Francis W. Wilson
Encyclopedia
Francis W. Wilson was an American architect. His practice in Santa Barbara, California
included work for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
and its associated Fred Harvey Company
hotels, as well as many residences.
Wilson was born in Massachusetts and arrived in California at the age of 17 to visit his sister, a schoolteacher in Placerville
. There, he worked as a log-driver on the American River
and then as a surveyor for the Southern Pacific Railroad
. He moved to San Francisco in the early 1890s, becoming a draftsman for the firm of Pissis and Moore, where he was instructed by architect Albert Pissis
. Wilson studied at the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects
and took a grand tour of Europe before establishing his own firm in Santa Barbara in 1895.
Shortly after arriving in Santa Barbara, Wilson designed homes for Dr. C.C. Park and General Henry J. Strong. He built up a practice designing homes for the wealthy, as well as designing, building and selling speculative houses. His connections with the wealthy led to an interest in polo and amateur horse racing, and to commissions for the Santa Barbara Club, the Central Savings Bank, the Santa Barbara library, post office, and railroad station. A friendship with Edward Payson Ripley
, president of the Santa Fe Railway, led to commissions for the railway and for the Fred Harvey Company, as well as a commission to design Ripley's winter home. His most extravagant residential commission, Las Tejas in the suburb of Montecito
, was built in 1917 for Oakleigh Thorne
.
Wilson married Julia Redington, sister of Wilson's friend and fellow Santa Barbara Polo Club
member Lawrence Redington, in 1905.
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
included work for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
and its associated Fred Harvey Company
Fred Harvey Company
The origin of the Fred Harvey Company can be traced to the 1875 opening of two railroad eating houses located at Wallace, Kansas and Hugo, Colorado on the Kansas Pacific Railway. These cafés were opened by Fred Harvey, then a freight agent for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad...
hotels, as well as many residences.
Wilson was born in Massachusetts and arrived in California at the age of 17 to visit his sister, a schoolteacher in Placerville
Placerville, California
Placerville is the county seat of El Dorado County, California. The population was 10,389 at the 2010 census, up from 9,610 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. There, he worked as a log-driver on the American River
American River
The American River is a California watercourse noted as the site of Sutter's Mill, northwest of Placerville, California, where gold was found in 1848, leading to the California Gold Rush...
and then as a surveyor for the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
. He moved to San Francisco in the early 1890s, becoming a draftsman for the firm of Pissis and Moore, where he was instructed by architect Albert Pissis
Albert Pissis
Albert Pissis was the architect who introduced the Beaux-Arts architectural style to San Francisco, California, designing a number of important buildings in the city in the years before and after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.-Biography:...
. Wilson studied at the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
and took a grand tour of Europe before establishing his own firm in Santa Barbara in 1895.
Shortly after arriving in Santa Barbara, Wilson designed homes for Dr. C.C. Park and General Henry J. Strong. He built up a practice designing homes for the wealthy, as well as designing, building and selling speculative houses. His connections with the wealthy led to an interest in polo and amateur horse racing, and to commissions for the Santa Barbara Club, the Central Savings Bank, the Santa Barbara library, post office, and railroad station. A friendship with Edward Payson Ripley
Edward Payson Ripley
Edward Payson Ripley , sometimes referred to as Edward P. Ripley or E. P. Ripley, was the fourteenth president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.- Youth and education :...
, president of the Santa Fe Railway, led to commissions for the railway and for the Fred Harvey Company, as well as a commission to design Ripley's winter home. His most extravagant residential commission, Las Tejas in the suburb of Montecito
Montecito, California
Montecito is an unincorporated community in Santa Barbara County, California. As a census-designated place, it had a population of 8,965 in 2010. This does not include areas such as Coast Village Road, that, while usually considered part of Montecito, are actually within the city limits of Santa...
, was built in 1917 for Oakleigh Thorne
Oakleigh Thorne
W.O.S. Thorne, more generally known as Oakleigh Thorne , was a publisher of tax guides who also served as a director of Wells Fargo & Company from 1902 to 1918....
.
Wilson married Julia Redington, sister of Wilson's friend and fellow Santa Barbara Polo Club
Santa Barbara Polo Club
Founded in 1911, the Santa Barbara Polo Club in Santa Barbara, California is the premiere equestrian Polo club in the Western United States. The club, located between the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, consists of three full size outdoor polo fields, one arena,...
member Lawrence Redington, in 1905.
Works
- El Garces HotelEl Garces HotelThe El Garces Hotel is a historic railroad station and hotel located in Needles, California. Built by the Santa Fe Railroad under contract with the Fred Harvey Company in 1908, the El Garces is designed in an elegant Neoclassical and Beaux-Arts style and was considered the 'Crown Jewel of the...
, a Harvey House hotel in Needles, CaliforniaNeedles, CaliforniaNeedles is a city located in the Mojave Desert on the western banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. It is located in the Mohave Valley, which straddles the California–Arizona border. The city is accessible via Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 95...
, listed on the NRHP - Grand Canyon DepotGrand Canyon DepotGrand Canyon Depot, also known as Grand Canyon Railroad Station, was constructed in 1909-10 for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, in what is now Grand Canyon National Park. It is one of three remaining railroad depots in the United States built with...
(1910), a National Historic LandmarkNational Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance... - Southern Pacific Station, Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara (Amtrak station)The Santa Barbara Train Station, sometimes referred to as the Santa Barbara Amtrak Station, is the passenger rail station in Santa Barbara, California. It is served by two Amtrak lines, the Coast Starlight and the Pacific Surfliner. The Coast Starlight runs once daily in each direction between...
, listed on the NRHP - Santa Barbara Public Library (1917)
- Santa Barbara Post Office, now the Santa Barbara Museum of ArtSanta Barbara Museum of ArtThe Santa Barbara Museum of Art is an art museum located at 1130 State St. in downtown Santa Barbara, California.It was founded in 1941 and currently ranks amongst the top 10 regional art museums in the United States . It is home to both permanent and special collections, the former of which...
(with Oscar WenderothOscar WenderothOscar Wenderoth served as director of the Office of the Supervising Architect during 1913-1914. As such, his name is credited with many buildings, including many listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....
, Office of the Supervising ArchitectOffice of the Supervising ArchitectThe Office of the Supervising Architect was an agency of the United States Treasury Department that designed federal government buildings from 1852 to 1939....
), remodeled 1941 by David AdlerDavid AdlerDavid Adler was a prolific architect, designing over 200 buildings... - Santa Barbara Country Club ("Miraflores") (1909, rebuilt 1913, altered 1915 by Reginald D. JohnsonReginald Davis JohnsonReginald Davis Johnson was an American architect. His practice, based in Pasadena, California, focused on the Los Angeles area and southern California in general, with a mixture of residential and commercial work...
) now the Music Academy of the WestMusic Academy of the WestThe Music Academy of the West is a music conservatory located in Montecito, California near Santa Barbara, California. Every year, it hosts a summer music festival for the community highlighted by concerts and workshops directed by famous composers, conductors, and artists.A yearly maximum of 135... - Santa Barbara Club
- Bright Angel Camp (1909), Grand Canyon, Arizona, a conversion of the Bright Angel Hotel and the Buckey O'Neill CabinBuckey O'Neill CabinThe Buckey O'Neill Cabin was built in 1890 by William "Buckey" O'Neill in what would become Grand Canyon National Park. O'Neill was, among many other things, a member of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, who had previously been an author and a judge in his native Arizona...
for the Fred Harvey Company, now part of the Bright Angel LodgeBright Angel LodgeBright Angel Lodge is a hotel complex at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Designed by architect Mary Jane Colter, the lodge is a complex of cabins around a central lodge building, directly on the edge of the canyon...
complex designed by Mary ColterMary ColterMary Elizabeth Jane Colter was an American architect and designer. As a child, Mary Colter traveled with her family through frontier Minnesota, Colorado and Texas in the years after the American Civil War. After her father died in 1886, Colter attended the California School of Design in San... - Bellosguardo, Santa Barbara (1904, demolished 1933 and replaced by the Clark Estate)
- Las Tejas, Montecito (1917)
External links
- Grand Canyon Depot, Architecture in the Parks, A National Historic Landmark Theme Study