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Frank Sewall drawings collection(1891–92)

  • MS 1996.40
  • 1 vol. and 1 item

These drawings document the appearance of several 18th-century buildings in Williamsburg prior to their restoration in the 1930s. They consist of one framed sketch and a sketchbook featuring scenes of Williamsburg and the James River drawn by Frank Sewall between 1891 and 1892. The sketchbook is titled: “Williamsburg, VA, The Potomac, the James, and the Canal, 1891.” It includes pen, pencil, and watercolor sketches of interior and exterior views of Bruton Parish Church, the Courthouse and Market Square, the Wren building, and various unidentified houses, as well as views showing boats on the James and Potomac rivers. The framed sketch is a view of the tower and steeple of Bruton Parish Church (1891).

It is believed that the artist was Frank Sewall (1837–1915), best known as a Swedenborgian clergyman. After graduating from Bowdoin College in 1858, he traveled in Italy and was recognized for his great appreciation of the arts. Sewall held a pastorate in Washington, D.C. from 1889–1915. The sketches date from this period, and include several signed examples thought to be by his daughters.

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