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John and Donald Parkinson

February 15, 2024

"The Parkinsons" redirects here. For the punk rock band, see The Parkinsons (band). For other uses, see Parkinson (disambiguation).

John and Donald Parkinson were a father-and-son architectural firm operating in the Los Angeles area in the early 20th century. They designed and built many of the city's iconic buildings, including Grand Central Market, the Memorial Coliseum and the City Hall.[1][2]

John Parkinson
John B. Parkinson
Born(1861-12-12)December 12, 1861
Scorton, Lancashire, England
DiedDecember 9, 1935(1935-12-09) (aged 73)
United States
NationalityEnglish
OccupationArchitect
BuildingsParadox Iron Brewery
Metropolitan Building
Holmby Hall
Donald B. Parkinson
Born(1895-08-10)August 10, 1895
United States
DiedNovember 17, 1945(1945-11-17) (aged 50)
United States
NationalityAmerican
OccupationArchitect
ParentJohn Parkinson
BuildingsMetropolitan Building
Holmby Hall

John Parkinson edit

Early years edit

John Parkinson (12 December 1861 - 9 December 1935) was born in the small village of Scorton, in Lancashire, England in 1861. At the age of sixteen, he was apprenticed for six years to Jonas J. Bradshaw, an architect and engineer in nearby Bolton, where he learned craftsmanship and practical construction. He attended night school at Bolton's Mechanics Institute to study architectural drafting and engineering. Upon completion of his apprenticeship at age 21, he immigrated to North America as an adventure; he built fences in Winnipeg and learned stair building in Minneapolis. He returned to England only to discover that the English construction trades demanded more time and service for advancement. He decided that his then capabilities would be more appropriate to the less-structured opportunities in America. Parkinson went to California, settling in Napa where he again worked as a stair-builder, and he took on architectural commissions in his spare time, designing some of his first commercial projects including an annex to the original Bank of Napa building (1888, Demolished).[3]

Seattle practice edit

 
The Interurban Building, 2007

Considering Napa a "dead town", Parkinson ventured north to Seattle in February 1889, where he opened his first architectural practice after failing to secure a position as a draftsman.[4] In March he entered a partnership with Cecil Evers, but this ended little more than a year later; Parkinson would leave Napa for good in September 1889 but would retain professional relationships with local mills to supply lumber and trim. Parkinson's early projects in Puget Sound included the Olympia Hotel, Olympia (1889; destroyed), the Calkins Hotel, Mercer Island (1889; destroyed), and several residences. After the Great Seattle Fire of 6 June 1889, he secured several important business blocks, the Butler Block (1889–90; altered), and the Seattle National Bank Building, later called the Interurban Building (1890–92), an exemplary work of Romanesque Revival architecture.

In 1891, Parkinson won the design competition for the B.F. Day School (1891–92; altered), located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. Thereafter the Seattle School Board appointed Parkinson as the Seattle Schools Architect and Superintendent. Parkinson was responsible for all Seattle Schools projects over the next several years, including the Pacific School (1892–93; destroyed) and the Cascade School (1893–94; destroyed). He also designed the Seattle Seminary (1891–93)--the first building at Seattle Pacific University (now known as Alexander Hall); and the Jesuit College and Church (1893–94; altered)--the first building at Seattle University (now known as the Garrand Building).

Parkinson frequently published renderings of his buildings in the professional architectural press. He was an early member of the Washington State Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (predecessor to today's AIA Seattle chapter).

Parkinson invested in real estate and he was both architect and developer of the Seattle Athletic Club Building (1893–94; destroyed). His investments left him financially vulnerable when the Panic of 1893, the severe national depression, curtailed construction after June 1893. Parkinson's schools position was terminated by the Seattle School Board early in 1894. In 1893 and 1894, he entered several competitions, but failed to win any commissions.

Parkinson firm in Los Angeles edit

Faced with no projects, nor prospects for work in Seattle, John Parkinson moved to Los Angeles in 1894 and opened his architecture office on Spring Street between Second and Third Streets. By 1896, Parkinson had designed the city's first Class "A" fireproof steel-frame structure: the Homer Laughlin Building at Third Street and Broadway. His 1901 Susana Machado Bernard House and Barn has been designated as a Historic Cultural Monument and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. His design for the 1904 Braly Block at Fourth Street and Spring became the first "skyscraper" built in Los Angeles. It held the distinction of being the tallest structure in town until the completion of City Hall in 1928.

In 1905, Parkinson formed a partnership with G. Edwin Bergstrom which lasted for ten years. Parkinson and Bergstrom became the dominant architectural firm for major structures in Los Angeles. Bergstrom left to establish his own successful practice in 1915.

Parkinson & Parkinson edit

 
Residence of John Parkinson at Sixth Street and St. Paul Street, Los Angeles, c. 1900-1910

John Parkinson was joined in 1920 by his son, Donald B. Parkinson (1895—1945).

Parkinson & Parkinson designed many of Los Angeles' finest buildings, which became some of the city's most enduring landmarks. Found on the roster are: the Campus Master Plan and several noted buildings of the University of Southern California (1919–39)[1], the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1923 and 1930–31), Los Angeles City Hall (1928, with Albert C. Martin/structural and John C. Austin/working drawings), Bullocks Wilshire (1929) and Union Station (1939). John Parkinson completed an important early renovation of Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles. Their work was also part of the architecture event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics.[5][6]

Parkinson firm evolution edit

  • 1888–1889 John Parkinson, Architect (Napa, California and Seattle, Washington)
  • 1889–1890 John Parkinson and Cecil Evers, Architects (Seattle, Washington)
  • 1890–1894 John Parkinson, Architect (Seattle, Washington)
  • 1894–1895 Burton and Parkinson, Architects (Los Angeles, California)
  • 1895–1905 John Parkinson, Architect (Los Angeles, California)
  • 1905–1915 John Parkinson and G. Edwin Bergstrom, Architects (Los Angeles, California)
  • 1915–1920 John Parkinson, Architect (Los Angeles, California)
  • 1920–1945 John Parkinson and Donald B. Parkinson, Architects (Los Angeles, California)
  • 1945–1955 Parkinson, Powelson, Briney, Bernard & Woodford, Architects (Los Angeles, California)
  • 1955–1984 Woodford & Bernard, Architects (Los Angeles, California)
  • 1984–1990 Woodford, Parkinson, Wynn & Partners, Architects (Los Angeles and San Diego, California)
  • 1990–1992 DWL Parkinson Architects (Los Angeles and San Diego, California)
  • 1992–2008 Parkinson Field Associates (Los Angeles, California and Austin, Texas)

Selected works edit

References edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Buildings by John and Donald Parkinson.
  1. ^ "The forgotten Brit who helped shape Los Angeles". BBC News. 2018-07-05. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  2. ^ "The Britons who made their mark on LA". Daily Telegraph. 2011-09-11. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  3. ^ "Another New Brick Block". Napa Register. UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 23 Mar 1888. p. 1. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Napa's Future; A Homily On the Present and Future Prospects of Napa". Napa Weekly Reporter. UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 6 Sep 1889. p. 5. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Donald Parkinson". Olympedia. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  6. ^ "John Parkinson". Olympedia. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Bullock's Department Store #1", Pacific Coast Architecture Database
  8. ^ "The Laughlin Building: California's Finest Office Structure as It is", Los Angeles Times, July 5, 1898
  9. ^ "Will Go Up Rapidly: Work on the Jacoby Building Was Begun Today: Most of the Material for the Big Business Structure Is Already on the Ground". Los Angeles Evening Post-Record. September 1, 1899. p. 1. Architect John Parkinson
  10. ^ "Joannes Bros. Co". historicplacesla.org. Los Angeles Historic Resource Inventory, Office of Historic Resources. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  11. ^ "Pomona, CA — Great American Stations". www.greatamericanstations.com. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  12. ^ . Los Angeles Conservancy. Archived from the original on 30 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  13. ^ http://www.planning.lacity.org/eir/USC/DEIR/files/IV.C.%20Cultural%20Resources.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  • Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, "John Parkinson" in Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects (ed. Jeffrey Karl Ochsner), University of Washington Press, Seattle and London 1994, pages 28–32, 303, ISBN 0-295-97365-X
  • Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, and Andersen, Dennis Alan, Distant Corner: Seattle Architects and the Legacy of H. H. Richardson, University of Washington Press, Seattle and London 2003, pages 49–52, 175-79, 225-28, 249-54, 283-85, 310-14, ISBN 0-295-98238-1.

External links edit

  • An interview with Iconic Vision author Stephen Gee about John Parkinson's work on Notebook on Cities and Culture

February 15, 2024
john, donald, parkinson, parkinsons, redirects, here, punk, rock, band, parkinsons, band, other, uses, parkinson, disambiguation, were, father, architectural, firm, operating, angeles, area, early, 20th, century, they, designed, built, many, city, iconic, buil. The Parkinsons redirects here For the punk rock band see The Parkinsons band For other uses see Parkinson disambiguation John and Donald Parkinson were a father and son architectural firm operating in the Los Angeles area in the early 20th century They designed and built many of the city s iconic buildings including Grand Central Market the Memorial Coliseum and the City Hall 1 2 John ParkinsonJohn B ParkinsonBorn 1861 12 12 December 12 1861Scorton Lancashire EnglandDiedDecember 9 1935 1935 12 09 aged 73 United StatesNationalityEnglishOccupationArchitectBuildingsParadox Iron BreweryMetropolitan BuildingHolmby HallDonald B ParkinsonBorn 1895 08 10 August 10 1895United StatesDiedNovember 17 1945 1945 11 17 aged 50 United StatesNationalityAmericanOccupationArchitectParentJohn ParkinsonBuildingsMetropolitan BuildingHolmby Hall Contents 1 John Parkinson 1 1 Early years 1 2 Seattle practice 1 3 Parkinson firm in Los Angeles 1 3 1 Parkinson amp Parkinson 2 Parkinson firm evolution 3 Selected works 4 References 5 External linksJohn Parkinson editEarly years edit John Parkinson 12 December 1861 9 December 1935 was born in the small village of Scorton in Lancashire England in 1861 At the age of sixteen he was apprenticed for six years to Jonas J Bradshaw an architect and engineer in nearby Bolton where he learned craftsmanship and practical construction He attended night school at Bolton s Mechanics Institute to study architectural drafting and engineering Upon completion of his apprenticeship at age 21 he immigrated to North America as an adventure he built fences in Winnipeg and learned stair building in Minneapolis He returned to England only to discover that the English construction trades demanded more time and service for advancement He decided that his then capabilities would be more appropriate to the less structured opportunities in America Parkinson went to California settling in Napa where he again worked as a stair builder and he took on architectural commissions in his spare time designing some of his first commercial projects including an annex to the original Bank of Napa building 1888 Demolished 3 Seattle practice edit nbsp The Interurban Building 2007Considering Napa a dead town Parkinson ventured north to Seattle in February 1889 where he opened his first architectural practice after failing to secure a position as a draftsman 4 In March he entered a partnership with Cecil Evers but this ended little more than a year later Parkinson would leave Napa for good in September 1889 but would retain professional relationships with local mills to supply lumber and trim Parkinson s early projects in Puget Sound included the Olympia Hotel Olympia 1889 destroyed the Calkins Hotel Mercer Island 1889 destroyed and several residences After the Great Seattle Fire of 6 June 1889 he secured several important business blocks the Butler Block 1889 90 altered and the Seattle National Bank Building later called the Interurban Building 1890 92 an exemplary work of Romanesque Revival architecture In 1891 Parkinson won the design competition for the B F Day School 1891 92 altered located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle Thereafter the Seattle School Board appointed Parkinson as the Seattle Schools Architect and Superintendent Parkinson was responsible for all Seattle Schools projects over the next several years including the Pacific School 1892 93 destroyed and the Cascade School 1893 94 destroyed He also designed the Seattle Seminary 1891 93 the first building at Seattle Pacific University now known as Alexander Hall and the Jesuit College and Church 1893 94 altered the first building at Seattle University now known as the Garrand Building Parkinson frequently published renderings of his buildings in the professional architectural press He was an early member of the Washington State Chapter of the American Institute of Architects predecessor to today s AIA Seattle chapter Parkinson invested in real estate and he was both architect and developer of the Seattle Athletic Club Building 1893 94 destroyed His investments left him financially vulnerable when the Panic of 1893 the severe national depression curtailed construction after June 1893 Parkinson s schools position was terminated by the Seattle School Board early in 1894 In 1893 and 1894 he entered several competitions but failed to win any commissions Parkinson firm in Los Angeles edit Faced with no projects nor prospects for work in Seattle John Parkinson moved to Los Angeles in 1894 and opened his architecture office on Spring Street between Second and Third Streets By 1896 Parkinson had designed the city s first Class A fireproof steel frame structure the Homer Laughlin Building at Third Street and Broadway His 1901 Susana Machado Bernard House and Barn has been designated as a Historic Cultural Monument and listed in the National Register of Historic Places His design for the 1904 Braly Block at Fourth Street and Spring became the first skyscraper built in Los Angeles It held the distinction of being the tallest structure in town until the completion of City Hall in 1928 In 1905 Parkinson formed a partnership with G Edwin Bergstrom which lasted for ten years Parkinson and Bergstrom became the dominant architectural firm for major structures in Los Angeles Bergstrom left to establish his own successful practice in 1915 Parkinson amp Parkinson edit nbsp Residence of John Parkinson at Sixth Street and St Paul Street Los Angeles c 1900 1910John Parkinson was joined in 1920 by his son Donald B Parkinson 1895 1945 Parkinson amp Parkinson designed many of Los Angeles finest buildings which became some of the city s most enduring landmarks Found on the roster are the Campus Master Plan and several noted buildings of the University of Southern California 1919 39 1 the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 1923 and 1930 31 Los Angeles City Hall 1928 with Albert C Martin structural and John C Austin working drawings Bullocks Wilshire 1929 and Union Station 1939 John Parkinson completed an important early renovation of Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles Their work was also part of the architecture event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics 5 6 Parkinson firm evolution edit1888 1889 John Parkinson Architect Napa California and Seattle Washington 1889 1890 John Parkinson and Cecil Evers Architects Seattle Washington 1890 1894 John Parkinson Architect Seattle Washington 1894 1895 Burton and Parkinson Architects Los Angeles California 1895 1905 John Parkinson Architect Los Angeles California 1905 1915 John Parkinson and G Edwin Bergstrom Architects Los Angeles California 1915 1920 John Parkinson Architect Los Angeles California 1920 1945 John Parkinson and Donald B Parkinson Architects Los Angeles California 1945 1955 Parkinson Powelson Briney Bernard amp Woodford Architects Los Angeles California 1955 1984 Woodford amp Bernard Architects Los Angeles California 1984 1990 Woodford Parkinson Wynn amp Partners Architects Los Angeles and San Diego California 1990 1992 DWL Parkinson Architects Los Angeles and San Diego California 1992 2008 Parkinson Field Associates Los Angeles California and Austin Texas Selected works editSeattle National Bank Building Interurban Building 102 Occidental Ave S Pioneer Square Seattle Parkinson Alameda Square the former terminal of the Southern Pacific Railroad in Downtown Los Angeles Hotel Alexandria part of the Spring Street Financial District Los Angeles John Parkinson A G Bartlett Building 215 W 7th Street part of the Spring Street Financial District Los Angeles Parkinson amp Bergstrom Susana Machado Bernard House and Barn 845 S Lake St Los Angeles John Parkinson Blackstone s Department Store later The Famous Broadway amp 9th Los Angeles 1917 John Parkinson Broadway Department Store now the Junipero Serra State Office Building 4th amp Broadway Los Angeles 1915 Parkinson amp Bergstrom Continental Building 408 South Spring Street part of the Spring Street Financial District Los Angeles John Parkinson Bullock s Downtown flagship 7th amp Broadway Los Angeles 1906 7 Parkinson amp Bergstrom 7 Bullock s Westwood first store 1000 Westwood Blvd Los Angeles Parkinson amp Parkinson Bullock s Wilshire Building 3050 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles John Parkinson Burdick Block NE corner 2nd amp Spring Los Angeles John Parkinson addition of top floors to original 1888 construction 1900 Caliente Railroad Depot 100 Depot Ave Caliente NV Parkinson amp Parkinson Crocker Bank 453 S Spring Street part of the Spring Street Financial District Los Angeles Parkinson amp Bergstrom Engine House No 18 2616 S Hobart Blvd Los Angeles John Parkinson Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco 409 W Olympic Blvd Los Angeles Parkinson amp Parkinson Geronimo Hotel Tucson Arizona John Parkinson Homer Laughlin Building orig as Coulter s department store now Grand Central Market 8 317 S Broadway Los Angeles John B Parkinson 1896 8 Jacoby Bros department store 331 3 5 S Broadway Los Angeles John B Parkinson 1899 1900 9 Joannes Brothers Company building 800 Traction Avenue part of the Arts District Los Angeles John B Parkinson 1917 10 H Jevne amp Co Building southwest corner of 6th and Broadway Los Angeles 1906 7 Parkinson amp Bergstrom Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 3911 S Figueroa St Los Angeles Parkinson amp Parkinson Los Angeles City Hall 200 North Spring Street Los Angeles California Albert C Martin amp John Parkinson National Bank of Whittier Building 13002 E Philadelphia St Whittier CA Parkinson amp Parkinson Pomona Downtown station 100 West Commercial Street Pomona CA 91768 1940 11 Saks Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills 9600 Wilshire Bd Los Angeles Parkinson amp Parkinson with Paul R Williams 12 Security Building part of the Spring Street Financial District Los Angeles Rowan Building 131 W 5th Street part of the Spring Street Financial District Los Angeles Parkinson amp Bergstrom Security Trust and Savings 6381 85 Hollywood Blvd Hollywood CA Parkinson amp Parkinson Southern California Gas Company Complex 800 810 820 and 830 S Flower St Los Angeles Parkinson amp Parkinson Sterling Plaza in Beverly Hills California Title Guarantee and Trust Company Building 401 411 W 5th St Los Angeles Parkinson amp Parkinson Title Insurance Building 433 S Spring Street part of the Spring Street Financial District Los Angeles Parkinson amp Parkinson Union Station Los Angeles 800 N Alameda St Los Angeles Parkinson amp Parkinson Union Station Ogden Utah 25th St at Wall Ave Ogden UT Parkinson amp Parkinson Washington Building 3rd and Spring Los Angeles Parkinson amp Bergstrom Zumberge Hall of Science 3651 Trousdale Parkway University of Southern California campus Los Angeles Parkinson amp Parkinson 13 References edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Buildings by John and Donald Parkinson The forgotten Brit who helped shape Los Angeles BBC News 2018 07 05 Retrieved 2018 07 05 The Britons who made their mark on LA Daily Telegraph 2011 09 11 ISSN 0307 1235 Retrieved 2018 07 19 Another New Brick Block Napa Register UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research California Digital Newspaper Collection 23 Mar 1888 p 1 Retrieved 23 June 2022 Napa s Future A Homily On the Present and Future Prospects of Napa Napa Weekly Reporter UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research California Digital Newspaper Collection 6 Sep 1889 p 5 Retrieved 23 June 2022 Donald Parkinson Olympedia Retrieved 30 July 2020 John Parkinson Olympedia Retrieved 30 July 2020 Bullock s Department Store 1 Pacific Coast Architecture Database The Laughlin Building California s Finest Office Structure as It is Los Angeles Times July 5 1898 Will Go Up Rapidly Work on the Jacoby Building Was Begun Today Most of the Material for the Big Business Structure Is Already on the Ground Los Angeles Evening Post Record September 1 1899 p 1 Architect John Parkinson Joannes Bros Co historicplacesla org Los Angeles Historic Resource Inventory Office of Historic Resources Retrieved 2023 07 21 Pomona CA Great American Stations www greatamericanstations com Retrieved 2016 05 11 Saks Fifth Avenue Los Angeles Conservancy Archived from the original on 30 March 2020 Retrieved 27 March 2020 http www planning lacity org eir USC DEIR files IV C 20Cultural 20Resources pdf bare URL PDF Ochsner Jeffrey Karl John Parkinson in Shaping Seattle Architecture A Historical Guide to the Architects ed Jeffrey Karl Ochsner University of Washington Press Seattle and London 1994 pages 28 32 303 ISBN 0 295 97365 X Ochsner Jeffrey Karl and Andersen Dennis Alan Distant Corner Seattle Architects and the Legacy of H H Richardson University of Washington Press Seattle and London 2003 pages 49 52 175 79 225 28 249 54 283 85 310 14 ISBN 0 295 98238 1 External links editAn interview with Iconic Vision author Stephen Gee about John Parkinson s work on Notebook on Cities and Culture Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John and Donald Parkinson amp oldid 1199176660, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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