J. Welton

1951 - 2025

Writer, editor and publisher John Michael Welton died on Tuesday, November 18. He was 74.

He is survived by his wife, Ann Mabey Welton; their son, Cleland Burwell Welton II of New York, N.Y.; their daughter, Lucy Welton Vago (Lisa) of Raleigh, N.C.; and their grandson, Lucas Felix Rios Welton.

Also surviving him are his sisters, Sharon Conway Welton Parker (Joseph) and Diana Scott Welton, both of Richmond, Va., and Jessica Wheat Welton (John) of Aiken, S.C.

He was predeceased by his father, Francis Conway Welton, and mother, Catherine May Murphy Welton, both of Richmond.

Mr. Welton's writing on architecture, art, and design appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Interior Design, Architecture Record, Architectural Digest, Metropolis, Dwell, Ocean Home, Landscape Architecture, The Assembly, Virginia Living, and The Virginia Sportsman.

He served as The News & Observer's architecture critic from 2015 to 2020, and as editor and publisher of the digital design magazine Architects + Artisans since its inception in 2010. He is the author of books including "Drawing from Practice: Architects and the Meaning of Freehand" (Routledge, 2015).

Mr. Welton was born in Richmond in 1951, into a family of Virginia architects including his father and his paternal grandfather, Courtenay Sommerville Welton.

He got his start in journalism in 1975 as editor of the Langley Air Force Base FLYER. He then served as managing editor and executive editor of The Commonwealth Times at Virginia Commonwealth University in 1977 and 1978, when the Times was twice named "Best Student Newspaper in Virginia."

Mr. Welton began writing about architecture while employed at Best Products Co., where his duties included interpreting its commitment to cutting-edge architecture at the corporate headquarters and in showrooms across the nation.

Mr. Welton worked in public relations and corporate communications from 1984 to 2005 before rededicating his career to journalism.

His civic engagements include a 2015 architectural charrette to study Wake Forest's historic downtown, and a 2018 charrette to study the redesign of an 81.2-acre site in downtown Raleigh.

An appreciation of his life will be shared at The Corner and Meeting House of Wake Forest on Sunday, January 25. For more information, email annwelton11@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers or donations, please consider purchasing a copy of "Housing the Nation: Social Equity, Architecture, and the Future of Affordable Housing," edited by Alexander Gorlin and Victoria Newhouse.