John Marlor

• Name — John Marlor • Born — 11 February 1789 • Birthplace — England • Died — 13 October 1835 • Place of death — Milledgeville, Georgia

Born February 11, 1789, in England, little is known about Marlor's early years, but it has been speculated that he was apprenticed to a builder or taught himself from house-builders' plan-books. He moved from Charleston to Milledgeville in 1815, and began a nearly 20-year career that shaped the town's architectural heritage. Marlor's reinterpretation of prevailing Georgian and Federal structures brought about an early classical revival in central Georgia architecture. The sophistication of his creations is more in keeping with that of an architect than an artisan. As he gained experience, his signature architectural features became increasingly complex, as evidenced in his structures preserved in Milledgeville. When builder Daniel Pratt moved to Milledgeville in 1821, Marlor hired him, beginning a collaboration that later grew to include builder Elam Alexander. Marlor's construction labor was performed primarily by seven enslaved African-Americans, all of whom were trained carpenters. He owned several thousand acres of timber land and a lumber mill, from which he drew for his building materials. Marlor died on October 13, 1835, in Milledgeville, where he is interred in Memory Hill Cemetery, his tombstone featuring engraved builder's tools. Named to honor his contributions to the city's heritage, Milledgeville's John Marlor Arts Center includes two historic structures, the 1830 John Marlor House, adapted into offices of the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Allied Arts Center and the Elizabeth Marlor Bethune Art Gallery, and the 1911 Allen's Market Building, adapted into theatre, meeting and studio space.