The Life and Times of Leila Ross Wilburn: Atlanta’s Pioneering Woman Architect (1885-1967)

First Sunday Lecture
The Life and Times of Leila Ross Wilburn: Atlanta’s Pioneering Woman Architect (1885-1967)
A Women's History Month Event

Author Susan Hunter discussed the life of a famous Atlanta architect, Leila Ross Wilburn, this afternoon.  This lecture was also the kick-off celebration of Women's History Month at the Smyrna Public Library. 

A booksigning followed the presentation and books were available for purchase, courtesy of Bookmiser: A Booklover's Boutique. Light refreshments were provided by the Friends of Smyrna Library.

Presenter, Susan M. Hunter, co-author, Southern Homes & Plan Books: The Architectural Legacy of Leila Ross Wilburn

This presentation introduced Wilburn as one of the state’s most influential designers of vernacular housing in the first half of the 20th century. From the opening of her architectural practice in 1908 in Atlanta through the following five decades, and through a series of 9 plan books, Wilburn’s work defined changing home design in the South from early craftsman, four square, colonial adaptations, and eclectic offerings through ranch and split level designs in the 1950s and 1960s.

Speaker Bio: Susan Hunter has been a freelance writer for over 30 years, working for clients in higher education, business, and nonprofit organizations. Previously, she taught art history at the Atlanta College of Art and Mercer University in Atlanta, and she worked as an architectural surveyor for the Historic Preservation Division of Georgia. She completed doctoral coursework in American Studies and Art History at Emory University, and she holds an M.A. from American University and a B.A in Art History from Vassar College.

The First Sunday Lecture series is sponsored by the Friends of Smyrna Library and Smyrna Library.