- Horace H. Burrell (second from right) stands with Samuel Yellin, Milton B. Medary and his son, Edward Burrell
Bok Tower Gardens was recently contacted by Larry Ellis, great grandson of Mr. Horace Burrell, who served as the builder for the Singing Tower. Mr. Ellis and his wife, Norma, drove all the way from Ashburn, VA to hand deliver a collection of personal effects once belonging to Mr. Burrell and his son, Edward. The collection includes two handwritten journals, a scrapbook of news articles and numerous photographs, all detailing the Tower’s construction.
Due to the generosity of Mr. & Mrs. Ellis, we now have greater insight into specific materials used in the Tower’s construction, the men working on the project, expenses related to Horace’s trips down from Pennsylvania, as well as some never-before-seen photographs. We are proud to have these materials as part of our collections and look forward to exploring them further. Thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Ellis for this wonderful donation!