Noah Webster Overstreet (1888–1973) was an American architect in practice in Jackson, Mississippi from 1912 to 1968. He was a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects and received accolades for his career. According to the Mississippi Encyclopedia, few architects had as pronounced an impact on Jackson, Mississippi, the state capitol, in the early twentieth century as Overstreet who "worked for over fifty years, producing a large body of commanding institutional and large-scale commercial work."
Life and career Noah Webster Overstreet was born July 4, 1888, in Eastabuchie, Mississippi to Harvey Havard Overstreet and Bettie Flora Overstreet. He was educated in the Eastabuchie public school and at Mississippi State University before entering the architecture school of the University of Illinois with the class of 1910. Following graduation, he worked for two years in the office of Urbana, Illinois architect Joseph W. Royer."Noah Webster Overstreet" in The Semi-Centennial Alumni Record, ed. Franklin W. Scott (Urbana: University of Illinois, 1918): 391.
In 1912 Overstreet moved back to Mississippi, settling in Jackson where he formed Overstreet & Spencer with Raymond B. Spencer. It lasted until they dissolved their partnership in 1914."Personals" in American Architect 108, no. 2079 (October 27, 1915): 286. Circa 1914 they briefly had a third partner and the firm was known as Overstreet, Spencer & Paine. After ending his partnership, Overstreet practiced independently in Jackson for about fifteen years. In 1931 he formed a new partnership, known as Overstreet & Town, with A. Hays Town. This was dissolved in 1939 when Town returned to his native state of Louisiana. This was succeeded by Noah Webster Overstreet & Associates which in turn was succeeded in 1955 by the firm of Overstreet, Ware & Ware with brothers Joseph T. Ware and John M. Ware. A fourth partner, Edwin R. Lewis, was added in 1962. Overstreet formally retired from the firm effective December 31, 1968, which was succeeded by the Ware, Lewis Partnership on January 1."Overstreet, Noah Webster" in Who's Who in America 1974–1975 2 (Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1974): 2359. It was later known as Ware, Lewis & Eaton and as the Lewis–Eaton Partnership. In 1969 it had been acquired by Reynolds, Smith & Hills of Jacksonville, Florida and was a subsidiary of that firm until its dissolution in 1985.Mississippi corporation records for Lewis–Eaton Inc. The best known work of the successor firm is the Charlotte Capers Archives and History Building in Jackson, begun in 1969 and completed in 1971.Chloe Edwards, "The Archives and History Building Groundbreaking," Mississippi Department of Archives and History, May 12, 2014. Accessed February 10, 2023.
Overstreet joined the American Institute of Architects in 1922. He was instrumental in the founding of the Mississippi chapter in 1929 and served as its first president. In 1952 he was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, the first Mississippi architect to be so honored."Noah Webster Overstreet (1898-1976), AIA Historical Directory of American Architects, no date. Accessed February 10, 2023.
By the time of his election to fellowship Overstreet was the acknowledged leader of the architectural profession in Mississippi. He was well known as an architect of public and institutional buildings, including churches, courthouses and schools.
Personal life Overstreet married Mabel Kinnear in 1912 in Urbana. They had three children: Noah Webster Overstreet Jr., Robert Kinnear Overstreet and Patricia Ann (Overstreet) Kitchings. Robert K. Overstreet was also an architect and worked for his father in Jackson from 1946 to 1952 before moving to San Francisco. He was the partner of Elmer E. Botsai from 1963 to 1979."Overstreet, Robert Kinnear" in Who's Who in the West 2000–2001 (New Providence: Marquis Who's Who, 1999): 472.
In addition to his professional affiliations Overstreet was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Kappa Alpha Order and the Newcomen Society of the United States. He was a member of the Baptist church.
Overstreet died October 12, 1973, in Jackson at the age of 85.
Legacy Overstreet's work was concentrated in Mississippi, but he also designed buildings in Arkansas, Georgia and Louisiana. At least eight of his and his partners' works have been listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, and others contribute to listed historic districts or are designated Mississippi Landmarks.
Architectural works C. H. Parsons house, Crystal Springs, Mississippi (1912, NRHP 1984)C. H. Parsons House NRHP Registration Form (1984) Franklin County Courthouse, Meadville, Mississippi (1913–14, NRHP 1981)Franklin County Courthouse NRHP Registration Form (1981) Jackson Public Library, Jackson, Mississippi (1913–14, demolished)"New Buildings" in Tradesman 70, no. 14 (November 10, 1913): 36. YMCA Building, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi (1914–15)"Building News" in American Architect 104, no. 1976 (November 5, 1913): 12. Mississippi Building, Panama–Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, California (1915, temporary building demolished 1916)Ben Macomber, The Jewel City (San Francisco: John H. Williams, 1915) Webster County Courthouse, Walthall, Mississippi (1915–16, burned and demolished 2013)Webster County Harrison County Courthouse, Gulfport, Mississippi (1916–17, demolished)"Building News" in Manufacturers Record 69, no. 7 (February 17, 1916): 63. Pontotoc County Courthouse, Pontotoc, Mississippi (1916)Pontotoc Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1993) Alcorn County Courthouse, Corinth, Mississippi (1918–19)"Building News" in American Architect 113, no. 2195 (January 16, 1918): 10. Remodeling of the First Presbyterian Church, Louisville, Mississippi (1920)Downtown Louisville Historic District NRHP Registration Form (2011) Central Presbyterian Church (former), Jackson, Mississippi (1922)"Building Contracts Awarded" in Manufacturers Record 82, no. 4 (July 27, 1922): 77. Inverness High School (former), Inverness, Mississippi (1922, demolished 2010)"Building Contracts Awarded" in Manufacturers Record 82, no. 4 (July 27, 1922): 78. Shaw High School, Shaw, Mississippi (1922)"The Central South" in Iron Age 109, no. 2 (January 12, 1922): 198. Bolivar County Courthouse, Cleveland, Mississippi (1923–24)Downtown Cleveland Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1999) Canton High School, Canton, Mississippi (1923 and 1938, NRHP 1998)Canton High School NRHP Registration Form (1998) Gulfport High School (former), Gulfport, Mississippi (1923) Lamar Life Insurance Company Building, Jackson, Mississippi (1923–24)"$500,000 Life Insurance Building for Jackson" in Manufacturers Record 83, no. 24 (June 14, 1923): 97. First Baptist Church, Jackson, Mississippi (1924–27)"Building News" in Manufacturers Record 84, no. 17 (October 25, 1923): 140. Mississippi Fire Insurance Company Building, Jackson, Mississippi (1924)Smith Park Architectural District NRHP Registration Form (1974) Heber Ladner Building, Jackson, Mississippi (1924) Rankin County Courthouse, Brandon, Mississippi (1924–25, NRHP 1997)Rankin County Courthouse NRHP Registration Form (1997) Scott County Courthouse, Forest, Mississippi (1924, demolished 1955)Scott County Gordon Hotel, Albany, Georgia (1925)"Hotel Gordon of Albany, Ga." in Hotel Monthly 33, no. 389 (August 1925): 85. Hotel Chester, Starkville, Mississippi (1925, NRHP 1985)Hotel Chester NRHP Registration Form (1985) Monticello Consolidated School, Monticello, Mississippi (1925–26, NRHP 1991)Monticello Consolidated School NRHP Registration Form (1991) Prentiss County Courthouse, Booneville, Mississippi (1925–26)"Construction News" in Engineering News-Record 93, no. 14 (October 2, 1924): 190. Additions to the Marshall County Courthouse, Holly Springs, Mississippi (1926)"Construction News" in Engineering News-Record 96, no. 1 (January 7, 1926): 9. Winona High School, Winona, Mississippi (1926)"Construction News" in Engineering News-Record 96, no. 1 (January 7, 1926): 12. George Hurst Building, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi (1927)The University of Southern Mississippi Historic District NRHP Registration Form (2010) Tippah County Courthouse, Ripley, Mississippi (1928)Tippah County Plaza Building, Jackson, Mississippi (1929) Bloom's Arcade, Tallulah, Louisiana (1930, NRHP 1989)Bloom's Arcade NRHP Registration Form (1989) Lake Village Baptist Church, Lake Village, Arkansas (1931)Blake Wintory, Chicot County (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2015) North Church Primary School / Church Street School, Tupelo, Mississippi (1936–38, NRHP 1992)North Church Primary School NRHP Registration Form (1992) Columbia High School, Columbia, Mississippi (1937–38)Columbia North Residential Historic District NRHP Registration Form (2009) Addition to the St. James Parish Courthouse, Convent, Louisiana (1939, burned and demolished 1970)Saint James Parish Choctaw County Courthouse, Ackerman, Mississippi (1941)Choctaw County Columbia Primary School, Columbia, Mississippi (1951) George L. Hawkins Elementary School, Hattiesburg, Mississippi (1951)Hub City Historic District (Boundary Increase II) NRHP Registration Form (2012) Fondren Corner, Jackson, Mississippi (1955–56)Downtown Fondren Historic District NRHP Registration Form (2014) Terminal, Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, Jackson, Mississippi (1959–63, altered)"Construction Reports" in Engineering News-Record 162, no. 2 (January 15, 1959): 92. Alexander Hall, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi (1960–63)"Construction Reports" in Engineering News-Record 165, no. 10 (September 8, 1960): 74. University Baptist Church, Hattiesburg, Mississippi (1960)"Building Construction Begins at University, Hattiesburg" in Baptist Record 83, no. 43 (October 26, 1960): 8.
Further reading David Helburn Sachs, The Work of Overstreet and Town: The Coming of Modern Architecture to Mississippi (PhD dissertation, University of Michigan (1986)
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