Clarence Justin Smale, also known as C.J. Smale, (Nov. 2, 1886-Oct. 28, 1966) was an American architect.

Early life

Smale was born to John and Mary Smale on Nov. 2, 1886 in Ballona, California. He was one of six children. His father, born in Canada, was a farmer.https://app.totalagent.com/uploads/getdoc/55/properties/svaoh3gas0/documents/a6349360f53e7a538fe30066b35e283a.pdf The Smale couple divorced by 1910, with Mary taking her children to live in Gull Harbor, Washington. It was there that Clarence learned the trade of house carpentry. At approximately age 21, he married a

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

native by the name of Rose. They had a daughter, Virginia, born in 1919.

Career

Though Smale was working in architecture by at least 1917, he formally founded his architectural firm in 1923. His chief draftsperson was

Edith Northman Edith Northman (1893–1956) was one of Southern California's first woman architects, and the first woman registered architect in Los Angeles. She worked on a wide range of buildings in the region, ranging from residential to commercial. Early li ...

. One of his design partners was Lewis Elbert Blaize and among his collaborations were works with Chisholm & Meikle as well as

S. Charles Lee S. Charles Lee (September 5, 1899 - January 27, 1990) was an American architect recognized as one of the most prolific and distinguished motion picture theater designers on the West Coast. Life Early life Simeon Charles Levi was born in Chicag ...

, the latter with whom he created Marchetti's Café (1925). His own home, constructed in 1925, was located at 625 S. Rimpau Blvd. in the

Hancock Park Hancock Park is a city park in the Miracle Mile section of the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. The park's destinations include the La Brea Tar Pits; the adjacent George C. Page Museum of La Brea Discoveries, which display ...

neighborhood of Los Angeles; it is still standing as of 2020 and is protected by an historic preservation overlay zone (HPOZ). In his career, Smale designed homes for

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

and Monsignor Kenneth R. O'Brien, a prominent member of the

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

Archdiocese of Los Angeles.http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2006/06-3007_rpt_chc_12-1-06.pdf Some of his work has varying ranges of historic protection, like the Loyola Theater, designated L.A. Historic-Cultural Resource Number 259, and the Monsignor O'Brien House, designated

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites which have been designated by the Los Angeles, California, Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria. History The Historic-Cult ...

#861.

Select works

*Colorado Theater,

East Pasadena East Pasadena () is an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 6,144 at the 2010 census, up from 6,045 at the 2000 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

(1948) *Loyola Theater,

Westchester, California Westchester is a neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles and the Westside Region of Los Angeles County, California. It is home to Los Angeles International Airport, Loyola Marymount University, Otis College of Art and Design, and Westchester E ...

(1946) *Hawaii Theatre,

Hollywood, Los Angeles Hollywood is a neighborhood in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a metonymy, shorthand reference for the Cinema of the United States, U.S. film industry and the people associated with i ...

(co-design with Carl G. Moeller, 1940) *434 N. Genesee Ave., Los Angeles, California (1937) *336 N. Gardner St., Los Angeles, California (1937) *268 N. Saint Pierre Rd., Los Angeles, California (1937) *Allen Theater, South Gate, Los Angeles, California (remodel, 1936) *Oliver Mitchell Theater, South Gate, Los Angeles, California (remodel, 1936) *364 S. Cloverdale Ave.,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

(1930) *Dr. W.E. Waddell Residence, 539 S Mapleton Dr., Los Angeles, California (1932) *Smith House,

Hancock Park, Los Angeles Hancock Park is a neighborhood in the Wilshire area of Los Angeles, California. Developed in the 1920s, the neighborhood features architecturally distinctive residences, many of which were constructed in the early 20th century. Hancock Park is ...

(1929-1930) *Architect's Show Home, 361 North Citrus Ave.,

(1927) *Marchetti's Café (1925) *Superba Apartments, 335 S. Berendo St., Los Angeles, California (1925) *Monsignor Kenneth R. O'Brien House, 130 N. Catalina St., Los Angeles, California (1924-1925) *4941 Ambrose Ave., Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California (1924) *W.O. Boston Residence, Ambrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California (1924) *Buster Keaton Home, 543 South Muirfield Rd.,

(1923) *L. W. Gentry House, 2001 Mendocino Ln.,

Altadena, California Altadena () ("Alta", Spanish for "Upper", and "dena" from Pasadena) is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in the Verdugo Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, approximately 14 miles (23 km) from the downtown ...

(1921) *House in

Bluff Park Bluff Park is a small, upscale neighborhood in Long Beach, California, United States. There is a bluff along much of the beach in Long Beach, and on one stretch, there is the narrow Bluff Park from which the neighborhood gets its name. Bluff Park ...

, Long Beach (1925)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smale, Clarence J. 1886 births 1966 deaths 20th-century American architects Architects from Los Angeles American people of Canadian descent