Résumé

Principal, Levi Goodrich, Architect, San Jose, CA, c. 1867-1874. According to the Pacific Coast Business Directory, 1867. (San Francisco: Henry G. Langley, Langley Publishing, 1867), Goodrich had his office on Santa Clara Street in San Jose. He had an office in the Hensley Building, 300 Market Street, Room #41. (See San Jose, California, City Directory, 1870, p. 146.) In 1874, Goodrich leased Room #20 of the Knox Building in San Jose. (See San Jose, California, City Directory, 1874, p. 123.)

Relocation

Born in New York, NY, Goodrich designed the Parker House Hotel in San Francisco, CA, by 1849, and was, in architectural historian Harold Kirker's view, the city's "first professional architect."

He lived in San Jose, CA, by at least 1854, when he was married here. In 05/1863, he resided in San Jose when the Internal Revenue Service collected a tax of $30.96 from him; it reported that he had an income of $1,032 that year. The following year, he earned $104 and paid a tax of $5.20, and, in 1865, he earned $1,145 and paid $57.45 tax.

In 1867, Goodrich resided in the City of Santa Clara, "west of San Pedro," accroding to Santa Clara County voter records of 1867. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation, California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4-2A; CSL Roll Number: 124; FHL Roll Number: 977287, accessed 04/02/2020.)

On 12/29/1868, Goodrich obtained a passport in New York, NY.

In 1870, the Census indicated that Goodrich had real estate worth $13,000 and a personal estate valued at $11.000. for San Jose at the time, this was a substantial wealth.

The US Census of 1880 noted that he lived in San Jose with his wife, a niece, Maggie V. James (born c. 1858 in MO), his disabled mother-in-law, Sarah S. Browning (born c. 1802 in VA), a boarder, Mary Garside (born c. 1820 in England), a servant Charles Gordon (born c. 1839 in England) and a nine-year-old child servant, Amy Floyd, (born c. 1870 in CA).

He passed away in San Diego, CA, on 04/02/1887. He was buried in San Jose, in the Oak Hill Memorial Park.

Spouse

His first wife was Juliet Peck, whom he married in San Jose, CA, on 04/13/1854. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: California Department of Public Health, courtesy of www.vitalsearch-worldwide.com. Digital Images, accessed 04/02/2020.) Juliet was not counted with Goodrich in the 1870 US Census, as he was listed alone.

On 01/15/1879, he married Sarah Louise Browning Knox-Goodrich (born c. 1824 in VA-d. 1903 in San Jose, CA). Both of her parents had also come from VA. The US Census of 1880 indicated her profession to be "Capitalist." Knox had previously married Dr. William James Knox, (born 10/20/1820 in Christian County, KY-d. 11/13/1867 in San Francisco, CA), who, along with T. Ellard Beans, set up San Jose's earliest bank. Knox's family, particularly that of his mother, Hannah "Nancy" Mills (1803-1845), had significant financial resources.

The Knox wealth enabled Louise to commission the three-story, sandstone-faced Knox-Goodrich Building in Downtown San Jose in 1889, two years after Levi Goodrich's death. The stone for this building came from a quarry owned by Goodrich. (See San Jose Mercury News.com, “Sarah Knox-Goodrich and her namesake San Jose building,” published 07/03/2013, accessed 04/02/2020.) Interestingly, Levi Goodrich leased Office #20 in a previous Knox Building in 1874. (See San Jose, California, City Directory, 1874, p. 123.)

Knox-Goodrich lobbied for women's rights long before it became acceptable, establishing San Jose's Woman Suffrage Association in 1869. She was laid to rest between n the remains of William Knox and Levi Goodrich in the Oak Hill Cemetery. (See "Knox-Goodrich Building," accessed 12/21/2011.)

Biographical Notes

In 1868, at 46 years of age, Goodrich's US Passport Application indicated that he stood 5 feet 10 and 1/2 inches tall, with grey eyes, large nose, long chin, dark hair and florid complexion.

• New York, NY (Architect's Birth)
  New York, NY 10001

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• San Diego, CA (Architect's Death)
  San Diego, CA 92101

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