Rufus Gordon Richardson

(“RGR” 7/1915 to 2/1931)

 

R. Gordon Richardson (6/30/1886 to 10/13/1962 (Forest Lawn Cemetery)) was the Firm employee with the longest service:  over 16 years – longer than J. Binford Walford and longer than Charles Custer Robinson.  And it could be considered that he was the most important, most creative and most talented.  Every major 1920s project has Richardson’s work all over the drawings and it is the Richardson style that made Charles M. Robinson Architects what it became in the 1920s.  He made the complete transition from Charles M. Robinson to J. Binford Walford to Walford & Wright and had retired just before its reorganization into Wright, Jones and Wilkerson.

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He was born on June 30, 1886 in Brunson, South Carolina to Dr. Cameron Gregg Richardson (1856-1934). and Henrietta Angelia Zenobia Brunson Richardson (1857-1946).  He was a 1907 Graduate of Clemson University with a degree in Civil Engineering.  He was the husband of Elise Hilliard Richardson (1891-1982)

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An exhaustive search of Richmond City Directories shows no presence before 1913.  He is listed in the 1913 Directory as “draftsman, Shepherd & Peale” and living at 1618 Floyd Avenue.  The 1914 Directory lists him as “draftsman, C(harles) K. Bryant” and living at 1618 Floyd Avenue.  The 1915 and 1916 directories do not list him.  An entry at FindaGrave.com shows Mr. Richardson in military uniform.  His September 1917 draft card states that he was living at 1000 East Clay Street and that he was a “Architectural Draftsman for Heard, Cardwell & Craighall of Lynchburg, Virginia” and that he was single and claimed an exemption for “Deformed Foot” and that he was of medium height with dark brown eyes and dark brown hair.

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The 1917 to 1920 Directories list him as “Draftsman, Charles M. Robinson” and living at 1000 East Clay (1917-1918), 2103 Park Avenue (1919) and 409 North Addison (1920).

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The 1921 Directory lists him as employed by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and living at 409 North Addison.  The 1922 Directory simply lists him as “draftsman” and living at 403 North Addison,.  The 1923-1926 Directories list him as “draftsman, Charles M. Robinson Architects” and living at 3104 Fendall (1923), 12 North Mulberry (1924) and 3009 Park (1925-29).

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The 1927-1930 Directories list him as “Assistant Chief Draftsman, Charles M. Robinson Architects.”  The 1931 Directory lists him as “Chief Draftsman, Charles M. Robinson, Architects.”  He lived at 3427 Grove #5 (1930) and 2032 Park Avenue (1931).

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The 1940 alumni directory of Clemson University lists Mr. Richardson as employed by J. Binford Walford Architect.

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The 1932 Directory lists him as “Instructor, Evening School of Business Administration” and living at 3200 Stuart Avenue #5.  The 1933 Directory lists him as still living at 3200 Stuart, but with no place of employment.  The 1934 and onward City directories list him as being employed by J. Binford Walford and later Walford & Wright.

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His daughter, Elyse Gordon Richardson, married Navy Seaman William Clark Fielden in October 1943.

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Mr. Richardson was a devoted Mason – and Charles M. Robinson hired a large number of Masons.  By the time of his death, he was Past Master of Lodge #53, AF&AM and Richmond Commandery #2 of Knights Templar.  A February 8, 1941 advertisement in the Richmond Times-Dispatch lists Mr. Richardson as the Master of Lodge #53.  He had been elected Senior Deacon in December 1938.

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Mr. Richardson died of “generalized arteriosclerosis” on October 13, 1962 at Richmond Memorial Hospital while living at 3803 Hill Monument Parkway in Ginter Park, and is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery.  His wife, Elise Hilliard Richardson, two daughters, Doris Cameron Richardson and Mrs. W. Clark Fielden, a sister, Mrs. Irene Marvin of Beaufort NC and a brother, W. E. Richardson, survived him.  Mrs. Richardson died on November 1, 1982 of breast cancer while still living at 3803 Hill Monument Parkway.

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R. Gordon Richardson is in the February, 1926 photograph of the drafting room, was a dedicated Mason, and he was a pallbearer at Charles M. Robinson’s funeral on August 22, 1932 in Hollywood Cemetery.