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Male, US, born 1887-04-22, died 1971-10-31

Associated with the firms network

Allied Architects Association of Los Angeles (AAALA); Bergstrom, George Edwin, Architect; Burnham, Daniel H., and Company, Architects; Herold, R.A., Architect; Hobart, Lewis P., Architect; Kaufmann and Stanton, Architects; Stanton and Stockwell, Architects; Stanton, J.E., Architect; Stanton, Stockwell, Williams and Wilson, Associated Architects; Warren and Wetmore, Architects


Professional History

Résumé

Draftsman, Loring P. Rixford, Architect, San Francisco, CA, 1908, 1916. (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1908, p. 1671 andSan Francisco, California, City Directory, 1916, p. 1786.)

Draftsman, D. H. Burnham Company, Chicago, IL, 1909-1911. According to Atholl McBean writing in the late 1920s, "He was associated with Warren & Wetmore of New York, and worked with D.H. Burnham on the Chicago city plans. Just prior to joining us, Mr. Stanton was in charge of designing for the Allied Architects of Los Angeles and also chief designer for Edwin Bergstrom of that city." (See Atholl McBean, "Foreward," in J.E. Stanton, By Middle Seas Photographic Studies Reflecting the Architectural Motives of Various Cities on the Mediterranean, [Los Angeles: Gladding, McBean and Company, and the Los Angeles Pressed Brick Company, 1927], p. v.) As Burnham's Chicago city plan came out in 1909, it is not clear how much work Stanton could have done on the urban redevelopment scheme.

Draftsman, Warren and Wetmore, Architects, New York, NY, 1911-1913. According to the Western Architect (1938), vol. 134-135, p. 47, Stanton claimed to have worked on the Commodore and Biltmore Hotels in Manhattan while with Warren and Wetmore. Stanton was not listed in the New York City Directories for 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914 or 1915. The Biltmore opened on 012/31/1913, and was commissioned by hotelier Gustav Baumann (d. 1914 in New York, NY). The Commodore Hotel, developed by the next iteration of Baumann's company, led after his death byJohn McEntee Bowman (1875-1931),opened on 01/28/1919, and it is possible that Stanton was part of the staff that prepared drawings for it, but by his own calculation, he worked for Warren and Wetmore in 1911-1913, a full six years before the Bowman Hotel Company opened this huge hotel. Its completion may have been delayed by America's entry into World War I, making this lag possible.

Designer, Lewis P. Hobart, Architect, San Francisco, CA, c. 1913-1916. Stanton was listed as a draftsman in the San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1915, p. 1805.

Draftsman, Leo J. Devlin, Architect, San Francisco, CA, 1917. (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1917, p. 1905.)

Designer, R.A. Herold, Architect, Sacramento, CA, 1918-1919. (See Sacramento, California, City Directory, 1919, n.p.) His World War I draft registration card indicated that he was a "draughtsman working at county hospital." Herold's office was in the Forum Building at this time. He sought exemption from the draft due to his wife and child being dependents, and his mother as "partly dependent."(See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: California; Registration County: Sacramento; Roll: 1531277; Draft Board: 1, accessed 05/29/2018.)

Designer, unknown architect, Chicago, IL, 1920. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Chicago Ward 23, Cook (Chicago), Illinois; Roll: T625_334; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 1309, accessed 05/23/2018.)

Chief Designer, George Edwin Bergstrom, Architect, Los Angeles, CA. c. 1921. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1921, p. 2376)

Designer, Allied Architects of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1922.

A family history stated of his professional activites: "Among his other accomplishments, he took a hand in directing the building on Treasure Island for the 1939 San Francisco World's Fair and designed a number of buildings for the Claremont Colleges." (See Mark Sumner Still, The Geneaology of the Gould Family Containing a Record of One Line of Descendants of Francis Goole of Braintree and Chelmsford, Mass.," [unpublished typescript, 1971], pp. 36-37. Accessed via Ancestry.com)

Division Engineer, US Public Buildings Admininstration, San Francisco, CA, c. 1941-1945. It seems that Stanton performed this job while living in Beverly Hills, CA. He must have had to travel extensively throughout CA during this period.

Deputy Commissioner, US Public Buildings Admininstration, c. 1945-1947. Stanton replaced Philadelphia architect George Howe (1886–1955) as the Deputy Commissioner for Design and Construction, US Public Buildings Administration, who resigned due to poor health. (See "Stanton Replaces Howe," Architectural Record, vol. 99, no. 1, 01/1946, p. 12.)

Partner, Gordon B. Kaufmann and J.E. Stanton, Architects, Los Angeles, CA, 1947-1951.

Principal, J.E. Stanton, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, 1951-1953.

Partner, Stanton and [William F.] Stockwell, Architects, Los Angeles, CA, 1953- .

Professional Activities

When surveyed in 1955, Stanton responded that he was a Registered Architect in the State of CA.

Architectural historian Ann Scheid emphasized in an email to the author: "Stanton wrote a book about Mediterranean architecture. Here is the bibliographical information: J. E. Stanton. By Middle Seas: Photographic Studies Reflecting the Architectural Motives of Various Cities on the Mediterranean With a Frontispiece in Water-Color Entitled Gibraltar. Foreword by Atholl McBean, Introduction by Arthur Brown, Jr. [San Francisco:] Gladding McBean & Co., Los Angeles Pressed Brick Co., 1927." She continued, "Stanton is also credited with the designs for tilework on two National Register buildings in Pasadena: the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 1932 (architects: Bergstrom, Bennett & Haskell) and the Warner Building, 1927 (in collaboration with Marston and Maybury)." (See email from Ann Scheid to the author, 05/23/2018.) Stanton's book consisted of photographs of various monuments and vernacular scenes that he took in Gibraltar and Spain, Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily and Italy, and Turkey.

The book was published by Gladding McBean and Company, a large producer of ceramic tiles at the time in California. During the mid-1920s, the company hoped to expand into the production of decorative tile, as it had already become a dominant producer of terra cotta and roof tile. According to Atholl McBean's forward in this book: "We proposed to raise our decorative tile department to a position where it would command the respect of the most exacting architects, and where it might safely take the initiative in all matters of tile design and color., thereby enlarging the possibilities of the architect and exerting a beneficial influence upon all new building in our field. Mr. Stanton already knew a great deal about tile, and could immediately enter into our plans." (See Atholl McBean, "Foreward," in J.E. Stanton, By Middle Seas Photographic Studies Reflecting the Architectural Motives of Various Cities on the Mediterranean, [Los Angeles: Gladding, McBean and Company, and the Los Angeles Pressed Brick Company, 1927], p. v.)

To stimulate Stanton, Gladding, McBean and Company sent the architect abroad for six months. "His intinerary included opportunities for factory research and study of celebrated tile installations, ancient and modern." As Atholl McBean noted, the company underwrote a similar junket for architect Willis Polk in 1913, who brought back designs used by the company to produce its own roof tiles. He wrote: "The late Willis Polk had made a similar trip in 1913, bringing back that combination of enthusiasm and practical knowledge that enabled Gladding, McBean and Company to revolutionize the American manufacture of roof tile. Our Latin tiles were perfected as the result of Mr. Polk's observations in Spain and Italy. We were confident that Mr. Stanton would be able to do the same in the field of decorative tiles." (See Atholl McBean, "Forward," in J.E. Stanton, By Middle Seas Photographic Studies Reflecting the Architectural Motives of Various Cities on the Mediterranean, [Los Angeles: Gladding, McBean and Company, and the Los Angeles Pressed Brick Company, 1927], p. vi.)

Education

College

Stanton indicated his education to have been: "Beaux Arts, M.S., 1915." (See "Stanton, J(esse) E(arl)," American Architects Directory, 1956, [New York: R.R. Bowker Company, 1955], p. 530.) It is not clear what "M.S." stood for, but it is known that Stanton did not leave the US before 1925. His first passport issued was in 1925 according to government documents. On this passport form of 03/05/1925, he indicated that he had "never" lived abroad, and he never had a previous passport. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 2724; Volume #: Roll 2724 - Certificates: 3300-3899, 13 Mar 1925-14 Mar 1925, accessed 05/25/2018.) Perhaps this training was at a Beaux-Arts-affiliated atelier operating in New York, NY.

Personal

Relocation

Jesse Earl Stanton was born in San Francisco, CA, but he moved around extensively during his life. He and his parents resided at 715 Bay Street in Jacksonville, FL, in 1900. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Jacksonville, Duval, Florida; Page: 12; Enumeration District: 0052, accessed 05/23/2018.)

By 1908, he was back in San Francisco and working for architect Loring Rixford (1870-1946), living at 1216 Ellis Street. (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1908, p. 1671.) In 1915, he resided on a draftsman's wage at 46 Parnassus Avenue in San Francisco. (SeeSan Francisco, California, City Directory, 1915, p. 1805.)He and his new bride, Grace, lived at 1700 Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco in 1916. A year later, they dwelledat 378 25th Avenue there. (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1916, p. 1786 and San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1917, p. 1905.)

He and his family resided in Sacramento, CA, between 1918 and 1919. They lived at 1935 2nd Avenue in 1919. (See Sacramento, California, City Directory, 1919, n.p.)

The Stantons resided in Chicago, IL, in 1920, where they lived in a rented apartment at 420 Deming Place. They moved to 2046 Highland Avenue by 1921. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1921, p. 2376)

According to US Immigration forms, Stanton lived at "53 North Branson" (probably 53 North Bronson Avenue) in Hollywood, Los Angeles, in 1925.

Stanton and his family resided in Beverly Hills, CA, by 1930, at least.

He, his wife and two sons resided at 624 North Elm Drive in Beverly Hills, CA, from at least 1938 until 1940. According to the US Census of that year, the house had a value of $12,000; they had a single servant, a widow, Grace Lampares, who lived with the Stantons with her daughter, Mary (born c. 1924 in AR). (See Beverly Hills, California, City Directory, 1938, p. 118 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00221; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 19-39, accessed 05/23/2018.) They continued to live here in 1940 with the same maid and her daughter. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00221; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 19-39, accessed 05/29/2018.)

He last resided in Beverly Hills, CA, and died in Los Angeles County, CA, at the age of 84.

Parents

His father was John H. Stanton (born 03/1844 in MI), his mother, Alice Kent Stanton (born 01/1859 in England). According the 1900 US Census, John Stanton and Alice had had five children, three of whom survived in that year, and he operated a "junk store" in Jacksonville, FL. They had been married 18 years. Their three sons included Jesse, the youngest, Edwin (born c. 03/1883 in CA) and Frederick H. (born c. 07/1884 in CA).

Spouse

Stanton married Grace Greenwood Gould (born 02/09/1889 in Hollister, CA-d. 05/16/1956 in Los Angeles, CA) on 12/18/1915. She attended the California State Normal School at San Jose.

Her parents were Benjamin Flint Gould (born 12/25/1852 in Madison, ME-d. 04/21/1932 in Colusa, CA) and Ella Spencer Whelpley-Mitchell (born 01/16/1854 in New York, NY-d. 02/21/1892 in Hollister, CA). They married on 01/14/1880.

According to a family genealogical manuscript, "His wife [Grace] began to suffer from arthritis about this time [1939] and was bedridden for the last twenty-five or thirty years of her life. She died in May, 1956." (See Mark Sumner Still, The Geneaology of the Gould Family Containing a Record of One Line of Descendants of Francis Goole of Braintree and Chelmsford, Mass.," [unpublished typescript, 1971], pp. 36-37. Accessed via Ancestry.com)

Children

He and Grace had two sons, John Robert Stanton (born 11/23/1916 in San Francisco, CA) and Sheridan Gould Stanton (born 11/28/1921 in San Francisco, CA).

Biographical Notes

Stanton applied for his first US Passport on 03/06/1925. At this point, he intended to depart from New York on 03/28/1925 aboard the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique's steamship, the S.S. Paris. According to the passport document his trip would be of "indefinite duration" to the British Isles, France, Italy, Germany and Czecho-Slovakia on business. As it turned out, he traveled for about four months abroad in Europe, Africa and Aisa; shortly after his return, he participated in events at the Los Angeles Architectural Club Atelier. In 01/1926, the architectural magazine Pencil Points reported that Stanton had taken part in a Los Angeles Architectural Club banquet in late 1925; it said: "Mr. Jess Stanton, just back from Europe, gave an illustrated travelogue on his trip." (See "Los Angeles Architectural Club Atelier," Pencil Points, vol. VII, no. 1, 01/1926, p. 50.)

The architect Arthur Brown, Jr., in his introduction to Stanton's book By Middle Seas, described the itinerary of Stanton's tour: "That par of Mr. Stanton's tour which is recorded here, though incompletley, began in Spain. In the Alhambra and the Alcazar he found what he considered Spain's most important ceramics. Thereafter he traveled through North Africa, finally leaving the port of Tunis for Palermo. In Palermo Mr. Stanton as struck by the kinship between mosaic and tile, and found in the former art great worth and beauty. He was extremely refreshed in mind by the wonderful marble mosaics of Pompeii, the great polychrome of the Della Robbia families in and about Florence, and he found the keynote of the greatest wall-tile decoration at Ravenna. In Venice, he confessed that he was overwhelmed by St. Mark's, the result being that he was irresistibly impelled to turn his steps toward the East. After Constantinople and Sancta Sophia, he visited towns in Asia Minor where the ceramic art of ancient Persia has come West both in materials and artisans."

Brown continued: "On his return from Constantinople, Mr. Stanton visited Sofia, Belgrade, Budapest, Prague, Vienna, Dresden, Berlin, and Paris. Some fruitful days were spent in the towns around Paris, notably Rouen, Beauvais, and Versailles. At the Kaiser Frederick William Museum in Berlin, Mr. Stanton spent many happy and instructive hours wirh Mr. Sarre, the curator and a great world authority in ceramics. From the Continent Mr. Stanton wen to England. At the South Kensington Museum he found what he characterizesas the most complete and most illuminatingcollection of tile in the world. To his ceramic studies there he attaches special importantce." (See Arthur Brown, Jr., "By Middle Seas," in J.E. Stanton, By Middle Seas Photographic Studies Reflecting the Architectural Motives of Various Cities on the Mediterranean, [Los Angeles: Gladding, McBean and Company, and the Los Angeles Pressed Brick Company, 1927], pp. vii-viii.)

He returned to the US via the Port of Quebec aboard the S.S. Montroyal, traveling from Liverpool, England, between 07/03/1925 until 07/09/1925. He re-entered the US at St. Albans, VT. soon thereafter. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Manifests of Passengers Arriving at St. Albans, VT, District through Canadian Pacific and Atlantic Ports, 1895-1954; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: M1464; Roll Number: 517, accessed 05/29/2018.)

Stanton traveled aboard the S.S. Malolo Voyage from San Francisco to Honolulu, T.H., between 12/03/1927 and 12/07/1927. He made another trip aboard the S.S. Malolo Voyage between San Francisco and Honolulu, during 02/22/1930 and 02/26/1930. He returned to San Francisco on the same ship between 03/14/1930 and 03/19/1930. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Honolulu, Hawaii, compiled 02/13/1900 - 12/30/1953; National Archives Microfilm Publication: A4156; Roll: 155; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: RG 85, accessed 05/23/2018.)

Stanton traveled back to Hawaii at least twice between 1947 and 1951. The first time, he traveled on the S.S. Matsonia between San Francisco, Los Angeles and Honolulu between 03/6-7/1947 and 03/12/1947. The second voyage was aboard the S.S. Lurline sailing from Los Angeles to Honolulu between 03/26/1951 and 03/31/1951. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Honolulu, Hawaii, compiled 02/13/1900 - 12/30/1953; National Archives Microfilm Publication: A3422; Roll: 260; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: RG 85, accessed 05/29/2018.)

SSN: 549-01-9052.



Associated Locations

  • San Francisco, CA (Architect's Birth)
    San Francisco, CA

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  • Los Angeles, CA (Architect's Death)
    Los Angeles, CA


PCAD id: 1210