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Brinton B. Davis
Captain Brinton B. Davis was born in Natchez, Mississippi, January 23, 1862. He is the son of Jacob Brinton Davis
and Mary (Gamble) Davis. His father was a native of Philadelphia. Pennsylvania, and came of a family of Welsh origin,
that very early settled in Georgia, thence removed to Philadelphia. The mother of Captain Davis was a Scotch lady
who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1857 Jacob Brinton Davis located in Natchez, Mississippi, and became a
well-known architect of the South, being the architect of many prominent and public buildings of the South. He
died at Natchez in 1877 when forty-seven years of age.
Brinton B. Davis was the eldest of his children and was reared in his native town graduating from Eustace Academy,
then a splendid and popular academy at Natchez. He was in the twenty-second year of his age when he graduated.
He traveled extensively and made a study of architecture. He found it necessary very early in life to launch out
for himself, and after completing an academic education he went to New York city, where he spent three years in
architectural work and then in the same avenue of life spent about four years at St. Louis. Missouri. In 1892 he
located at Paducah, Kentucky, whence he came to Louisville in 1899. When the call came for troops to serve during
the Spanish- American war, Captain Davis was in active service for fourteen months, during which time he was in
command of Company K, Third Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, and during five months of that time his command was in
Cuba. He was frequently commended in general orders by Generals Grant. Wiley and others.
Captain Davis has risen very rapidly in the field of architecture, and throughout the state are many enduring monuments
of excellent ability testifying to the technical skill and professional expression of his art form in all of its
expressions he is a lover of art and he is more of a connoisseur than a dilettante in this connection, aside from
the specific work of his profession, which represents one of the noblest forms of art expression. Among many others
are the Kentucky State Normal School building at Bowling Green, the Jefferson County Armory at Louisville, which
is the second largest of its kind in this country, the Broadway Public School and Bradford Mills of Louisville.
He is in demand as a writer on art and architecture.
Captain Davis is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, member of the American Federation of Arts and
of the Society of Arts, London, England, and other organizations of like character. He is a member of Plain City
Lodge, No. 449, A. F. & A. M.. Paducah Chapter, No. 30, R. A. M., De Molay Commandery, K. T., No. 12. Kentucky
Consistory and Kosair Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, having presided in all of the above
named orders, and has for some time served as president of the board of trustees of the Masonic Temple of Louisville.
He is a prominent member of the Commercial Club of Louisville, of which he was elected president in 1909 and again
in 1910, it being unusual to bestow the honor of a re-election to the office.
In 1899 Captain Davis married Miss Clara Benbrook, of Natchez, Mississippi. The Captain and his wife are members
of the First Presbyterian church of Louisville. He has forged his way to the front in life, and that by his own
force of character. Thoroughly reliable in all things, the quality of his work is a convincing test of his own
personal worth and he has become an important factor in business circles.
Source: "A History of Kentucky and Kentuckians: The Leaders and Representative
Men in Commerce, Industry and Modern Activities", By E. Polk Johnson, Published by Lewis Pub. Co., 1912 -
submitted by Janice Rice