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James H. Garrott

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James Homer Garrott Jr.[1]
Garrott, c. 1915
BornJune 19, 1897
Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.
DiedJune 9, 1991(1991-06-09) (aged 93)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationArchitect
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]

Biography

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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]

Carson branch, Los Angeles County Library, 1970

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]

Buildings

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  • 1928: (with Louis Blodgett) Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building, Los Angeles, California
  • 1929: (as Williams, Garrott & Young) St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, California
    • City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #987
  • 1936: Mount Zion Baptist Church, Los Angeles, California
  • [before 1939]: George A. Beavers, Jr. residence, Los Angeles, California
  • 1940: Garrott Residence/Loren Miller residence, Los Angeles, California[13]
  • 1940: Apartment building for Grace F. Marquis, Fifth and New Hampshire streets, Los Angeles, California[8]
  • 1944: Bethlehem Baptist Church (unbuilt project), Los Angeles, California[14]
  • 1948: Dental Building for Dr. George Hurd, Santa Monica, California[15]
  • 1949: (with Gregory Ain) Ain & Garrott Office, Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California[16]
  • 1950: John W. Bean & Verna Deckard residence, Los Angeles, California
  • 1950: Moss Construction Co., Kenter Canyon, California
  • 1950: (with Gregory Ain) Hamilton Methodist Church (unbuilt)
  • 1951: (with Gregory Ain) Ben Margolis House, Los Angeles, California[17]
  • 1952: Harry Friedman & Bernice "Burr" Singer residence, Los Angeles, California[18]
  • 1953: M. Wesley Farr residence, El Segundo, California[19]
  • 1955: Firestone Sheriff's Station, Florence-Firestone, California[20]
    • "considered the most modern law enforcement facility of its time."[21]
  • 1957: Lawndale Administrative Center, Lawndale, California
  • 1958-60: (with Gregory Ain) Westchester Municipal Building, Los Angeles, California[22]
    • David Gebhard described Garrott's design as “an anonymous building.”[23]
  • 1958-60: (with Gregory Ain) Loyola Village Branch Library, Los Angeles, California[24]
  • 1959: (with Gregory Ain) Ralph Atkinson residence, Monterey County, California[25]
  • 1960: Bodger County Park Director's Building, Hawthorne, California
  • 1960: Del Aire County Park Director's Building, Hawthorne, California
  • 1963: Victoria Park Pool and Bathhouse, Carson, California
  • 1970: Carson Public Library, Carson, California[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "James H. Garrott, architect, circa 1915". UCLA Library Digital Collections. University of California, Los Angeles.
  2. ^ a b Henderson, Wesley Howard (2004), "James Homer Garrott", in Wilson, Dreck Spurlock (ed.), African-American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 9780203493120
  3. ^ Mitchell, Melvin L. (2003), The Crisis of the African American Architect: Conflicting Cultures of Architecture and (Black) Power, iUniverse
  4. ^ a b c d Martinez, Dai'quiriya (November 27, 2017). "James H. Garrott (1897–1991)". BlackPast.org.
  5. ^ a b McAvoy, Christy Johnson (1998), National Register Nomination for Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building
  6. ^ Negro Who's Who in California. 1948.
  7. ^ "Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder". Deed recorded 31 Oct. 1938. No. Official Records Book 15943.
  8. ^ a b "Architect Garrott Moves Office; Takes On Partner". California Eagle. Los Angeles. May 2, 1940. pp. 9B.
  9. ^ McCoy, Esther (1984). The Second Generation. Gibbs Smith. ISBN 0-87905-119-1.
  10. ^ Denzer, Anthony (2008). Gregory Ain: The Modern Home as Social Commentary. Rizzoli Publications. ISBN 978-0-8478-3062-6. Archived from the original on 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  11. ^ D.S. Wilson (Ed.). African American architects: A biographical dictionary 1865-1945. Routledge Press. pp. 165–166.
  12. ^ "Wanted -- somebody to see that we get our share of the pie". Los Angeles Tribune. November 21, 1958. p. 9.
  13. ^ Silver Lake News, August 1, 2015
  14. ^ Wallet, Steve (June 17, 2014). "From South Los Angeles to West Hollywood: James Garrott, Rudolph Schindler and the Bethlehem Baptist Church". Steve Wallet, architect.
  15. ^ Job 218, Julius Shulman photography archive, Getty Research Institute
  16. ^ link to image, archived from the original on 2013-06-29
  17. ^ "Online Building Records". Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. City of Los Angeles. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  18. ^ James H. Garrott-Designed Home That's Too Cool for School (Except Ivanhoe)
  19. ^ Job 2265, Julius Shulman photography archive, Getty Research Institute
  20. ^ "Civic Center Designed By Local Architect". California Eagle. Los Angeles. Oct 20, 1955. p. 3.
  21. ^ Lopez, Robert J. (December 26, 1993), "After 38 Years, a Farewell to Arms at Firestone Sheriff's Station", Los Angeles Times
  22. ^ link to image
  23. ^ Gebhard, David; Von Breton, Harriette; Weiss, Lauren (1980). The Architecture of Gregory Ain. Santa Barbara: University Art Museum. p. 21.
  24. ^ link to image at Los Angeles Public Library
  25. ^ Job 3522, Julius Shulman photography archive, Getty Research Institute
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