Harry Merritt Papers

The Harry Merritt Papers house the design commissions and student studio projects taught by Harry Cline Merritt Jr. This collection, which dates from 1954 to 2015, consists of originals and copies of architectural drawings, sketches, photographs, and correspondence, evidencing the prolific design and instructional influence of Merritt as a practicing architect and professor of architecture while at the University of Florida.

The collection is arranged first by type of material: architectural drawings, smaller papers, slides, photographs, and negatives. The materials are then arranged by project, project type, and location.

This collection is unique in that it evidences a large portion of the work of an architect and professor at the University of Florida. This is the only current collection of Merritt’s work, whose designs have been proven as significant examples of the Modern Movement as by a 2015 nomination of one of his residences to the National Register of Historic Places. While this collection is not comprehensive, the designs that are present demonstrate Merritt’s regionalist architecture and provide a glimpse of the prolific impact of his work. Additionally, writings in this collection provide insight into Merritt’s design philosophy. Researchers interested in mid-century architecture, regionalist designs, Florida architecture, and the University of Florida School of Architecture will find this collection a valuable resource.