Discipline: Literature

Samuel Stoney

Discipline: Literature
MacDowell Fellowships: 1933, 1934, 1935
Samuel Stoney (1891-1968) was an architect, author, historian, and preservationist. Stoney is considered by many to be the quintessential Charlestonian. After graduating from the College of Charleston, he saw service on the Mexican border. And although he was also an officer in the 318th Field Artillery, 81st Division in France, he never saw combat. A degree in architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology led to work in Atlanta and New York, where his charm and knowledge brought him into contact with artists and scholars. His interest in Gullah enabled him to serve as a dialogue coach for actors in Porgy and so piqued the interest of the author Gertrude Mathews Shelby that she convinced Stoney to coauthor two books with her: a collection of creation tales told in Gullah, Black Genesis (1930); and a novel on the tragedy of miscegenation, Po’ Buckra (1930).

Studios

Sorosis

Samuel Stoney worked in the Sorosis studio.

Sorosis Studio was funded by the New York Carol Club of Sorosis. The small, masonry studio was designed by F. Winsor, Jr., the architect who also designed Savidge Library (1926) and Mixter Studio (1927). At the time of construction, the large porch on the southeast façade offered a spectacular mountain view that has since been obscured…

Learn more