Background
William S. Edwards was born in 1866 at Darlington, South Carolina, United States.
William S. Edwards was born in 1866 at Darlington, South Carolina, United States.
He entered the State University and was later graduated with the first class of Mechanical Engineering taught in the school.
A few years after Mr. Edwards joined the office of C. C. Wilson, Architect, at Columbia, S. C., and for ten years continued work there as a draftsman, subsequently began practice under the firm name of Edwards & Walter. In 1908 he moved to Atlanta, and after maintaining an independent office until 1912, joined William J. Sayward in organizing the firm of Edwards & Sayward, of which he remained a member for more than twenty- five years .
During his long professional career Mr. Edward's work included a wide range and variety of buildings, churches, court houses, some commercial structures, and considerable collegiate work. Among the latter were buildings at the Florida A. & M. College at Tallahassee, Administration Buildinq, Library and dormitories between 1913 and 1924; at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Ga., Academic Hall and faculty residences, 1926-27; University of Florida, Gainesville, the Administration Building, Library, Science Hall, Law Building etc , between 1913 and 1925; also buildings at the Florida State College for Women at Tallahassee; the Florida School for the Deaf. St. Augustine; Georgia State Woman's College at Valdosta, from 1921 to 1939; Winthrop College, Rock Hill, N. C. and the Law Building at the University of South Carolina.
In addition the firm designed the Union National Bank Building at Columbia, S. C., in 1913; the Exchange Bank and Office Building at Tallahassee, Florida. in 1927, and the following public buildings; Unitarian Church at Atlanta, 1914; County Court House at York, S. Cā 1914; Methodist Church at Clarksville, Tenn., 1916; Baptist Church at Easley, S. C., 1920; First Presbyterian Church, York, S. C., 1923; Masonic Temple at Decatur, Ga., 1926; U. S. Post Office and Court House, Columbus, Ga., 1932; Candler Hotel! Decatur, Ga., 1927; Hotel Thomas, Gainesville, Fla., 1925; Fannin County Court House, Blue Ridge, Ga., 1936; Teachers' College at Georgia State College, 1938, and Keshaw County Court House, Camden, S. C.
Mr. Edwards' work also included several High Schools built in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina, together with stores, restaurants, banks, theatres! auditoriums, recreational and park buildings and residences. In 1933 the firni was commissioned to plan a large housing project at the University of Atlanta, one of the first of such projects sponsored by the Federal Government.
Prominently known in Atlanta throughout his long career, he had been a member of the local Chapter of the A. I. A. since 1913.