Résumé

Carroll H. Brown had a long architectural career in Los Angeles, working for a number of wealthy clients including the MI lumberman Thomas D. Stimson and the Banning Company.

Carpenter's apprentice, Auburn, NY, 1880.

Carpenter, Auburn, NY, 1881. (See Auburn, New York, City Directory, 1881, p. 50.)

Principal, Carroll H. Brown, Architect, Auburn, NY, 1882, (See Auburn, New York, City Directory, 1882, p. 59.) Brown was not listed in the Auburn, New York, City Directory, 1883, meaning he had moved to Los Angeles by this time or had gone somewhere else before heading to CA.

Principal, Carroll H. Brown, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, 1884-1888; c. 1890-1919. From at least 1884 until 1888, Brown operated his offce in Room #22 in the Schumacher Building in Los Angeles. Business must have expanded by 1888, as he had two rooms by this time, Rooms #22 and 24. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1884, p. 72 and Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1887, p. 446,Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1888, p. 768.)

Partner, Brown and Bradbeer, Architects, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1888-1889. Business may have been so good by 1888, that Brown took on a partner, James H. Bradbeer (1842-1929), who arrived in Los Angeles from Cleveland, OH, in that year. Their partnership did not last long, as the Los Angeles County Directory, 1890, (p. 330) listed Bradbeer working on his own in the Wilson Block. It is likely that the two worked together for about one year, during 1888 and 1889. The two continued to work in tandem in 10/1889 on a school house project in La Liebre, Los Angeles County, CA. (See "Notice to Contractors,"Los Angeles Herald, vol. 33, no. 2, 10/13/1889, p. 5.)

Brown leased space at 121 South Broadway in 1890, and, three years later, he worked at 132 South Broadway. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1890, p. 178 andLos Angeles City Directory of 1893, p. 856.) In 1894, he operated in Rooms #515, 516 and 517 in the new Stimson Building in Downtown Los Angeles." (See "C.H. Brown advertisement," Los Angeles Herald, vol. 42, no. 76, 06/26/1894, p. 6.)

From at least 1907 through 1910, Carroll Brown had an office at 256 South Spring Street, Room #515. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1907, p. 1651 and Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1910, p. 220.)

Duing the mid-to-late 1910s, Brown continued to be listed in the Los Angeles City Diretory; in the directory of 1914, he maintained his office at 129 West 3rd Street, Room #515. He moved to Room #420 by 1917. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1914, p. 629, and Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1917, p. 436.)

Brown did extensive work for the Banning Company.TheArchitect and Engineerstated in its issue of 01/1916: "Carroll H. Brown, Stimson Building, Los Angeles, is preparing plans for the new Metropole hotel and other buildings to be erected at Avalon, Catalina Island, by the Banning Company, to replace the buildings recently destroyed by fire. Mr. Brown has been the architect of all the buildings erected by the Banning Company for a number of years." (See "New Hotel for Catalina,"Architect and Engineer, vol. XLIV, no. 1, 01/1916, p. 110.)

Brown retired sometime during the 1918-1920 period, probably due to the dearth of private work during World War I. He was listed in the 1918 Los Angeles City Directoryoperating at 224 South Spring Street in Los Angeles, Room #534. There was no directory in 1919, due to World War I, but Carroll Brown was not listed in the 1930 edition.

Relocation

Born in Champaign, IL, Carroll Herkimer Brown lived in OH with his family by about 1865, and in MI by 1869, judging from the birthplaces listed for his siblings Louis and Edgar, respectively, in the 1870 and 1880 US Censuses. While Edgar had been born in MI in 1869, by 1870, they had returned to reside in Seneca Falls, NY.

The Browns resided with his family on a farm near Seneca Falls, NY, in 1870. His father Charles G. Brown operated the farm, then valued at $6,000. Charles indicated on the US Census form of 1870, that he had a personal worth of $500. Carroll was listed as a girl "Cara Brown" in the 1870 census form. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1870; Census Place: Seneca Falls, Seneca, New York; Roll: M593_1093; Page: 251A; Image: 364995; Family History Library Film: 552592, accessed 12/20/2016.) He lived with his family in Brooklyn, NY, at age five. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information: New York, State Census, 1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, accessed 12/20/2016.)

From at least 1875 until 1880, Carroll lived in Auburn, NY, in 1880, where he worked as a carpenter's apprentice. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Auburn, Cayuga, New York; Roll: 813; Family History Film: 1254813; Page: 227C; Enumeration District: 003; Image: 0218, accessed 12/20/2016.)

His family lived with his parents and siblings at 19 Grover Street in Cayuga as per the 1880 US Census. The household included his parents Charles and Augusta, siblings, Louis R. Brown, Edgar D. Brown, Amelia Brown, and Guernsey Brown and a servant, Anna Murphy (born c. 1856 in Ireland).

Brown moved with his parents and siblings to Los Angeles by 1884, toward the beginning of a sizeable real estate boom in the city. From at least 1884 until 1888, they lived at 725 South Fort Street. Carroll's father Charles was listed as a "capitalist" in the Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1884, and another person named "Edward Brown," perhaps his brother Edgar, perhaps a cousin or other relation, was an architect who worked for the firm of Boring and Haas. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1884, p. 72,Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1886, p. 26 and See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Registers, 1888; Collection Number: 4-2A; CSL Roll Number: 20; FHL Roll Number: 977994, accessed 11/28/2023.)

Brown got married in Cleveland, OH, on 10/25/1890. The architect and his wife resided at 1038 West 24th Street in Los Angeles, CA, in 1896.

The US Census of 1900 indicated that Brown, his wife and two children lived on Sierra Madre Villa Avenue in the southeast Pasadena neighborhood of Lamanda Park, and they continued to live there until the end of his life. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1909, p. 207 andLos Angeles, California, City Directory, 1914, p. 629.) The 1908 Los Angeles City Directory indicated that Brown resided at 1138 West 29th Street in Los Angeles. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1908, p. 215.) The Browns remained in Pasadena residing in theAngeles Forest Reserve, Lamanda Census Precinct #1, in 1910. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Pasadena, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T624_86; Page: 23a; Enumeration District: 0293; FHL microfilm: 1374099, accessed 03/20/2025.)

In 1920, the year of his death, he, his wife and 22-year-old son resided on Sierra Villa in this section of Pasadena. They also retained a servant, David Mayes (or Mayer) (born c. 1856 in KY). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Pasadena, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T625_117; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 498; Image: 104, accessed 12/19/2016.)

Parents

Carrol Herkimer Brown was the eldest child of Charles Gordon Brown (born 04/07/1833 in Tompkins County, NY-d. 05/02/1893 in Los Angeles, CA) and Augusta Jane Crane (born 01/1836-d. 03/10/1906 in Los Angeles, CA). A Civil War veteran who enlisted in 06/1863 in IL, Charles Brown did a number of different occupations and moved his family to a variety of locations during his life. As a young man of 24, he worked as a railroad engineer, and owned about $1,000 worth of real estate and a $500 personal fortune in 1860. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1860; Census Place: Champaign, Champaign, Illinois; Roll: M653_160; Page: 640; Image: 641; Family History Library Film: 803160, accessed 12/19/2016.) A military enlistment form of 1863 listed his occupation as a machinist. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registration Records (Provost Marshal General's Bureau; Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865); Record Group: 110; Collection Name: Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865 (Civil War Union Draft Records); NAI: 4213514; Archive Volume Number: 1 of 7, accessed 03/20/2025.) According to the 1865 New York State Census, Charles Brown worked as a mason in Brooklyn, and Augusta managed the household. The 1875 New York State Census located the Browns in Auburn, where Charles worked as a master machinist.for a railroad In Auburn; in Auburn, the family enjoyed some prosperity, living in a brick residence worth $4,000 and maintaining a single domestic servant, Maria Gogherty (born c. 1859 in NY). (See Ancestry.com, Source Information New York, State Census, 1875 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013, accessed 12/19/2016.) The 1880 US Census did not record an occupation for Charles, and by 1900, he was deceased.

Carroll's siblings included Louis R. Brown (born c. 1864 in OH), Edgar B. Brown (born 1869 in MI-d. 07/03/1925 in Stockton, CA), Amelia C. Brown Wylie (born 11/21/1873 in Auburn, NY-d. 09/30/1947 in Los Angeles, CA) and Guernsey Smith Brown (born 02/10/1878 in NY-d. 05/29/1960), who lived for most of his life in Hawaii.

Spouse

He married Frances Eloise Groff (born 01/03/1860 in Cleveland, OH-d. 04/25/1946 in Phoenix, AZ) on 10/25/1890 in Cuyahoga County, OH. She was known as "Fannie" earlier in her life. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Cuyahoga County Archive; Cleveland, Ohio; Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Marriage Records, 1810-1973; Volume: Vol 35-36; Page: 108; Year Range: 1890 Sep - 1892 Sep, accessed 11/28/2023.)

In 1940, Frances lived her son Groff in Kirkland, Yavapai County, AZ. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Yavapai, Arizona; Roll: m-t0627-00114; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 13-20, accessed 03/20/2025.)

Children

In 1900, Carroll and his wife, Frances, had two children, a daughter, Dorothy G. Brown Thornburg (1891-1979) and a son Groff Sutherland Brown (born 04/08/1897 in Los Angeles, CA- d. 05/08/1970 in Los Angeles County, CA). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Pasadena, Los Angeles, California; Roll: 91; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 0112; FHL microfilm: 1240091, accessed 12/20/2016.)

Biographical Notes

At age 38, Brown stood 5-feet, 9-and-onee-half inches tall, had a fair complexion, gray eyes and dark hair. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library, California History Section; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll Number: 21; FHL Roll Number: 976930, accessed 12/19/2016.)

• Champaign, IL (Architect's Birth)
  Champaign, IL

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

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