James Homer Garrott Jr.
[1] | |
---|---|
![]() Garrott,
c. 1915 | |
Born | June 19, 1897
Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. |
Died | June 9, 1991 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 93)
Occupation | Architect |
Spouse |
Helen Ruth Duncan
(
m. 1942; died 1973) |
James Homer Garrott Jr. (1897–1991), was an American architect active in the Los Angeles area in the mid-20th century. He designed more than 200 buildings, including twenty-five churches and several public buildings. [2] He has been described as a "pivotal black avant garde modernist of the 1940s era." [3]
James Homer Garrott Jr. was born on June 19, 1897, in Montgomery, Alabama. [4] Garrott graduated from Los Angeles Polytechnic High School in 1917. He earned his architect's license in 1928. Garrott's first major achievement was as co-designer of the 1928 Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company. From 1926 to 1928, Garrott worked with Cavagliere Construction Company of Los Angeles. [5] He then studied Architecture at the University of Southern California from 1930 to 1934. [6]
Garrott was a close friend of the eminent civil rights attorney Loren Miller. In early 1940, Garrott designed both of their Silver Lake split-level homes at 647 and 653 Micheltorena Street. [7]
In 1946, Garrott was the second African-American admitted to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in Los Angeles, after Paul R. Williams. [4] His application was sponsored by Williams and Gregory Ain.
Garrott and Ain shared office space in the Granada Building beginning in 1940. [8] [9] Then they worked together in a "loose partnership" in the 1940s and 50s, and together designed a small office building that they shared in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. They were alternately “Garrott & Ain” or “Ain & Garrott,” depending on who was responsible for design, while on other projects they simply assisted each other's solo work without credit. [10] After World War II, Garrott and Ain together designed and built their architectural office, at 2311 Hyperion Avenue, within walking distance from Garrott's home. [11]
Garrott was “politically well connected” and received nine commissions from the Los Angeles County Government in the late 1950s. [2] Yet the Los Angeles Tribune commented: "James Garrott, Paul R. Williams, and Carey Jenkins, are the only Negro architects ever to get a public contract in this slate ... and except for Williams they get them infrequently." [12]
He died on June 9, 1991, in Los Angeles, California [4]
James Homer Garrott Jr.
[1] | |
---|---|
![]() Garrott,
c. 1915 | |
Born | June 19, 1897
Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. |
Died | June 9, 1991 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 93)
Occupation | Architect |
Spouse |
Helen Ruth Duncan
(
m. 1942; died 1973) |
James Homer Garrott Jr. (1897–1991), was an American architect active in the Los Angeles area in the mid-20th century. He designed more than 200 buildings, including twenty-five churches and several public buildings. [2] He has been described as a "pivotal black avant garde modernist of the 1940s era." [3]
James Homer Garrott Jr. was born on June 19, 1897, in Montgomery, Alabama. [4] Garrott graduated from Los Angeles Polytechnic High School in 1917. He earned his architect's license in 1928. Garrott's first major achievement was as co-designer of the 1928 Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company. From 1926 to 1928, Garrott worked with Cavagliere Construction Company of Los Angeles. [5] He then studied Architecture at the University of Southern California from 1930 to 1934. [6]
Garrott was a close friend of the eminent civil rights attorney Loren Miller. In early 1940, Garrott designed both of their Silver Lake split-level homes at 647 and 653 Micheltorena Street. [7]
In 1946, Garrott was the second African-American admitted to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in Los Angeles, after Paul R. Williams. [4] His application was sponsored by Williams and Gregory Ain.
Garrott and Ain shared office space in the Granada Building beginning in 1940. [8] [9] Then they worked together in a "loose partnership" in the 1940s and 50s, and together designed a small office building that they shared in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. They were alternately “Garrott & Ain” or “Ain & Garrott,” depending on who was responsible for design, while on other projects they simply assisted each other's solo work without credit. [10] After World War II, Garrott and Ain together designed and built their architectural office, at 2311 Hyperion Avenue, within walking distance from Garrott's home. [11]
Garrott was “politically well connected” and received nine commissions from the Los Angeles County Government in the late 1950s. [2] Yet the Los Angeles Tribune commented: "James Garrott, Paul R. Williams, and Carey Jenkins, are the only Negro architects ever to get a public contract in this slate ... and except for Williams they get them infrequently." [12]
He died on June 9, 1991, in Los Angeles, California [4]