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Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center

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1956, Department of Architecture, Colonial Williamsburg. 1988–1991, renovation and addition, Kevin Roche, John Dinkeloo and Associates. South of Francis St. and west of S. England St.
  • View from east garden (Photograph by Jeffrey E. Klee, courtesy of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation)
  • East entry, detail of original bronze doors (Photograph by Jeffrey E. Klee, courtesy of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation)

Foundation architect Ernest Frank created this reticent American neoclassical structure for Williamsburg's folk art collection. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller gave much of her collection to the museum in 1939. Her son David remarked much later that his father's gift of the building had personal rather than aesthetic motivation: “Father really disliked folk art, but he loved Mother.” The large L-shaped wing designed by Kevin Roche provided flexible new gallery space but crouches less comfortably than the main block and ignores the subtlety of its details.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Richard Guy Wilson et al.

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