William Allen (California architect)
William Allen | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 29, 1901 |
| Died | March 22, 1986 (aged 84) |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Spouse | Suzanne Allen |
| Parent(s) | Abraham and Bessie Allen |
| Buildings | Burbank City Hall Mayfair Apartments Alhambra City Hall |
William Allen (August 29, 1901 – February 22, 1986) was a Jewish-American architect known for his work in and around Los Angeles, California. He is best known for designing Burbank City Hall with William George Lutzi.
Early life
William Allen was born on August 29, 1901, to Abraham and Bessie Allen. According to US Census data, Abraham immigrated from Russia to the United States in 1888, was naturalized in 1896, and his four children were all born in Illinois; however, other sources state William was born in Russia. The entire family was Jewish.[1]
William attended Cook Engineering School in Chicago, Illinois from 1921 to 1924.[1]
Career
By 1925, William was working as an architectural designer in Los Angeles, California. He partnered with Allen Kelly Ruoff c. 1928–1929 and William George Lutzi from 1939 to 1953.[1]
Personal life and death
William Allen married Suzanne, 20 years his junior, in 1950. Suzanne was French and William had traveled to France that year.[1]
William died on February 22, 1986.[1]
William was an avid traveler, having reportedly visited Mexico, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Norway, and throughout North America, South America, and Africa. He visited France multiple times; on one trip he returned to the US via the RMS Queen Mary and on another via SS Île de France.[1]
List of works
Notable Allen works include:
With Lutzi
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- Los Angeles Brick Exchange Building (1939)[1]
- Burbank City Hall and courtyard fountain (1941) NRHP-listed[2]
- South Gate Civic Center (1941–1942)[1][3]
- South Gate City Hall (1947)[1][4]
- South Gate Swim Stadium (1947)[1]
- South Gate Municipal Auditorium (1948)[1]
- Banning's War-Time Auto Court homes (1940s)[5]
- Los Angeles Fire Station #7 (post 1947)[6]
Other
- Mayfair Apartments, Los Angeles (1925),[7] LAHCM No. 867[8]
- American Legion Memorial Building, Los Angeles (1925)[1]
- Apartment building at 1825 N. Cahuenga Blvd (1925)[9]
- Shelton Apartments, Los Angeles (1920s)[4]
- Avondale Apartments, Los Angeles (1920s)[4]
- Weston Apartment Hotel, Los Angeles (1920s)[4]
- Los Angeles County Huntington Park Courthouse (1955)[1]
- Los Angeles County Courthouse #4 (1956–1958)[1]
- Alhambra City Hall (1960)[10]
- Hollywood Sixty Club[4]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Michelson, Alan. "William Allen (Architect)". Pacific Coast Architecture Database. University of Washington. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
- ↑ "City Hall – City of Burbank". National Park Service. March 20, 1996.
- ↑ Winter, Robert (2009). An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423608936.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Chattel Architecture (February 2010). "Historic Resources Survey Hollywood Redevelopment Project Area" (PDF). City of Los Angeles. p. 147.
- ↑ Stephens, Harrison (September 1943). "Thirteen Million Dollars for Housing 14,000 People – Los Angeles Completes 5 Lanham Act Projects" (PDF). Architect and Engineer: 18 – via usmodernist.org.
- ↑ "Historic Resource – Fire Station #7 2824 S Main St". City of Los Angeles. September 23, 2015.
- ↑ "Historic-Cultural Applicaton for the Mayfair Apartments & Neon Sign" (PDF). City of Los Angeles. February 1, 2007.
- ↑ "Historical Cultural Monuments List" (PDF). City of Los Angeles. March 25, 2026. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Historic Resources Survey Report - Hollywood Redevelopment Plan Area". City of Los Angeles. January 28, 2020.
- ↑ Nichols, Chris (September 10, 2014). "An Ode to Alhambra". Los Angeles.