Around 1731, John Hawks was born to the
joiner John Hawks and his wife Elizabeth in
Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, England. He likely was trained in building by his father. He practiced architectural drawing and construction trade practices while working for
Palladian architect
Stiff Leadbetter, who designed and constructed a large number of
country houses.
Tryon Palace in 2022 In 1764,
William Tryon was appointed Lieutenant Governor of the
Province of North Carolina. Expecting to soon succeed
Arthur Dobbs as governor and organize building projects, he brought Hawks with him to the colony to serve as an architect. Tryon was not immediately promoted to governor as expected but assumed the position after Dobbs's death the following year. From 1766 to 1767, Hawks and Tryon worked to plan an "edifice", later dubbed
Tryon Palace, in
New Bern. The building would serve both as a governor's mansion and a meeting place for the
North Carolina General Assembly. Hawks was the first professionally-trained architect to practice in North Carolina, as well as the first to reside permanently in the
Thirteen Colonies. A final plan was sent to England for approval in 1767. Hawks signed an agreement with Tryon in January 1767 to manage the construction, including surveying, supervision of the quality of construction materials, and the hiring and payment of workmen. Hawks was tasked to complete the structure within three years, and was promised two years of pay. Due to a lack of suitable construction workers in North Carolina, Hawks was dispatched to
Philadelphia to hire workmen for the project. Construction on the building began in August 1767. By January 1769, the building had been roofed and plumbing had been installed. Following delays due to expenses – the construction cost three times its initial budget – it was completed in June 1770. Taxes levied to fund the Tryon Palace construction were heavily opposed by the
Regulators, who described it as overly extravagant. Alongside
Claude J. Sauthier, Hawks was tasked to erect fortifications around New Bern to protect from the movement. He also constructed
gun carriages during the conflict.
Later career shows strong influence from Hawks, and may have been his creation. Hawks was tasked to oversee repairs to the
Craven County in 1766, and designed the St. Matthews Anglican Church in
Hillsborough in 1768–1769. He stayed in New Bern after Tryon left the province in 1771, and continued to pursue local architectural commissions. He constructed a jail and jailer's residence for the county in 1771. Contemporary houses in New Bern such as the
John Wright Stanly House,
Coor-Bishop House, and
Coor-Gaston House show strong similarities to his designs, and were likely designed by Hawks or someone influenced by him. . Hawks may have designed the
Chowan County Courthouse, which bears intense similarities to his Tryon Palace design. He drew up a plan for repairs to the courthouse's
colonnade in 1773. He also drew plans for a
cupola for
St. Paul's Church in
Edenton and the
Chowan County jail; neither was built. Some sources attribute churches built around
Granville County in 1771 to Hawks, but no documentation of such exists. == Political career ==