Résumé

Partner, William Curlett and Son, Architects, San Francisco, CA, and Los Angeles, CA, 1908-1921. A San Francisco office operarted between 1908 and 1919. The Los Angeles office operated under this name between 1913 and 1921. The Los Angeles City Directory, 1913, (p. 531), indicated that three people managed William Curlett and Son: William Curlett, Aleck Curlett and C. E. Gottschalk, (1865-1929). Gottschalk left the firm in either 1913 or 1914. The year of his father's death, 1914, Aleck's name was the only one managing the Los Angeles office. At this time, the office operated in Room #1020 of the Merchants National Bank Building, 548 South Spring Street.

In 1915, William Curlett and Son’s address was listed as Suite #518 of the Merchants Nartional Bank Building. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1915, p. 666.) In 1918, his World War I Draft Registration card indicated that Aleck was a self-employed architect, continuing to lease Office #518 of the Merchants National Bank Building..

The name of the firm was still listed as "William Curlett and Son, Architects," in 1920 and 1921. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1920, p. 2362 and Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1921, p. 2731.) In either late 1919 or early 1920, Aleck closed the architectural office in San Francisco and moved his attention primarily to the Los Angeles market.

Principal, A.E. Curlett, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, 1922. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1922, p. 2929.)

Partner, Curlett and Beelman, Architects, Los Angeles, CA / Beverly Hills, CA, 1923-1932. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1923, p. 3359.)

Director, Inspection Division, Public Works Authority, Southern California, supervised the $30 million reconstruction of city and county school buildings damaged after the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake;

Project Manager, Federal Public Housing Authority (FPHA), which oversaw Federal building projects in Southern California, 1933-1942; at his death he working on the design of 16 FHA low-cost housing projects in and around Los Angeles. The West Coast FPHA office was located at 785 Market Street in San Francsico in 1942, and Curlett worked with various field offices at the time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation, World War II Draft Cards (4th Registration) for the State of California; State Headquarters: California; Microfilm Roll: 603155,accessed 11/24/2015.) In any case, working for the FPHA resulted in a great reducation in pay particularly compared to the high-earning years of the mid-to-late 1920s.

Archives

Some documents produced by Curlett and Beelman 1919-c. 1932 were preserved at the University of Calfiornia, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Architecture and Design Collection, Art, Design & Architecture Museum, Collection #0000124. (See University of California, Santa Barbara, Art, Design and Architecture Museum.edu, "Finding Aid for the Curlett & Beelman records, circa 1924-circa 1932 0000124," accessed 07/19/2023.)

College

Aleck Curlett attended Columbia University's School of Architecture. His fourth-year thesis project in 1904 was "An Opera House."

Relocation

Living in San Francisco, Menlo Park, and the Los Angeles area during his life, Alexander Curlett moved frequently. He made a large shift between Northern and Southern CA by about 1913, and once in the south, he shifted habitations periodically. Late in life, these moves may have been due to economic constraints imposed by the Depression.

Born in San Francisco, Curlett resided with his parents in a building at 1461 Fulton Street in San Francisco according to the US Census of 1900. (See Ancestry.com, (See Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Roll: 104; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 0179; FHL microfilm: 1240104,acceseed 11/24/2015.)

Aleck Curlett continued to live with his parents at 2701 Pierce Street in 1908, the year he was made a partner in the new firm of William Curlett and Son, Architects. (See Crocker-Langley San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1908, p. 512.)

In 1910, Alex Curlett lived in his father-in-law Burke Corbet's house at 2650 Scott Street, located in the upper-class neighborhood of Pacific Heights, in San Francisco, CA. This was a large and likely affluent household that included Helen's parents Burke and Sadie, and her siblings Edward B. Corbet (born c. 1890 in ND), Charles Corbet (born c. 1894 in ND) and Frances (born c. 1902 in CA). Aleck Curlett and Helen lived here as did their new-born son, William B. Curlett, and three household servants: Kate Kelleher (born c. 1888 in Ireland), Hannah Kelleher (born c. 1891 in Ireland) and Lung Kam (born c. 1866 in China). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: San Francisco Assembly District 41, San Francisco, California; Roll: T624_101; Page: 7a; Enumeration District: 0279; FHL microfilm: 1374114, accessed 07/19/2023.) They lived at 2650 Scott for perhaps three years before relocating to a house of their own.

In 1911, after he married, he and his wife, Helen, lived in Menlo Park, CA, and worked as an architect. (See R.L. Polk & Co.'s Menlo Park Directory, 1911 [part of the Redwood City Directory]), p. 99. Curlett's residential address was still listed as being in San Francisco in the Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1913, (p. 531), while that of his father was listed at 1712 West 9th Street. This may have been in error, (Aleck likely lived in Los Angeles by 1913), or the family owned a residence in the city by 1913 that was used by both father and son.

By 1914, however, Aleck was listed as living at 1712 West 9th. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1914, p. 823.) Aleck and Helen Curlett continued to live at 1712 West 9th Street, Los Angeles, CA, in 1916. In 1916, according to CA voting records, she was a registered voter, he was not. They continued to reside on 1712 West 9th until at least 1920. As per the 1920 US Census, the Curletts employed a single servant, Mary Callery (born c. 1862 in MO) (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Los Angeles Assembly District 75, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T625_115; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 460, accessed 07/19/2023.)

Having achieved significant financial success during the 1920s, Curlett could reside in the wealthy Bel Air neighborhood at 10744 Chalon Road in 1928. In 1930, Curlett occupied the residence at 709 North Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills, CA with his family; their residence had a value of $40,000 and the family had a 51-year-old Swedish household servant, Hulda Kriminger, at the time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California; Roll: 124; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 0822; Image: 270.0; FHL microfilm: 2339859, accessed 11/24/2015.)

Curlett and his wife lived in Central Los Angeles at 1243 North Fuller Avenue in 1936, a move out of posh Beverly Hills made, perhaps, due to financial shortfalls experienced during the Depression. They continued to live at 1243 North Fuller in 1939. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1939, p. 531.) A reflection of his reduced financial circumstances, perhaps, Curlett was listed as a "draftsman" in the Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1939.

By 10/1940, he had moved to 108 South Mansfield Avenue in Los Angeles and remained there in 1942.

Curlett died in the California Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, and was buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, CA.

Parents

Aleck Curlett's father was the renowned, Irish-born William Curlett (1846- 1914), a noted San Francisco architect. His mother, Celia Eisen, (born 07/1855 in CA), married William Curlett c. 1872. Celia was

Together, WIlliam and Celia had 5 children, only 2 of whom remained alive in 1900, Aleck and his sister Ethel A. Curlett (born 011/1884 in CA). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: San Francisco Assembly District 41, San Francisco, California; Roll: T624_101; Page: 7a; Enumeration District: 0279; FHL microfilm: 1374114, accessed 07/19/2023.)

Spouse

He married Helen Corbet (born 01/13/1888 in ND-d. 12/20/1943 in Los Angeles County, CA). They married in 06/1908.

Her father, Burke Corbet (born 10/04/1855 in PA-d. 04/26/1934 in San Francisco, CA) was a successful lawyer and jurist, her mother, Sadie Ingraham, (born 04/24/1861 in Edgerton, OH-d. 01/06/1948 in Santa Clara County, CA), maintained the home. The Corbets resided in Grand Forks, ND, until late in 1900, when they relocated to San Francisco. (See "Corbet, Burke," Who's Who on the Pacific Coast, [Los Angeles: Times-Mirror Printing and Binding House, 1913], p. 127.)

In 1910, the Corbets dwelled in a house on Scott Street near Green Street. Helen had five siblings, three of whom were Edward B. (born c. 1890 in ND), Charles (born c. 1893 in ND) and Frances (born c. 1901 in CA). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: San Francisco Assembly District 41, San Francisco, California; Roll: T624_101; Page: 7a; Enumeration District: 0279; FHL microfilm: 1374114, accessed 07/19/2023.)

Children

Aleck and Helen Curlett had two sons: William Burke Curlett (born 01/02/1910 in San Francisco, CA-d. 08/08/1995 in San Diego, CA) and John Curlett (born 12/21/1914 in Los Angeles, CA-d. 10/04/2009 in San Jose, CA).

At age 30, William worked for the McNeil Construction Company in Washington, DC. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011, accessed 07/19/2023.)

Biographical Notes

He was known as "Aleck."

The Curletts returned to New York, NY, from Liverpool, England on 06/23/1908, aboard the unfortunate Cunard liner, the RMS Lusitania. This was likely a brief honeymoon for them, as they married earlier in 06/1908. (See Ancesty.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington, DC; London, England, UK; Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and Successors: Inwards Passenger Lists; Class: Bt26; Piece: 336; Item: 5, accessed 07/19/2023.)

In 10/1908, Aleck Curlett was listed as a passenger aboard the International Mercantile Marine Company's S.S. Cretic sailing from Naples, Italy, to New York, NY. Although his wife was not listed on the ship's manifest, it is possible that this was a honeymoon trip for the newlyweds. (See Ancestry.com,Source Citation Year: 1908; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Microfilm Roll: Roll 1162; Line: 30; Page Number:155,acceseed 11/24/2015.)

In 1918, he was described on his World War I Draft Registration card as being tall with a stout build, blue eyes and light-colored hair. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: California; Registration County: Los Angeles; Roll: 1530896; Draft Board: 11,acceseed 11/24/2015.)

There is some question as to his correct birth date. The sometimes reliable US Census of 1900 placed it on 02/1881. (See Ancestry.com, (See Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Roll: 104; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 0179; FHL microfilm: 1240104,acceseed 11/24/2015.) This date is corroborated by the California Death Index, 1940-1997 and his World War I and II Draft Registration cards. Other sources list it in 1880, including the Online Archive of California's Finding Aid for the Curlett & Beelman records, circa 1924-circa 1932 0000124.

• San Francisco, CA (Architect's Birth)
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