AIA, was founded in 1955 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. At the time, the firm's founder, D'Earcy P. Davis Jr., was working for Nielsen Construction Company. Before Davis retired in 1985, the firm had grown to provide architectural services for over thirty counties and cities in Virginia and West Virginia. They also completed work for a number of educational institutions, including James Madison University, Bridgewater College, Eastern Mennonite University, and Blue Ridge Community College. Throughout the years, the firm completed work for a number of prominent members of the community, including Governor Mark O. Hatfield, Fred Funkhouser, and Irving Ney. Clyde E. McClintock took over the firm in 1985, and remained as its head until 2003, when he also retired. Both Davis and McClintlock were members emeriti of the American Institute of Architecture.

D'Earcy Davis Jr. was born in 1917 and went on to earn a degree in structural engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1940. He moved to Harrisonburg with his wife Frances to work for Nielsen Construction and architect Clarence Wenger. D'Earcy took his architecture-licensing exam at the University of Virginia in 1943. He continued to work for Nielsen Construction until 1955, at which point he left to found Davis & Associates. He remained as the leader of that firm for thirty years until he retired in 1985. In retirement, Davis served as president of the Rockingham Development Corporation from 1988 until his death in 1990.

Clyde McClintock was born in 1929 in Maidens, Virginia. He graduated from the University of Virginia's School of Architecture in 1951 and moved to Harrisonburg with his wife Eleanor to join Davis & Associates in 1961. After his retirement in 2003, he served on various community boards until his death in 2012.

Extent

93.86 cubic feet (1 box, 45 rolled storage containers, 45 flat files)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Davis & Associates Architectural Drawings consist of approximately 9,580 architectural drawings and project records pertaining to the design and construction of structures for James Madison University and other buildings located in Harrisonburg, as well as Rockingham, Augusta, Shenandoah, and Page counties.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into seven series:

James Madison University, 1949-1986
Harrisonburg, 1925-1984
Rockingham County, 1955-1983
Augusta County, 1928-1983
Page County, 1957-1974
Shenandoah County, 1958-1985
Photographs, 1959-1981

Acquisition Information

Donated by Massanutten Regional Library in March 2012.

Bibliography

Davis, D'Earcy P., Jr. "Application for Membership to the American Institute of Architects." American Institute of Architects, 1957.
Gane, John F., and George S. Koyl, ed. American Architects Directory, Third Edition. New York: R. R. Bowker Co, 1970.
Harrisonburg City Directory. Harrisonburg, VA: R. L. Polk & Co, 1952-2004.
Lowell, Waverly B., and Tawny Ryan Nelb. Architectural Records: Managing Design and Construction Records. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2006.
"Newsmakers-Manufacturing." The Washington Post, October 26, 1981, Business section.
Pezzoni, J. Daniel. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for Harrisonburg Downtown Historic District." Department of Historic Resources, 2004.
Price, Lois Alcott. Line, Shade, and Shadow: The Fabrication and Preservation of Architectural Drawings. Newcastle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2010.

Processing Information

The original donation consisted of approximately 13,500 sheets in no discernible order, and contained drawings for projects from throughout western Virginia and West Virginia. The drawings were sorted by location and materials not related to James Madison University or the surrounding areas of Harrisonburg, or Augusta, Page, Rockingham, and Shenandoah counties were discarded.

In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign in 2017-2018. This collection was previously cataloged as SC 5034.