Carolyn Gills Frazier

Carolyn Gills Frazier (Col ’75 CM) published Stanhope, Chronologically, a book about the life and work of the architect Stanhope Spencer Johnson (1881-1973), who contributed to the architecture of Frazier’s hometown, Lynchburg, Virginia. After discovering that his work had not been investigated, Frazier set out to document Johnson’s life and explore his career. Her research was inspired by the Allied Arts Building, a 17-story Art Deco skyscraper in Lynchburg, and Gallison Hall, an elegant Georgian mansion in the Farmington community of Albemarle County. The book contains not only an exploration of Johnson’s 69-year career but also chapters on Lynchburg and Charlottesville, as well as a chapter on renderings. The back cover’s blurbs are from UVA’s Richard Guy Wilson, retired Commonwealth Professor of Architectural History, and Al Chambers, professional architectural historian and recipient of the University’s first master’s degree in architectural history. To quote from the book’s front flap: “a fascinating amalgam – a combination catalog, biography, architectural stylebook, mystery story, and personal essay.”