John Parkinson | |
|---|---|
 John B. Parkinson | |
| Born | (1861-12-12)December 12, 1861 Scorton,Lancashire, England |
| Died | December 9, 1935(1935-12-09) (aged 73) United States |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Buildings | Homer Laughlin Building Los Angeles City Hall Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles Union Station |
Donald B. Parkinson | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1895-08-10)August 10, 1895 United States |
| Died | November 17, 1945(1945-11-17) (aged 50) United States |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Parent | John Parkinson |
| Buildings | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles Union Station |
John and Donald Parkinson were a father-and-son architectural firm operating in theLos Angeles area in the early 20th century. They designed and built many of the city's most iconic buildings, includingHomer Laughlin Building,City Hall, theMemorial Coliseum, andUnion Station.[1][2]
John Parkinson (12 December 1861 - 9 December 1935) was born in the small village ofScorton, inLancashire,England in 1861. At the age of sixteen, he was apprenticed for six years toJonas J. Bradshaw, an architect and engineer in nearbyBolton, 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 inWinnipeg and learned stair building inMinneapolis. 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 toCalifornia, settling inNapa 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 originalBank of Napa building (1888, Demolished).[3]
Considering Napa a "dead town", Parkinson ventured north toSeattle 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 withCecil 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 theGreat Seattle Fire of 6 June 1889, he secured several important business blocks, theButler Block (1889–90; altered), and the Seattle National Bank Building, later called theInterurban Building (1890–92), an exemplary work ofRomanesque Revival architecture.
In 1891, Parkinson won the design competition for theB.F. Day School (1891–92; altered), located in theFremont neighborhood of Seattle. Thereafter theSeattle 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 atSeattle Pacific University (now known as Alexander Hall); and the Jesuit College and Church (1893–94; altered)--the first building atSeattle 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 theAmerican Institute of Architects (predecessor to today's AIA Seattle chapter).
Parkinson invested in real estate and he was both architect and developer of theSeattle Athletic Club Building (1893–94; destroyed). His investments left him financially vulnerable when thePanic 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.
Faced with no projects, nor prospects for work in Seattle, John Parkinson moved toLos 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: theHomer Laughlin Building at Third Street and Broadway. His 1901Susana Machado Bernard House and Barn has been designated as a Historic Cultural Monument and listed in theNational Register of Historic Places. His design for the 1904Braly 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 ofCity Hall in 1928.
In 1905, Parkinson formed a partnership withG. 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.
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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 theUniversity of Southern California (1919–39)[1], theLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1923 and 1930–31),Los Angeles City Hall (1928, with Albert C. Martin Sr./structural and John C. Austin/working drawings),Bullocks Wilshire (1929) andUnion Station (1939). John Parkinson completed an important early renovation ofPershing Square in downtown Los Angeles. Their work was also part of thearchitecture event in theart competition at the1932 Summer Olympics.[5][6]
Architect John Parkinson