Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-06
HENRY EXALL DEAD.
AN ATTACK OF ApopLExy ENDS HIS
LONG AND USEFUL LIFE.
Brief Outline Of His Carccr-1frst Areht-
tect In virginia-Saved the Cspteoi
from Burning Down.

4 DH3s6u 10 Iuo EIcSt UnhnOW6s AD'AAe W
ceeded the allotted three-score and ten
years by nearly decade. at o quarter-past
O'Clock yesterday afternoon Mr.. Henry
Exall quietly laid down to his last sleep.
Death, as he 80 often does. came unex-
pcctedly. for. though the deceased had long
been in feeble health, his end did not ap-
pear to be near.
Tuesday night Mr.. Exall was In good
| spirits and sat on tho front porch OF his
residence, 500 east Marshall street. until
quite late.
About $50 o'clock yesterday morning
| Mr. Exall was taken with violent chill,
| followed by fever and prostration. Later
| on he rallied and seemed much better and
sat up to take bis medicine at O'Clock:
A little over an hour afterwards he died
| quietly, from apoplexy, his physician SAID.
ENGLISH py BIRTH.
| Mr.. Exall was born in or near Reading.
| England. November ~. 1912. His father,
John Exall. Presbyterian minister. emf
grated with Instantly when the son was only
| five years Of age. He came directly TO TINS
city and whom he died WAS buried IN the
old st. Johns burying-ground.
| The deceased was educated in Richmond
and resided here continuously from Isl!
until his death. with the exception OF about
two years that he passed III Newark, N. j.,
shortly after attaining his majority.
In 1886 Mr.. Exall welded Miss Patterson,
| of New York. who. after a happy married
| life Of nearly half century, preceded her
| husband 10 the grave by Just eight years.
Bv this union there were four children,
| all of whom are now living. They are
! Turner F., Of Baltimore: A. Duyal. city
| engineer of Glasgow: Miss Sara Exall. and
| Mrs. l.. A. Winn. OF this city
| ONE DRorHEB HEBE.
Mr.. Exall was the last save one Of his
| fathers family who now lives in America.
| II he survivor is Rev. George G.. Exall. of
| Paducah, Ky. a brother. all the other
| children having either died or returned to
| England. The deceased was lifelong
member of the Second Baptist church.
which he connected himself with sixty
years ago the 10th day OF last June. There
is only one person. Mrs. Araminta Barnes.
now living who was then a member of that
| congregation.
| From this church the funeral will be
| held some time to-morrow-probably IL A.
| NJ. IL being impossible as vet TO set the
exact hour in Consequence OF the absence
from the city of the pastor Rev. DR.. Lam
drum.
PIONEER OF ARCHITECTS.
About 1850 Mr. Exall opened On Office
here and set up business regularly as an
architect. Little or nothing was then
known of architecture AS profession
separate from building. Previous to that
| time Mr.. Exall had been contractor and
was accustomed to drawing his own plans.
| Designs for buildings had been sent here
from other places, but the deceased
was the first person in Virginia who made
business Of preparing designs for houses,
and was therefore not only tho oldest
l IL. 4. - l..
Before entering upon his career as archl-
tect Dir. EIsll built numerous houses.
Among those OF which no was especially
proud WAS the row OF round front succeed
houses on Governor street opposite tho
gubernatorlal mansion, in ono Of which
the late DR.. Cabell resided for many years.
These were put up for James NJ. Messing.
The Marshall Row, on the street of that
name at the northeast corner OF Eighth,
in one Of which houses he died. were built
by Mr. EXall in 1876, and were considered
among the finest of that day.
THE SECOND MARKET.
In 1852 Mr.. Fxall prepared competition
drawing for tho plan Of the Second vege-
table market. A draughtsman,.who subso-
auently went to the penltentiary 70,
forgery. made tracing of tho design and
gave il TO another person who succeeded
In getting the contract. Work was begun
but the contractor was unable to complete
, the Job, and Mr. Albert l.. Wost, VINO wa.
then Just beginning business rs All archi
tect, was selected by tho suroties t.
finish it.
About this time Mir. Exal decided L
devote his entire time TO architecture, ant
purchased and remodelled the American
Hotel. at the southwest cerner of Eleventh
and Main streets. where the Saks's build
ing now is. His Office was IN the tloy,
building, just opposite tho sito OF th'
present National Bank Of Virginia. JUS
after the war Mr.. Exall built tue structure
now occupied by the Mutual Assurance
Society OF Virginia between tho bank and
post>ottice.
PROMOTED ARCHITECTURE.
The deceased was Justly proud OF the
fact that be had done SO much to encour
age architecture IN this city. Fully one
half of tho houses built in Richmond priol
to the war were from his designs. and tc
him is due much OF tho beauty Of the city
SAVED THE CAPITOL.
On the direful Sd Of April. 1865, Nr
Exall was passing through the Square
towards his property. the American Hotel,
which was. with most OF tho buildings III
that vicinity, IN tiames.
firebrand fell on ono Of the window.
frames Of the Capitol building, which was
entirely deserted. Mr.. Fyall noticed II
inst "a the woodwork began 10 ignite and
his hotel was being consumed at the same
time. That be alone saved the his
torio bulldog admits Of no doubt. rs nc
one else was anywhere near 20 see the
flames.
After the evacuation. when the greater
part of Cary from Twelfth east was II
ruins, Mr.. Exall tried to persuade the au
thorities 10 widen the thoroughtare from
Thirteenth east Had this been done mucn
of the trouble experienced daily III conse-
quence of the narrowness Of that thorough
fare would have been obviated. He was
successful, however, In having some OF the
streets in the burned district widened and
| straig htened.
HE LOVED HOLLYWOOD.
Hollywood Cemetery was very dear tc
the deceased. He was one OF the corpora.
tors of the company and was continuously
a director until the day Of his death.
Mr.. Exall never sought political honors
and beyond serving short while in the
Council never held office of any kind
His mind was fertile in resources and hi
inventive genius great. One OF his pc
schemes was a canal-boat to be propelled
by steam. His efforts in this direction
were unsuccessful, though he spent mucl
time aud money IN their prosecution.
BOUGHT THE CITY HALL.
} When the old City Hall was condemned
; Mr.. Exall bought the building and pulle,
1t down. With most OF the massive rount
stone blocks that formed the columns h
| built an immense retaining wall in the ra
vine on Tenth and Eleventh streets nortl
of Clay. BY this great deal OF land Il
, the neighborhood, before worthless, wa
rendered available for building purposes
} The massive iron fence from the Hall nov
. surrounds the Richmond and Danyill
! railroad yards, on Fourteenth street.
Ex-Judge Atkins was for many years Il
Mr. Exall's employment as draughtsman.
Although the deceased was little NOR
than baby when he came to America, b
always cherished the most tender regar
for the country of his birth. Speaking @
this last night, one of the children sal
that ii the dead could speak he would Ell
.. press the desire that his only epitap
might be some loving reference to the " oil
country"