Charles F. Whittlesey, Architect

Charles Frederick Whittlesey was born on March 10, 1867 in Alton, Illinois. He studied architecture in Chicago under Louis Sullivan, whose influences can be seen in Whittlesey’s later concrete structures in California. The extent of friendship between Whittlesey and Frank Lloyd Wright, who also worked in Sullivan’s office during this time period, is unknown. But, the expertise that Whittlesey was to later gain in reinforced concrete in California, prior to its extensive use by Wright, suggests that the two friends shared information when their paths again crossed in California.

In 1891 (age 24) Whittlesey began his own practice. Within this decade, he married his first wife, Edith May, and began to raise his family -- two sons, Harold and Austin and two daughters, Enid and Beatrice. He made his home in Riverside, a suburb of Chicago.


By 1900 (age 33) the Santa Fe Railroad, in recognizing Whittlesey’s originality and talent, appointed him chief architect in charge of hotels and stations. Thus, in 1901 he came to Albuquerque, New Mexico to supervise the construction of the Alvarado Hotel. This hotel was one of his most noted works, with its mission style and pueblo Indian motif, characteristic of railroad structures extending to and through California. During these early years of the century, Whittlesey conducted his business from Albuquerque, as might be noted by a classified ad appearing in the Albuquerque Journal Democrat during the first half of May 1902:

“Architect, Charles F. Whittlesey, Main off Albuquerque, Branch off Chicago, El Paso, Los Angeles, Patronage solicited all over the southwest. Wide experience to all kinds of building.”

Whittlesey’s family arrived in Albuquerque on May 8, 1902, just three days prior to the opening of the Alvarado Hotel.

‘Architect Whittlesey is happy for another reason besides the opening of the new hotel. His wife and children arrived yesterday from Coronado Beach.”

The family residence, it seems, would always be a distance from Charles Whittlesey’s active concerns. While the family resided in Albuquerque, 1902 to 1905 and possible as late as 1908, he was active supervising the construction of Harvey Hotels at Merced, Bakersfield, and Cochran, California; Trinidad, Colorado; Raton, New Mexico, and Shawnee, Kansas. It was in 1902, in Albuquerque, that he designed two structures in log and stone. The first of these was the El Tovar hotel at the Grand Canyon, a design still recognized today. The other was his Albuquerque residence, the structure covered by this survey.

By 1905 Charles Whittlesey was spending most of his time in Los Angeles. During these years, he observed, studied and tested the principles of reinforced concrete until he became convinced of its value as a building material. In Los Angeles, he designed and directed the construction of the Philharmonic Auditorium (1905) and soon afterwards, the Hunington Hotel in Pasadena (originally Hotel Wentworth). The Philharmonic Auditorium was designed with cantilevered concrete balconies (max. cantilever 28’ and concrete bowed beams (max. span112’). The Hunington Hotel used cellular concrete construction consisting of 6” bearing walls at each room partition, continuous floor slabs and no furred ceiling space. For their day, they were bold and innovative uses of reinforced concrete.

In 1906 Whittlesey went to San Francisco to assist in its reconstruction after the earthquake. The Pacific Building (still standing today at 421 Market, the southwest corner of Market and 4th SL), a ten-story concrete structure, is an example of his work there. His expertise in reinforced concrete was well noted by 1908, both in the many buildings that bore his name and in the various writings and expositions he wrote.

The Whittlesey family followed Charles from Albuquerque to Los Angeles and San Francisco. They lived there through 1920. Charles conducted his practice from the Pacific Building through 1912 and then from his residence. In 1912 his first wife Edith divorced him. He later married Mabel. His son Austin studied under him and later became an architect; Harold became a structural engineer, both collaborating on many designs built on the West Coast. Of Whittlesey’s life and work beyond this date, little information was available at the time of this writing.

For the record, the following four buildings designed by Whittlesey are listed:

In Los Angeles, the Mayflower Hotel (1926-27); the residence of Mrs. Bartlett; the Whittlesey Residence (corner of Pico Blvd. and St. Andrews Place (unknown if still existent); and the Green Hotel in Pasadena.

One final comment on Charles Whittlesey, taken from an article after his death on January 1, 1941 at the age of 73, might give some insight into his character:

“John B. Lyman, a Los Angeles architect who was once associated with him, sums up the character and stature of the man: ‘Whittlesey was a man of genius and very colorful character. He had no patience with carelessness, either in design or construction. Be was relentless in his supervision of concrete work.. There were many who did not understand him -- as is often the case with great men. He was the type of person with whom you could be completely out of patience and yet love him deeply at the same tune. No one, however; could ever question his sincerity of purpose; honest convictions regarding the virtues of reinforced concrete or his rare ability to design and use it."

Information used in this article was provided by MaryLou Heaphy, a lifelong Albuquerque Resident, and daughter of Clifford McCallum.  Ms. Heaphy  grew up in the Whittlesey House and has vivid memories of its colorful history.