Identity elements
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Collection
Title
Phillips, William Lyman papers
Date(s)
- 1929-1964 (Creation)
Extent
386 Items
Name of creator
Biographical history
William Lyman Phillips was born in Somerville, Massachusetts, June 11, 1885. He attended Harvard University and graduated with a Master in Architecture degree. Phillips was employed by the Olmstead Brothers Landscape architecture firm of Brookline, Massachusetts where he worked for twenty two years. He designed Balboa on the Panama Canal and lead the Mountain Lake Project for the Olmstead Firm. In 1922, the firm sent him to Europe to study the landscape styles and increase his knowledge of the subject matter. While studying in France, he met Simone Guillot; they got married and had two daughters before her death in 1948. The early thirties became a busy time for Phillips. While working for the National Park Service and the Dade County Parks Department, he designed Fairchild Tropical Gardens, one of his most well known works. During this time, he also completed some design work for the University of Miami. Phillips' last major project was the design of Crandon and Baker's Haulover Parks in the mid forties. Phillips' contribution to society will long be noticed; he created beauty and awareness from his simplistic style and order.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
The material from the William Lyman Phillips Papers (1885-1966) ranges from 1929 to 1964. The collection mainly consists of Phillips' landscape work; it is made up of originals, brown-line and blue prints, and photographs. Among this collection are complete sets of working drawings and landscape work designed by other architects and engineers.
The Mountain Lake Corporation makes up a large portion of the collection. Phillips was leading the project for the Boston-based Olmstead Bros. Landscape Architecture firm which he worked for. Phillips worked on the revision of state road no. 20 as well as the entrance for the capital in Tallahassee. Woodlawn Cemetery and the Indian Creek Club, both of which are located in Miami, also contitute large portions of this collection. Phillips completed design work for the University of Miami as well as various parks including Greynolds, Redland, Phipps, Matheson Hammock and Fairchild Tropical Gardens. While Phillips worked for the government, he designed plans for several of the keys and the overseas toll bridge. The Phillips collection contains working drawings and two low rent housing projects: one located in Tampa and the other in Bradenton. The rest of the work in the collection consists of residences and churches in the south Florida area.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
The collection is open for research.
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
William Lyman Phillips Papers Finding Aid © 1981 University of Miami. All rights reserved. Requests to reproduce or publish materials from this collection should be directed to asc.library@miami.edu.
Languages of the material
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Generated finding aid
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Gift of Miss Mary Phillips with the assistance of Dr. Henry Field.