Collins Architectural Archive

Archive of 1,100+ project files from the T.J.Collins & Son architecture firm

Spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Collins Architectural Drawing Archive includes over 1,100 project files with architectural drawings, project renderings, bound periodicals, magazines, reference books, and files of correspondence including photographs and notes.

T.J. Collins opened his architectural firm in Staunton in 1891, designing or remodeling over 200 structures in the area before his retirement in 1911. The legacy of his work, and that of his sons Will and Sam who followed him, left a distinct impression on Staunton’s landscape, scattering unique residential, commercial, and religious architecture in the varied and popular styles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries throughout the city.

The archive is currently housed on the 3rd floor of the R.R. Smith Center for History & Art. Please contact adminhsf@historicstaunton.org to make an appointment to visit.

Additional information about T.J. Collins, his family and the firm is outlined in T.J. Collins & Son: The Legacy of a Family Firm.