John S. Norris was an American architect.

He was born and raised in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, where he began his career as a mason. He advanced to being a builder and eventually listed himself in the telephone directory as an architect.

He went to Wilmington, North Carolina

Wilmington, North Carolina

Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...

 in 1839, where he first supervised construction, and then received his first independent commission to design the Wilmington Custom House in 1843. While working on that commission, he was asked to design the Savannah Custom House in Savannah

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...

, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, which was built from 1848 to 1852. This led to numerous commissions in Savannah, including the Andrew Low house, the Mercer House, and the Green-Meldrim House

Green-Meldrim House

The Green-Meldrim House is a historic house located in Savannah, Georgia. It is located at 14 West Macon Street, on the northwest corner of Madison Square and was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1976.-History:...

. Norris also designed the Unitarian Church, which was originally built in 1853 on Oglethorpe Square; this church was designed for free people of color. The church has since been moved to Troup Square, where it is now The Unitarian Universalist Church of Savannah. Norris also designed light houses for the Savannah River

Savannah River

The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border...

 and Cockspur Island

Cockspur Island

Cockspur Island is an island in the south channel of the Savannah River near Lazaretto Creek, northwest of Tybee Island, Georgia, USA. Most of the island is within the boundaries of Fort Pulaski National Monument....

.

He returned to New York before the outbreak of the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

in 1860. Six years later, he bought a farm in Blauvelt, in Rockland County, New York, where he lived until his death.