"WINSTON ARCHITECT DIES AT 93

William Roy Wallace, 93, who came to Winston-Salem as a teenager to help build Reynolds House and Village and stayed on to design dozens of buildings here, died yesterday at his home at 732 Westover Avenue.

Wallace was one of the last remaining American architects who never went to architectural school but instead learned his skills at the side of a practicing architect. His teacher was Charles Barton Keen, one of the nation's architectural geniuses.

When Keen came to Winston-Salem in 1909 to design and build Reynolda House for R.J. Reynolds and his family, he brought Wallace, then his 19 year-old office boy, with him.

After Keen finished Reynolda House in 1912, he had become so popular in Winston-Salem that he divided his time between his main office in Philadelphia and an office here which was managed by Wallace.

Keen designed many of the fine homes in the Buena Vista and Reynolda Park areas- an Italian villa, an English cottage, a pink Spanish villa, a Georgian mansion and many others.

in 1922, he moved here at the request of Mrs. Reynolds to design and supervise the construction of Reynolds Senior High School and Reynolds Auditorium.

When that task was completed the following year, Keen asked Wallace to return to Philadelphia with him and become his partner. "And I won't take 'no' for an answer," Wallace said Keen told him.

Wallace did go back to Philadelphia and worked with Keen for five more years. He then decided he needed to strike out on his own, and he recalled in an interview last year that his thoughts went back immediately to Winston-Salem.

He moved here in 1929 and joined architect Harold Macklin to open an office as a charter tenant of the then brand-new Reynolds Building. He and his firm remained on the 12th floor there until last April 1.

Wallace said last year that he enjoyed the variety of work that his architectural practice provided.

He prided himself on the fact that he could design anything from a school building to a small or large office building to a fine family home. The quality of his work was so respected that even today when a Wallace-designed home is put up for sale, it usually is noted in the real estate summery.

"He had the capacity to take somebody's dreams and put them into the form of a lasting home." Macklin once said of Wallace.

Wallace did most of the schools in Davidson County from the mid-1930's to the 1950's. He designed Pipe Hall Brick and Pipe Co., the Old Town Telephone Co. building and the Twin City Club. He also designed Fries Memorial Moravian Church and Highland Presbyterian Church, and his own Cape-Cod style home.

He never really stopped his architectural practice, although he began to slow his pace about six years ago. Last year, for instance, he designed a colonial home for a grandson.

When a friend mentioned to him that a man in his 90's ought to think about retiring, Wallace fired back: "I work and I usually stay out of mischief that way."

Wallace's wife of 63 years, Jeannette, died in 1979. He often said that she was "the most exciting thing that ever happened to Me." They had two children, Jean (now Mrs. R. B. Wrege) and Bill, also in the architectural business.

Wallace loved to talk to people interested in architecture. He told an interviewer that if a young person wants to get into the field, he or she should go to N.C. State University, borrowing the money if necessary.

Generally, he told people "At whatever you do, work hard and apply yourself. If you don't like the job, get out and get something else to do-whatever will make you happy."

Wallace was born in Lancaster County, Pa. He graduated from high school in 1909 and had a one-year scholarship to Swarthmore College. When his father told him he couldn't manage financing the other years, he sought employment.

He took the advice of his Sunday school teacher, who was Keen's chief draftsman, to seek a job with him. Wallace developed his interest in architecture by attending the Y-Square Club in Philadelphia, where architects shared their knowledge with young men.

Keen hired him on the spot, and gave him the duties of office boy at $5 a week.

Wallace was one of the few architects that did not close down his business when World War II made it impossible to get building materials. Instead he shifted to helping with essential additions and repairs.

"I had an allegiance to help out my clients even though there was not a lot of money in it at the time," he said. All of his clients stayed with him and his business continued to prosper after the war ended.

Survivors in addition to his daughter and son are two sisters, Sadie and Clara Wallace, both of Bala-Cynwyd, Pa. and a brother, Melvin (sic) Wallace of Quarryville, Pa.

The funeral will be at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Voglers Reynolds Road Chapel. Burial will be in Forsyth Memorial Park."

"WINSTON ARCHITECT DIES AT 93

William Roy Wallace, 93, who came to Winston-Salem as a teenager to help build Reynolds House and Village and stayed on to design dozens of buildings here, died yesterday at his home at 732 Westover Avenue.

Wallace was one of the last remaining American architects who never went to architectural school but instead learned his skills at the side of a practicing architect. His teacher was Charles Barton Keen, one of the nation's architectural geniuses.

When Keen came to Winston-Salem in 1909 to design and build Reynolda House for R.J. Reynolds and his family, he brought Wallace, then his 19 year-old office boy, with him.

After Keen finished Reynolda House in 1912, he had become so popular in Winston-Salem that he divided his time between his main office in Philadelphia and an office here which was managed by Wallace.

Keen designed many of the fine homes in the Buena Vista and Reynolda Park areas- an Italian villa, an English cottage, a pink Spanish villa, a Georgian mansion and many others.

in 1922, he moved here at the request of Mrs. Reynolds to design and supervise the construction of Reynolds Senior High School and Reynolds Auditorium.

When that task was completed the following year, Keen asked Wallace to return to Philadelphia with him and become his partner. "And I won't take 'no' for an answer," Wallace said Keen told him.

Wallace did go back to Philadelphia and worked with Keen for five more years. He then decided he needed to strike out on his own, and he recalled in an interview last year that his thoughts went back immediately to Winston-Salem.

He moved here in 1929 and joined architect Harold Macklin to open an office as a charter tenant of the then brand-new Reynolds Building. He and his firm remained on the 12th floor there until last April 1.

Wallace said last year that he enjoyed the variety of work that his architectural practice provided.

He prided himself on the fact that he could design anything from a school building to a small or large office building to a fine family home. The quality of his work was so respected that even today when a Wallace-designed home is put up for sale, it usually is noted in the real estate summery.

"He had the capacity to take somebody's dreams and put them into the form of a lasting home." Macklin once said of Wallace.

Wallace did most of the schools in Davidson County from the mid-1930's to the 1950's. He designed Pipe Hall Brick and Pipe Co., the Old Town Telephone Co. building and the Twin City Club. He also designed Fries Memorial Moravian Church and Highland Presbyterian Church, and his own Cape-Cod style home.

He never really stopped his architectural practice, although he began to slow his pace about six years ago. Last year, for instance, he designed a colonial home for a grandson.

When a friend mentioned to him that a man in his 90's ought to think about retiring, Wallace fired back: "I work and I usually stay out of mischief that way."

Wallace's wife of 63 years, Jeannette, died in 1979. He often said that she was "the most exciting thing that ever happened to Me." They had two children, Jean (now Mrs. R. B. Wrege) and Bill, also in the architectural business.

Wallace loved to talk to people interested in architecture. He told an interviewer that if a young person wants to get into the field, he or she should go to N.C. State University, borrowing the money if necessary.

Generally, he told people "At whatever you do, work hard and apply yourself. If you don't like the job, get out and get something else to do-whatever will make you happy."

Wallace was born in Lancaster County, Pa. He graduated from high school in 1909 and had a one-year scholarship to Swarthmore College. When his father told him he couldn't manage financing the other years, he sought employment.

He took the advice of his Sunday school teacher, who was Keen's chief draftsman, to seek a job with him. Wallace developed his interest in architecture by attending the Y-Square Club in Philadelphia, where architects shared their knowledge with young men.

Keen hired him on the spot, and gave him the duties of office boy at $5 a week.

Wallace was one of the few architects that did not close down his business when World War II made it impossible to get building materials. Instead he shifted to helping with essential additions and repairs.

"I had an allegiance to help out my clients even though there was not a lot of money in it at the time," he said. All of his clients stayed with him and his business continued to prosper after the war ended.

Survivors in addition to his daughter and son are two sisters, Sadie and Clara Wallace, both of Bala-Cynwyd, Pa. and a brother, Melvin (sic) Wallace of Quarryville, Pa.

The funeral will be at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Voglers Reynolds Road Chapel. Burial will be in Forsyth Memorial Park."