American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1940
26008
March 10, 1939
Miss Henrietta C. Dozier
Architect
(additional)
415 Pen. Life Bldg.,
Rose Shepherd, Writer.
MISS HENRIETTA C. DOZIER, ARCHITECT.
(Additional)
"Were there any women interested in studying architecture when I first took it up? Yes, when I matriculated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Boston, in 1895, there were two other women in the class. But they dropped out in the second year, and I was the only woman member to be graduated in 1899. I have been a 'lone wolf' right along. I have never had any woman associate in my work, and so far as I know have never had any competition in this line in Jacksonville.
"I have always had to compete with men, yes. In submitting designs, plans, bids, I have never asked any consideration at any time because I happened to be a woman; I put all my cards on the table in fair and honest competition, and ask only consideration on the same basis.
For the most part I have been treated fairly. I remember one instance when designs were asked for the State and County Building in Atlanta, I went to the county officials, in the confidence of youth - it was in 1904 - but I knew what splendid training I had received, and stated brashly I would like to have this job.
"They said, 'We are sorry, Miss Dozier, but we cannot give it to you because you are not a voter.'
"Well, that was a new argument and was my first experience with officials' playing of politics with the tax-payers' money.
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Miss Dozier - (additional)
"Then, when I came to Jacksonville and had done considerable local work to which I could point with pride, I contacted the Duval County Board of Public Instruction when a new county school was under consideration.
"I felt my accomplishments in this respect and my standing as a resident of Jacksonville would entitle me to compete on this job, for which an allocation in the amount of $100,000 had been proposed. When I looked at the plans, however, and read the specifications I realized it would run at least another $100,000 over this amount, so I immediately sought out the Chairman of the Board and patiently explained to him in detail why, in my estimation, unless the plans were curtailed in some respects, the work would approximate the higher figure.
"Imagine my surprise a week later to read a published report of a school board meeting, in which it was announced the contract had been given to a man, a local resident, as there was only one other bid and it was approximately twice as high. The completed job finally reached the appalling figure of $250,000, the tax-payers were bonded, and in the end paid that amount. Everything was under cover, but it was a 'political' job, nevertheless, and it was my pleasure to so inform the board later on, reminding them that my bid was for $200,000. Who got the $50,000? Well, I leave that for you to surmise.
"Then in 1925 the Women's Club of Jacksonville, of which I had been a member for a number of years, transferred their old clubhouse at 18 East Duval Street to the City of Jacksonville and purchased a location on the St. Johns riverfront at 861 Riverside.
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"I submitted my designs, asking for consideration on account of my membership in the club. The job was given to a man, whose wife was a member also, and who I learned had bought a considerable quantity of the bonds then being offered to finance the new building.
"Again it was my great pleasure to go before the board of this organization, and give them my personal opinion of such 'political bargaining.' It is needless to say, I withdrew my membership, as it has never been my policy to belong to any organization engaged in unfair dealings. Were their faces red? I'll say they were!
"On the whole, I have had only courtesy and consideration in my competition with men in my work. During my thirteen and one-half years in Atlanta, I dealt with the same contractors and subcontractors most of the time, and had the greatest cooperation possible.
"There was one instance of a crazy plumber in Atlanta that maybe caused me a gray hair or two. He was working on a residence building, and when I went on the job as a matter of routine inspection early one morning, I noticed he had roughed in the plumbing all wrong. I called his attention to it, as a matter of course, and without any warning at all, he picked up a 2 by 4 and came at me, saying: 'God A'mighty never intended a man to be bossed by a woman!' I thought my time had come as he advanced toward me with the heavy board in his right hand, which he was wielding as a most formidable shillalah. Just in the nick of time, the contractor appeared on the scene and grabbed him, having a rather hard time to subdue him and get the club away from him. He had been crazy all the time, but I was not aware of it, and after
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this incident he was adjudged insane and placed in an institution.
"Once I get in with people {Begin inserted text}{Begin handwritten},{End handwritten}{End inserted text} contractors, tenants, clients or organizations and {Begin deleted text}the{End deleted text} {Begin inserted text}{Begin handwritten}they{End handwritten}{End inserted text} come to know me, I never have any trouble about my work or retaining their friendship. But there is one thing I will not do, and that is carry a 'political club.' I get the assignment on my own merits and the quality of my work, or not at all.
"As I said about the Atlanta Courthouse, this work was refused me because I was not a voter, so they said. When women obtained suffrage in 1920. I became a voter ever since, so on the school job, I was not considered - even though a voter - but politicians usually twist things to suit themselves.
"I have traveled considerably and have had opportunity to study architecture in the different sections of the United States. Also, in 1904 I went on a Cook's tour of Europe. The friend, who was to accompany me and whose relatives we were to visit in France, suffered a death in her family which caused her to cancel all her plans, so I went on alone.
"Strange to say, the architecture of Europe did not particularly interest me. You see in school and afterwards we had studied prints of the old buildings of renown, and when I came upon the original it was so familiar, I felt like saying, 'Oh! [hello,?] I remember you,' like I would to an old friend.
"What impressed me most was the flowers, such flowers! From the time I arrived at Antwerp until I left Italy I was amazed at the beauty and brilliance of the wild flowers. In the Italian Alps there were blue sheets of purple violets and yellow buttercups, with a line drawn definitely between them, where the blue ended
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and the yellow began. And one whole canyon was crimson with poppies.
"I was disappointed with the Coliseum. It looked like a miniature to me - I had such enormous ideas.."
A young man appeared in the door with a small bundle under his arm, which he rather deftly explained was a model of the new "Arch-lex" type of garage door. Miss Dozier asked him to come in, and he set the miniature up on the floor, showing the metal closing apparatus with a chain-pull that automatically opened or locked the door either from the outside or inside, with fittings of Yale lock and key for the outside.
"I have been reading about this new invention in one of the metal trade magazines, and I was sold on it from the illustrations," said Miss Dozier, as she fingered the pictured [?] folder he handed her. Noting the name at the bottom -"J. Miles Lewis," she exclaimed:
"Look here, young man, do you come from the Miles Lewises of South Carolina?"
"I wouldn't be surprised," said the young man. "I am a redheaded son of Georgia myself, but some of my ancestors came from South Carolina?"
"Well, if you are related to those Lewises, you had a Dozier for a great-grandmother," said Miss Dozier, switching the conversation from salesmanship to her hobby of genealogy.
"I have a cousin here in Jacksonville who is a 'bug' on that stuff. She keeps up with all branches of the family tree, and I'll ask her tonight."
"You do that and 'phone me tomorrow. I'd like to know the ramifications of the Georgia branch of the Lewises."
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"What about the Arch-Lex?" queries young [J.?] Miles Lewis.
"I have already recommended it to one of my clients, Mr. Ulrich, and if you'll go see him at his office in the Blum Building, he'll buy one. Only, he does not want the outside lock. You see his garage adjoins his residence and he plans to go through the kitchen to unlock the garage on driving in."
Young Mr. Lewis' face lit up eagerly, as he said: "I have seen him - got his name from the building permits, and he has purchased one of my locks. He mentioned about taking off the outside knob, and I told him we could make this job up special just as he wants it, for the complete price of $16.00."
"I knew you could from looking at the illustrations," said Miss Dozier. "Well, goodbye," and don't forget to call me tomorrow about your great-grandmother."
After young Lewis had departed, Miss Dozier went on: "If he is who I think he is, he comes from the real Dozier branch. There are two families in the original, one 'dozier' and the other from 'Pierre Dauger' which is now also spelled 'dozier' by his descendants, but the two branches are in no way related. I have gone back in some cases ten generations, without finding a single inter-marriage, which is rather unusual, as both are of French origin and both branches very prolific.
"Well, I'll have to get back to my drawing board. My work is just like my fishing, in which I use just plain old poles, hooks, and worms - no fancy bait. Sometimes I have sat beside a fishing companion, who would be jerking out one bass after another; while I alongside would yank out nothing but catfish. Maybe somebody versed in the psychology of fishing could give the answer, but I
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Believe I was only over a 'catfish hole.'
"When the depression eliminated me in 1929. I lost my home - the one I had built for myself and my sister after much pains-taking effort and considerable self-denial. It was valued then at $8,000. The other day, the mortgager offered it back to me for $2,500.
"This made me realize that many people were in the same boat, so in the last few years, I have done nothing but small residential homes - maybe that's my 'catfish hole'. But at any rate, I believe from my own experience and with a woman's general reputation of condensing space and utilizing corners for wall spaces and furniture settings instead of blocking them up with windows, doors, and closets, it gives me the very best ideas for commodious and comfortable homes.
"And if I can once get started on my idea of the earth-rammed house, it will catch on like wildfire - durable, vermin-proof, termite-proof, insulated against cold and heat from the outside, with an average expenditure cost of around $500.00 a room, compared with the present government cost of around $1,000 a unit, it will be Florida's own house and home, good for the constant use of two or three generations."
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