From the Archives: Foster Rhodes Jackson, and Claremont’s Architectural Legacy

Cooper Crane

Researcher, Archivist, Claremont Heritage

From the Archives: Foster Rhodes Jackson, and Claremont’s Architectural Legacy

Introduction

Claremont is often referred to as the “City of trees, and PhDs.” But it may be more accurate to instead refer to it as the city of trees, PhDs, artists, and architects. Claremont Heritage is now finishing its accessioning of the Foster Rhodes Jackson Collection to our archives. Foster Rhodes Jackson was one of many architects who changed the shape of the community in Claremont. As Claremont Heritage itself was born largely out of a movement to conserve and protect historic housing, understanding the people involved in contributing to the buildings in town offers many unique and varied, and sometimes complicated stories. In this two-part blog, we will discuss a few of the most notable architects who built parts of Claremont, their importance, and the history of some of their architectural movements in California. 

    Architecture, like any other art form, represents a set of values and ideas. Buildings often should be understood as representative of the values of the people who design and live in them. In the case of the architecture in Claremont and in Southern California, sometimes these values were exclusionary: discriminating against individuals who did not fit those values. In other cases, the architecture around us was built to support romantic visions of California which continue to influence our perceptions of the state today. For these reasons, it is important that we place these evolving architectural ideas in context and understand how they matter today. In this article, we first look at just a few of Claremont’s many architects and their contributions to architecture, reflecting on the legacy of their architectural design and planning in the community. 

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Myron Hunt (1868-1952) Architect of Pomona College

Myron H. Hunt trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in his home state of Massachusetts before financial troubles in the late 1880s brought his family west. Hunt moved to California in 1893 and became a registered architect in the state in 1901, registering as architect #338. Hunt had an extensive working relationship with architect H.G. Chambers, whom with he started a firm in 1920. Hunt had an extremely prolific legacy in Southern California. Hunt was based for most of his career in Pasadena, but he designed projects across all of California, from Riverside where he provided work on expansions to Riverside’s historic Mission Inn, to Santa Barbara where his drafts are now stored at the University of California, Santa Barbara. For his work in Pasadena, Hunt received an award for his contributions to the community in 1928, the Arthur Noble Medal, in recognition of his civic service. Hunt for example designed the Rose Bowl as well as several schools for the city. (LA Conservancy.) Hunt also designed the Los Angeles General Hospital and the Hollywood Bowl. 

Myron Hunt's original design for the Rosebowl gave the stadium a horseshoe shape, as opposed to an enclosed oval.

    

    In Claremont, Hunt is responsible for the college plan for Pomona College. In 1908, the Pomona College board of trustees commissioned Hunt to design a college plan inspired by East Coast Ivy Universities. (Pomona College Timeline) Hunt’s architectural plan was inspired by Mediterranean architecture, featuring red-tiled, low hipped roofs which were common for the time, inspired by California’s Mediterranean climate. (Charles, 1924.) Hunt’s contribution to this style, the California Style, or California Mediterranean Revival (not to be confused with Spanish Revival and Mission Revival) coincided with the revival of Mission Architecture, which also featured prominently in many of his other motifs. The first of the buildings constructed, Smiley Hall (1908), was the college’s first purpose-built dormitory. Smiley remains the oldest dormitory in continuous use west of the Mississippi. Today, Smiley houses Pomona’s sophomore and junior classes. Hunt also designed the Bridges Hall of Music in 1915, Pomona’s first purpose-built performance center for music. Hunt also designed several campus plans in addition to Pomona College, including Occidental College, CalTech, and parts of the UC Berkley campus. Hunt’s extensive use of Mediterranean motifs, especially Roman ones, contributed to California’s material and cultural reputation as a Mediterranean garden region. Hunt continued to practice until he dissolved his firm with Chambers in 1947, retiring to Port Hueneme. 

Gordon Kaufmann (1888-1949) Architect of Scripps College

Gordon Kaufmann was an English born architect who was known for his work in the art deco movement and for his landscape architecture. Kaufmann was the principal architect for the Hoover Dam, and he was also responsible for the San Pedro Post Office in Los Angeles, as well as the LA Times building at 202 West 1st St in Los Angeles, some of the most dramatic examples of art deco architecture in the LA area. Like Hunt, Kaufmann also was inspired by Mediterranean design and drew heavily upon Greco-Roman features in his plans for Scripps College. Kaufmann provided the college plan for Scripps College in 1926, drawing plans for the buildings, layout, and the landscaping of the college in a deliberately dramatic way, evocating the look and style of classical Greek forums. However, Kaufmann’s design for Scripps also borrowed many features from Mission Architecture, including the extensive use of long arcades and prominent arches. In designing the features of the college, Kaufman worked with landscape architect Edward Huntsman-Trout who imagined each landscape as if they were, as Frank Martin wrote for Landscape Architecture Magazine, “entire rooms, where the entire spatial structure is important.” (Martin, 2007.) In addition to Scripps College, Kaufmann also contributed to the campus of the Claremont Graduate University, designing their Harper Hall. The design of Scripps College itself gives it an unmistakable identity amongst the Claremont Colleges; its white plaster walls contrast sharply with the appearance of its neighboring modernist colleges, Claremont McKenna and Pitzer, and the more brutalist Harvey Mudd College.

The exterior architecture of the Hoover Dam was designed by Gordon Kaufmann. The Hoover Dam was originally called the Hoover Dam in the Bills that authorized its construction but referred to as the Boulder Dam during the Roosevelt administration. An act of Congress officially change the name to Hoover Dam in 1947. (Photograph: Ansel Adams Photographs of National Parks and Monuments Series, 1941)

Richard Neutra (1892-1970) Landmark Artist in the California Modernist Movement

Richard Neutra immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1923, at 31. Richard Neutra was a pioneer in what has been described as “California Modern,” an architectural style that has been described by the Museum of Modern Art as the first architectural style to have developed in California. (Museum of Modern Art, 1982.) Before his career in California, Neutra studied at the Technische Hochsschule in Vienna where he was exposed to the early International Style emerging in Europe at the time. Although he began designing homes in this style upon arriving in the US, such examples including the Lovell House (1927, the first example of the International Style in the US) in Los Angeles, he began experimenting with new forms that grew into a unique movement that birthed a regional style native to Southern California. In 1924, Neutra worked for Frank Lloyd Wright before he moved to Los Angeles and began his own architectural firm. 

Richard Neutra's Lovell House was one of the first examples of International Style and Modernist architecture in California. (Photograph: Michael J. Locke, 2007)

    Neutra’s design philosophy cannot be properly explored without exploring Neutra himself, and his own experiences. Neutra was a highly philosophical architect and theorist who believed that architecture and planning was a necessary tool for preserving individual identity, individual well-being, and social order in the modern world. This perception was shaped by his first-hand experience of the violence of the First World War. Neutra served as an artillery officer during the First World War. His education as an architect was interrupted by Austria’s involvement and during his time with the Austrian Army, he became deathly ill before recovering in Switzerland. (Moore.) Neutra was deeply frustrated by the war and the technical effort that had been placed into such destruction but more specifically, he was angry with the wasteful pageantry and glorification of the conflict by European Nations. (Moore.)

    In addition to the effect of the war on his worldview, he was heavily influenced by the developments in psychology and social theory that were eminent in the 20th century, and incorporated understandings of the psyche into his architectural work. In his time in Austria, Neutra was a close friend of Ernst Freud and the Freud Family, and through his interactions with Professor Sigmund Freud, and especially his wife, child psychologist Anne Freud, Neutra was exposed to a worldview that had considerable influence on his theories of design. (Hughes,  1967.) Neutra believed that the nature of human psychology meant that architecture and architects labor was ultimately to calm human emotional and instinctual responses, and to meet them by providing for the psychological needs of space, or what Neutra imagined and described broadly as a harmonious relationship with the surrounding nature and environment: “The first thing to recognize, is that we are working really for our organic human responses, re-actions of not only a nervous system, but our whole cluster of organic responses. We shall have to survive by design and not by natural adaptation because there is no time for adaptation in our technological rush and advance,” (Hughes, 1967.) Neutra believed that architecture was an increasingly important feature of modern life, as human technological progress had outpaced that of evolution. Moreover, he believed that it was ultimately impossible to separate ourselves from our surrounding environments: “The idea that man is individually or in a social group apart from his environment and independent of it is just a naïve Stoic assumption,” (Hughes, 1967

    Like many of his contemporaries, Neutra was a modernist who gravitated to modernist design because of his belief in providing functional, but otherwise thoughtfully catered homes. The modernist style which he came to imbue emphasized minimalist shapes, in contrast to more ornamented designs seen in Mission Revival or California Mediterranean design. Neutra was a proponent of mass-production and worked on standardized steel-frame homes which were manufactured in the 1930s and which he attempted to export to the Soviet Union. (Moore.) However, Neutra was also unafraid of bespoke designs. He was known for his extensive questionaries and surveys which he used for understanding the exacting details of his clients’ needs when providing drafts for new homes. Nevertheless, Netura also always emphasized that his homes would be adaptable, “ready-for-everything,” a mantra that he called “The Changing House.” (Neutra, 2012.)

Neutra's Hansch House in Claremont.

    Claremont is home to some of these Neutra designs: Neutra was responsible for several homes in the Padua Hills, including the Nineman Residence, and Hansch Residence. These homes, both built in the California Modern style feature many of the features which define the movement. For example, California modernist homes designed by Neutra made use of carefully selected materials which match the surrounding environment including desert stone, and locally sourced timber. (Ehrich and Yanai, 2017.) They also featured design elements which blurred the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces, including large windows, interior courtyards and framing views which strategically located windows and entryways and exits to create seamless transitions between the interior and exterior spaces.

Neutra was considered a celebrity architect. In 1949 he was selected for the cover of the August edition of Time Magazine. After a lifelong career in California, Neutra returned to live his final years in Europe. He died in Wuppertal, Germany, in 1970.

Foster Rhodes Jackson (1911-1998) Leading Architect of the Organic Architecture Movement

    Foster Rhodes Jackson lived a long life as a practicing architect in Claremont, who contributed to the architecture of Padua Hills, and housing tracts in the surrounding area. A student of Frank Lloyd Wright, Jackson practiced a highly regionalist form of modernist architecture that he described as “organic.” Jackson studied at Wright’s Taliesin West where he became involved in the American modernist movement. After serving in the second World War as lieutenant commander of a Submarine, he came to Claremont, opening his practice in 1946. Jackson was known for his experimentation with space and light, and for construction that made use of locally sourced materials. Jackson was the author and illustrator of an architecture book, Laws and Principles of Design in Architecture and the Arts, and was a regular contributor to several architectural publications, including the Journal of the American Institute of Architects. Jackson’s homes, and projects, such as the Mixon Studio feature in local architecture tours in Claremont’s Padua Hills. Jackson designed homes such as his multi-million-dollar personal residence in La Verne, neighborhoods in Live Oak Canyon, Claremont, and the Lindley Mixon Studio on Mount Baldy Road. Jackson’s home designs were distinguished by their heavy featuring of materials found on-site. His personal residence in La Verne for example makes heavy use of locally collected stones, and used pigments and paints that matched the surrounding landscape. In addition to his architectural work, Jackson was affiliated with Millard Sheets and the Garner Family. Jackson was selected by Herman Garner to serve on an architectural panel that reviewed construction projects for the Padua Hills Art Institute.

Jackson's personal residence in La Verne is an excellent example of his approach to his "organic" architecture.

Theodore Criley Jr. (1905-1984) Architect of Claremont United Church of Christ, Master Planner for Pitzer College with partner, Fred McDowell

Theodore Criley Jr. designed Claremont’s United Church of Christ, and provided the master plan for Pitzer College, working with his architectural partner, Fred McDowell. Born to California artist Theodore Criley, Theodore Criley Jr was intimately involved in the architecture of Claremont. He wrote an architectural guide for the city, framing what he believed constituted good architectural practice and preservation which acted both as a statement on the planning of future developments in Claremont, and on what he thought made Claremont unique. Criley was part of the California Modernism movement; this can be seen in his work on Pitzer College, where the movement’s vocabulary is prominent. Criley went to school at MIT, graduating with a Bachelor of Science. After graduating from MIT, he worked as an architect on behalf of the Navy from 1939 to 1944. He worked briefly with Gordon Kauffmann and then taught at Scripps college and at UCLA as a professor of architecture. McDowell and Criley began to work together starting in 1952, with McDowell becoming a formal partner with Criley’s practice in 1957. The two had their offices in Claremont on East Foothill Boulevard.

Criley designed the new modern church building for the United Church of Christ. The older Guildhall was not his design. (1956)

Criley’s plan for Pitzer called for a campus that restricted all motor traffic. The plan for the college was presented a year after its eponymous founders, Ina Scott and Russell K. Pitzer, contributed the founding grant for the school. (Pitzer.)  The master plan for Pitzer arranged the campus along a prominent central courtyard, divided away from road traffic. Buildings designed by Criley, such as Scott Hall and Mead Hall had elements from both California Modernism, as well as New Formalism, with strict symmetrical patterns and proportions. New Formalism designs were popular throughout the sixties and seventies, and revisited classical design, inspired by more modern and minimalist forms.

The original plan for Pitzer College by Criley and McDowell

Millard Sheets (1907-1989) Landmark California Regionalism Artist, Founder of Scripps Art Department, Master Planner of Pomona Mall, Architect of Garrison Theater

Milard Sheets was not formally trained as an architect but is nevertheless worth discussing for his frequent collaboration with many architects in Claremont, and for his contributions to plans and architectural projects within the Pomona Valley. A man of many hats, Sheets was involved in almost every kind of creative project imaginable. A professional artist, Sheets worked for the WPA and founded the art department at Scripps College at the age of 25, (Scripps) in 1932. We will discuss Sheets in the future in our art blog, Claremont’s Masters.

Sheets associated with almost every artist and architect in Claremont. He worked fervently to bring talent from around California to Scripps college to expand the art department and collaborated wherever he could to build working relationships with as many as possible. Those more familiar with Claremont’s architecture will know that this article does not discuss every architect who lived and worked here; the list of architects that Sheets collaborated with helps to illustrate just how many architects were in Claremont, and how prolific Sheets was as a creative. Sheets worked with among others, Benjamin Hall Anderson, who helped design Sheets personal studio and residence, S. David Underwood, with whom Sheets designed the Garrison Theater, Jo Paul Rognstad who taught with Sheets at Scripps, Everett Tozier, who repurposed Claremont’s “Gallery 8,” and Rufus Turner who worked with Sheets in designing Savings and Loan banks throughout Southern California.

In addition to his collaboration with architects, Sheets himself led several planning and design projects. Sheets was one of the lead designers of the Pomona Mall, recruiting dozens of artists to contribute to the overall aesthetic and design of the mall, including artists such as Betty Davenport Ford, John Svenson, and Jean Ames (LA Conservancy).

Photograph of the Pomona Mall circa 1965.

Clarence Stover, Founder of Claremont Construction, builder of many Claremont Homes, Businesses, Former Member of the Claremont City Council

Like Sheets, Stover was not an architect but should be discussed among them because he often built many of their homes in Claremont, and therefore contributed to their realized designs. Stover moved to Pomona Valley with his family at four years old. He attended Pomona College and founded the building company, C.T. and W.P. Stover Company (later Claremont Construction Company) with his brother Willard. The Stover company built most of the residence halls on Pomona’s campus. He built Clark, Frary, Edmunds, and Mudd Halls. For his work, Pomona college memorialized him with the Clarence Stover Memorial Walk, parallel with Marston Quad. Stover also built for commercial and industrial use. For example, Stover also was responsible for the construction of Claremont’s only remaining packing house, the College Heights packing house, owned by the College Heights Orange and Lemon Association, now simply known as the Claremont Packing House. He also built the Vortox manufacturing offices, on Indian Hill Boulevard for Herman Garner. Finally, Stover’s prominent role in the community and involvement extended beyond his construction efforts. He was a member of the Claremont City Council and the Los Angeles County Art Institute, and his Wife, Reba Taylor Stover founded the Scripps Fine Arts Society.

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Conclusion

Claremont has had many skilled, and highly educated architects whose craft have helped make the city an aesthetically unique place in the Pomona Valley and in Southern California. Claremont is incredibly privileged to have hosted these architects and their work. The architects of Claremont were usually prominent in their field and highly respected for their contributions to their respective design movements. Architects like Neutra, or Sheets, even contributed to entirely new movements within architecture, and their life in Claremont contributed to their thinking and design philosophy. However, the work of these architects was highly exclusive. A significant portfolio of the architecture that is remembered in Claremont includes expensive single-family homes, which while important are revealing of the nature of the architecture they practiced. The architects who came to Claremont were attracted by opportunities offered by the growing class of elite clients within the city. The Claremont Colleges, and the growing class of artists, businesspersons, and faculty were able to act as customers, and beneficiaries of the architecture being produced. Their architecture therefore was a product of its time, and of the historic circumstances that existed in their day. In our next blog, we will discuss these circumstances, and their contextual legacy today.

For more on Claremont Architecture, or to tour some of architectural landmarks in Claremont, visit: Claremont Heritage - Keeping Claremont's History Alive or view our map on Claremont's modernist architecture at: Claremont Modern (arcgis.com)

About the author:

My name is Cooper Crane. I am an archivist and researcher with Claremont Heritage. I currently study history and anthropology with an emphasis on areas including material culture, colonialism, and environmental history. I was born in Anaheim and have lived my whole life in Corona, California, a city with a similar shared history to Claremont. I have degrees in history, anthropology and political science from Norco College California, and a bachelor’s degree from Pomona College in Anthropology, with a minor in history, and am a certified California Climate Steward through the University of California Department of Natural and Agricultural Resources. I write to explore history through the material objects of history, and by exploring the elements of history that are unwritten. My current work at Claremont Heritage includes the curation of artifacts on display at the Garner House and the Claremont Packing House, the creation of artifact descriptions for our archives and contributing to A History of Claremont in 100 Objects.

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