Mims & Gaunt

Mims and Gaunt (originally Pembleton and Mims, later Mims, Gaunt and Poole) was an architectural firm active in Birmingham from 1945 to 1992. Harry Pembleton opened his own architectural practice in 1938. He was joined by Edgar Mims in 1945. Though Pembleton retired in 1951 the firm kept the name of Pembleton and Mims until 1961 when associates George Gaunt and William Poole were elevated to partners. Poole left the same year, however, and the firm of Mims and Gaunt survived Mims' death in 1990, closing when Gaunt retired in 1992.

For many years the firm specialized in the design of federally-subsidized housing for low- and middle-income families. The Essex House (1951) is the most noted example of this specialty. The company also designed several shopping centers, small offices, and private homes.

Associates of the firm included Joe Amaro, Robert Bishop, Neil Bruce, Henry Caldwell Jr, James Fitts III, Earl Hale, James Haley Jr, Thomas Hamm, William Hodges, Edgar Little, William Rawlings, Richard Shamburger, Charles F. Smith, Paul Tuggle, William Tune, Jim Waters and Edward Young.

Notable buildings

• Navy Point Theater, Pensacola, Florida, 1946
• Crestline Heights Shopping Center, 1947
• Fairgrounds Shopping Center, 1948
• St Elias Maronite Church, 1950
• Essex House, 1951
• Park Courts subdivision, 1952
• Hayes Aircraft office building
• L. M. Smith School addition, 1961
• Comer Elementary School, Crestwood South, 1961, 1966
• Buffalo Rock bottling plant, 1966

References

• Schnorrenberg, John M. (June 1992) "Harry Pembleton; Pembleton and Mims; Mims, Gaunt, and Poole; Mims and Gaunt: Perspective Renderings of Works from an Architectural Practice, 1938-1992." exhibition catalog. Birmingham Public Library