James H. Garrott

James Homer Garrott (June 19, 1897 in Montgomery, Alabama – June 9, 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.[1] He has been described as a "pivotal black avant garde modernist of the 1940s era."[2]

James Homer Garrott
BornJune 19, 1897
Montgomery, Alabama
DiedJune 9, 1991(1991-06-09) (aged 93)
OccupationArchitect
Spouse(s)
Helen Ruth Duncan
​
(
m. 1942;
death 
1973)

Biography

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.[3] He then studied Architecture at the University of Southern California from 1930 to 1934.[4]

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.[5]

In 1946, Garrott was the second African-American admitted to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in Los Angeles, after Paul R. Williams. His application was sponsored by Williams and Gregory Ain.

Garrott and Ain shared office space in the Granada Building beginning in 1940.[6][7] 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.[8] 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.[9]

Garrott was “politically well connected” and received nine commissions from the Los Angeles County Government in the late 1950s.[1] 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."[10]

Buildings
  • 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[11]
  • [before 1948]: Dental Building for Dr. George Hurd[12]
  • 1949: (with Gregory Ain) Ain & Garrott Office, Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California[13]
  • 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[14]
  • 1952: Friedman residence, Los Angeles, California[15]
  • 1953: M. Wesley Farr residence, El Segundo, California[16]
  • 1955: Firestone Sheriff's Station, Florence-Firestone, California
    • "considered the most modern law enforcement facility of its time."[17]
  • 1957: Lawndale Administrative Center, Lawndale, California
  • 1958-60: (with Gregory Ain) Westchester Municipal Building, Los Angeles, California[18]
    • David Gebhard described Garrott's design as “an anonymous building.”[19]
  • 1958-60: (with Gregory Ain) Loyola Village Branch Library, Los Angeles, California[20]
  • 1959: (with Gregory Ain) Ralph Atkinson residence, Monterey County, California
  • 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[21]
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References
  1. Henderson, Wesley Howard (2004), "James Homer Garrott", in Wilson, Dreck Spurlock (ed.), African-American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 9780203493120
  2. Mitchell, Melvin L. (2003), The Crisis of the African American Architect: Conflicting Cultures of Architecture and (Black) Power, iUniverse
  3. McAvoy, Christy Johnson (1998), National Register Nomination for Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building
  4. Negro Who's Who in California. 1948.
  5. "Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder". Deed recorded 31 Oct. 1938 (Official Records Book 15943).
  6. "Architect Garrott Moves Office; Takes On Partner". California Eagle. Los Angeles. May 2, 1940. pp. 9B.
  7. McCoy, Esther (1984). The Second Generation. Gibbs Smith. ISBN 0-87905-119-1.
  8. 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.
  9. D.S. Wilson (Ed.). African American architects: A biographical dictionary 1865-1945. Routledge Press. pp. 165–166.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  10. "Wanted -- somebody to see that we get our share of the pie". Los Angeles Tribune. November 21, 1958. p. 9.
  11. Silver Lake News, August 1, 2015
  12. Job 218, Julius Shulman photography archive, Getty Research Institute
  13. link to image, archived from the original on 2013-06-29
  14. "Online Building Records". Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. City of Los Angeles. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  15. James H. Garrott-Designed Home That's Too Cool for School (Except Ivanhoe)
  16. Job 2265, Julius Shulman photography archive, Getty Research Institute
  17. Lopez, Robert J. (December 26, 1993), "After 38 Years, a Farewell to Arms at Firestone Sheriff's Station", Los Angeles Times
  18. link to image
  19. Gebhard, David; Von Breton, Harriette; Weiss, Lauren (1980). The Architecture of Gregory Ain. Santa Barbara: University Art Museum. p. 21.
  20. link to image at Los Angeles Public Library
  21. Job 5272, Julius Shulman photography archive, Getty Research Institute
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