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Male, US, born 1871-04-30, died 1963-11-14
Associated with the firms network
Grey and Daniels, Architects; Grey, Elmer, Architect; Hunt and Grey, Architects
Résumé
Apprentice, Ferry and Clas, Architects, Milwaukee, WI, 1887-1899. This firm was operated by George B. Ferry, (1851-1918) and Alfred Charles Clas (1859-1942) and operated throughout the State of WI.
While he worked in Milwaukee, Grey participated in the 1899 Exhibition of Philadelphia's T-Square Club. He exhibited two drawings, Items #206 and #207 in the show, "Alterations at 300 Knapp street, Milwaukee," and "Hall in Frederick R. Buell's Residence, Milwaukee." (SeeCatalog of the Annual Architectural Exhibition by the T-Square Club, [Philadelphia: T-Square Club, 1899] , p. 26.)
By 1897, he seems to have been affiliated with the Milwaukee real estate development, loan and insurance firm, Hackett and Hoff,operated by Edward P. Hackett, (1857-1910), and Stephen M. Hoff, (1857-1924). The firm was mentioned on Grey's 1897 US Passport Application.
Partner, Myron Hunt and Elmer Grey, Architects, Pasadena, CA. 1903-1908. Hunt and Grey developed a notable reputation for their designs in Southern California.
Principal, Elmer Grey, Architect, Pasadena, CA.
Professional Activties
Grey became Registered Architect #346 in the State of California.
Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA), 1902. (See "Membership," Quarterly Bulletin of the American Institute of Architects, vol 3 no. 4, 01/1903, p. 183.) Grey was awarded Fellowship while he still worked in Milwaukee, WI.
High School/College
Grey attended secondary school in Milwaukee, WI. He did not matriculate at a university, choosing, instead, to apprentice with an architectural firm.
Relocation
Elmer Grey was born in Chicago, IL, and resided in Milwaukee, WI, with his family at 904 Winchester Street in Milwaukee from at least 1891 until 1900. (See Milwaukee, Wisconsin, City Directory, 1891, p. 344.) In 1900, the household included his mother, Carolina, sister, Maria, and Carolina's granddaughter, Carol (born 01/20/1891 in IL-d. 09/20/1918 in Chicago, IL). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Milwaukee Ward 12, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Roll: 1803; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 0106; FHL microfilm: 1241803, accessed 06/19/2017.)
Grey moved to Pasadena in either 1906 or 1907, and he remained in this city for most of the remainder of his life. Grey resided at 366 South Mentor Avenue in 1907, the first year his name appeared in Thurston's Pasadena, California, City Directory (p. 202).
Elmer and Milicent Grey, his first wife, lived at 366 Mentor Avenue in Pasadena in 1910. The household included Elmer, his wife, their daughter, his mother-in-law, Emma Bowers Chalker (born 03/1858 in IA-d. 06/09/1936 in Los Angeles, CA), and Evalina Reeves, a servant, born of Euro- and African-American parents in TX, c. 1864. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Pasadena Ward 3, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T624_86; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 0299; FHL microfilm: 1374099, accessed 06/19/2017.)
He designed a house at 1372 South Molino Avenue in Pasadena during the early-1910s, and lived here by at least 1914. (See Thurston's Pasadena, California, City Directory, 1914, p. 168.) The 1920 US Census indicated that Elmer Grey resided at this address, with his wife, Anabel, and step-daughter, Marie Rohrabacher (b. 09/10/1897 in OR-d. 12/18/1992 in Laguna Beach, CA). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Pasadena, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T625_117; Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 534; Image: 1239, accessed 06/19/2017.) In 1930, the Greys lived at this address with Marie and her first husband, Dudley L. Logan. (See Pasadena, California, City Directory, 1930, p. 451).
In 1940, Grey and his wife continued to live at 1372 South El Molino Avenue with his step-daughter, Marie Rohrabacher Cotten and son-in-law, Captain Junius L. Cotten, Jr., USN, (1895-1965), at 1372 South El Mollino Avenue in Pasadena, The household also included the Cotten's son, Junius Lee Cotten III (b. 08/02/1925 in MS-d. 11/16/2010). The house had a value of approximately $15,000 in 1940. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Pasadena, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T627_242; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 19-499, accessed 06/19/2017.)
He moved his practice to Florida in 1941, but returned to CA before 1953. He continued to reside at 1372 South El Molino Avenue in the 1950s. (See Pasadena, California, City Directory, 1953, p. 269, Pasadena, California, City Directory, 1956, p. 293 and Pasadena, California, City Directory, 1959, p. 253.)
Grey died in Los Angeles County, CA, at the age of 92.
Parents
Elmer's father was Henry C. Grey (b. 11/19/1831 in Buffalo, NY-d. 04/27/1890 in Milwaukee, WI). Henry Grey operated a tannery in Chicago, IL in 1870. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1870; Census Place: Chicago Ward 15, Cook, Illinois; Roll: M593_208; Page: 685B; Image: 7178; Family History Library Film: 545707, accessed 06/19/2017.) Henry and his wife, Caroline M. Grey (08/15/1834-d. 03/23/1925) married before 1860 and lived in Washington, IN, in 1860 before relocating to Chicago by 1870. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1860; Census Place: Washington, Allen, Indiana; Roll: M653_243; Page: 274; Family History Library Film: 803243, accessed 06/19/2017.) Henry and Caroline moved to Milwaukee, WI, by 1880, where he continued to work as a tanner. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Roll: 1439; Family History Film: 1255439; Page: 362C; Enumeration District: 140, accessed 06/19/2017.)
They had nine children together, six of whom were alive in 1900. Elmer Grey's siblings included: Ernest (born c. 1855 in IN), Herbert Eugene (born c. 1858 in IN), Bessie J. (born c. 1860 in IL), Alice (born c. 1862 in IL), Maddie (born 11/1863 in IL) In 1891, both Bessie and Madie became teachers at Milwaukee's 12th District Primary School. In 1900, Madie worked as a gym teacher in Milwaukee.
Spouse
Grey married Millicent Bowers Grey (born c. 1881-d.10/20/1915 in CA) c. 1906. She was ten years younger than Elmer. Her parents were Philip Bowers (born 08/1845 in PA), a telegraph operator, and Emma Bowers, and the family resided in Buffalo, IL, in 1900. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Buffalo, Ogle, Illinois; Roll: 332; Page: 15A; Enumeration District: 0074; FHL microfilm: 1240332, accessed 06/19/2017.)
He wed Anabel Hubbard Rohrabacher Grey (born 03/13/1876 in CA-d. 03/22/1975 in Orange County, CA) in 1916 or 1917. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Ottawa, Putnam, Ohio; Roll: 1060; Family History Film: 1255060; Page: 357D; Enumeration District: 136; Image: 0587, accessed 06/19/2017.) She married Rufus Copeland Rohrabacher (b. 12/19/1875-d. 02/23/1926) in c. 1896 and resided in Santa Monica, CA, in 1900. Subsequent to this she lived in OR (c. 1898) and Tacoma, WA, (c. 1910).
Children
He and Milicent had one child, Virginia (born c. 1906 in CA).
At his death, he shared his mansion at 1372 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA, with his step-daughter and her husband, Captain J.L. Cotton, U.S.N. (retired).
Biographical Notes
He applied for US Passports in 1892, 1895 and 1897 for travel to Europe. His applied for his first on 07/11/1892, while he lived in Milwaukee. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Roll #: 398; Volume #: Roll 398 - 14 Jul 1892-30 Jul 1892, accessed 06/19/2017.)
Grey's date of birth has been reported in various places differently. The California Death Index listed it as 04/29/1872. According to a US Passport Application of May 16, 1895, written in his own hand, Grey was born 04/30/1871. At age 24, Grey stood 5-feet, 6-and-1/4-inches tall, with a broad forehead, prominent nose, oval chin, fair white complexion, and round face. He had brown hair and brown eyes. He obtained a passport in order to spend one year traveling in Europe. He traveled with Peter Brust, another architect from Milwaukee, who resided at 419 Broadway in 1895. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Roll #: 444; Volume #: Roll 444 - 17 May 1895-20 May 1895, accessed 06/19/2017.)
Grey also obtained a passport on 06/28/1897 for the purpose of spending more time in Europe. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Roll #: 492; Volume #: Roll 492 - 01 Jul 1897-14 Jul 1897, accessed 06/19/2017.)
Grey was a notable painter, well-known for his landscape renderings as well as an illustrator. According to his Los Angeles Times obituary of 1963, Grey had watercolors on "permanent display" at the Chicago Art Institute.
PCAD id: 198
