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User:JPRiley/Witmer

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David J. Witmer
Born(1888-08-29)August 29, 1888
DiedMay 5, 1973(1973-05-05) (aged 84)
Los Angeles
NationalityAmerican
OccupationArchitect
The former Venice Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, designed by Witmer & Watson in the Spanish Colonial Revival style and completed in 1930.

David J. Witmer FAIA (August 29, 1888 – May 5, 1973) was an American architect in practice in Los Angeles from 1915 until his retirement in 1966.

Life and career

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David Julius Witmer was born August 29, 1888, in Los Angeles to Joseph Myer Witmer and Josephine Smith Witmer, née Sullivan. He was educated at Harvard University, graduating with an AB in 1910. He then spent two years as a graduate student in the Harvard architecture school, spending his summers in the office of Clarence H. Blackall. He spent the summer and fall of 1912 traveling in Europe before returning to Blackall in Boston. In 1914 he opened an office of his own in suburban Winchester, and returned to Los Angeles in 1915.

In 1919 Witmer formed the partnership of Witmer & Watson with Loyall Farragut Watson, a civil engineering graduate of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.[1] In 1947 the partnership was expanded to include Lowell Walter Pidgeon, a graduate of the University of Southern California, and the firm was renamed Witmer, Watson & Pidgeon. Watson died in 1960, with the firm continuing as Witmer & Pidgeon. In 1966 Witmer retired from practice, with Pidgeon continuing alone.[2]

Personal life

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In 1917 Witmer was married to Helen Elizabeth Williams. They had three children, two sons and one daughter.

Architectural works

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Watson, Loyall F(arragut)" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1956): 587-588.
  2. ^ "Pidgeon, Lowell Walter" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 719.
  3. ^ a b c d "Witmer, David J(ulius)" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 773.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference LFP70 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).