Phone: (843) 723-3225
Museum: 100 Meeting St.
Archives: 205 Calhoun St.
Julia Homer Wilson (1910–2001) was born and raised in Griffin, Georgia. Following the death of her father, Wilson and her mother moved to Charleston in the 1940s, where she would live and work for many years.
A formally trained artist, Wilson studied at the Cochran School of Art in Washington, D.C., the Slade School of Art in London, and the Academy of Fine Art in Perugia, Italy. She later studied under several prominent artists of her time, including Oskar Kokoschka and Robert Brachman.
Wilson was rarely seen without her sketchbook. Charleston’s historic buildings and streetscapes served as a constant source of inspiration, and her keen interest in the city’s architecture allowed her to capture its streets with remarkable accuracy and intricate detail. While she documented many of Charleston’s most significant architectural resources, Wilson also looked beyond the city’s celebrated landmarks. She often depicted abandoned buildings and structures threatened by demolition, recognizing that every building—regardless of its style or condition—played a role in preserving the character and continuity of Charleston’s historic streetscape.
Although Wilson died in 2001, her drawings remain an important record of twentieth-century Charleston architecture and streetscape. These prints were part of Wilson’s personal collection at the time of her death and offer a lasting glimpse into the city she so carefully documented.