James Franklin Devendorf (April 6, 1856–October 9, 1934), was a pioneer
real estate developer
Real estate development, or property development, is a business process, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of developed land or parcels to others. R ...
and philanthropist. Devendorf and attorney
Frank Hubbard Powers
Frank Hubbard Powers (September 25, 1864 – November 15, 1920), served in the California State Assembly for the 41st district from 1895 to 1897. He was a San Francisco attorney for Heller & Powers. He and real estate developer James Franklin Dev ...
(1864-1921), founded the
Carmel Development Company
The Carmel Development Company was a real-estate development company that operated in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California from 1902 to 1965. It was developed by James Franklin Devendorf and Frank Hubbard Powers. Powers provided the capital and did th ...
in 1902. He became the "Father" of an artists and writers'
colony
In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the ''metropole, metropolit ...
that became
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and ric ...
, which included the
Carmel Highlands, California
Carmel Highlands is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California, United States. It is south of Carmel-by-the-Sea (better known as simply, "Carmel"), at an elevation of 318 feet (97 m). Carmel Highlands is also located just south ...
. Devendorf spent the next 30 years of his life developing Carmel and the Carmel Highlands into a special community of painters, writers, and musicians.
Early life
![James Franklin Devendorf and family members](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/James_Franklin_Devendorf_and_family_members.jpg)
Devendorf was born in
Lowell, Michigan
Lowell is a city in Kent County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,783 at the 2010 census.
Lowell is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and is about east of the city of Grand Rapids. The city is mostly surrounded by ...
, on April 6, 1856. He was one of the three children of Thomas Jefferson Devendorf and Grace Congdon. His father was a merchant and died when Devendorf was three years old. His mother remarried to a Methodist minister, A. W. Gray. Devendorf attended public school at Lowell.
Professional background
In 1874, the family moved to California where he became interested in business and land development. He got a job as a clerk at
Hale Bros. Department Store in
San Jose, California
San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...
. On February 19, 1879, in San Jose, he married Lilliana Augusta "Lillie" Potter (1859-1940), a music teacher at the
College of the Pacific in
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara (; Spanish for " Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 census, making it the eighth-most populous city in the Bay Area. Located in the southern Bay Area, the cit ...
. They had five children.
In 1901, Devendorf had property in San Jose, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and Stockton. He decided to trade some of his land holdings for land in Carmel.
Carmel Development Company
![CarmelOceanAve1908](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/CarmelOceanAve1908.jpg)
In 1902, Devendorf purchased land in Carmel from developer and real estate agent
Santiago J. Duckworth, who, in 1889, wanted to build a Catholic summer resort.
San Francisco attorney
Frank Hubbard Powers
Frank Hubbard Powers (September 25, 1864 – November 15, 1920), served in the California State Assembly for the 41st district from 1895 to 1897. He was a San Francisco attorney for Heller & Powers. He and real estate developer James Franklin Dev ...
(1864-1920) became his partner and they formed the Carmel Development Company on November 25, 1902.
On November 25, 1902, Devendorf became partners with Powers and formed the
Carmel Development Company
The Carmel Development Company was a real-estate development company that operated in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California from 1902 to 1965. It was developed by James Franklin Devendorf and Frank Hubbard Powers. Powers provided the capital and did th ...
to operate at the
Carmel Development Company Building
The Carmel Development Company Building is a one-story concrete block commercial building in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. The building is the first and oldest commercial business block, and first "fireproof" concrete block building in ...
in the town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Powers provided the capital and did the legal work of the corporation. Devendorf was general manager and oversaw subdividing and developing the land.
Devendorf hired engineer Henry Fisher to layout the village of Carmel. A new subdivision map of the town was filed with the County Recorder in 1902. Under Devendorf's direction, Carmel became a colony of artists and writers and was established as a city in 1903.
[ By 1904, there were 75 permanent residents, several stores, a restaurant, school, and Carmel City's first hotel, Hotel Carmelo. In the spirit of planting ]Monterey pine
''Pinus radiata'' ( syn. ''Pinus insignis''), the Monterey pine, insignis pine or radiata pine, is a species of pine native to the Central Coast of California and Mexico (Guadalupe Island and Cedros island). It is an evergreen conifer in the fa ...
s down the center of Ocean Avenue, Devendorf renamed the hotel the Pine Inn
Pine Inn, once called the Hotel Carmelo, is one of the early first-class Arts and Crafts movement, Arts and Crafts, Tudor architecture, Tudor, Spanish architecture, Spanish style hotels established in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. The Pine Inn is ...
.
By 1905, Devendorf used the Carmel Development Company to donate lots for the construction of a community church and school. Devendorf was one of the founders of the Carmel Arts and Crafts Club
The Carmel Arts and Crafts Club was an art gallery, clubhouse founded in 1905, by Elsie Allen, a former art instructor for Wellesley College. The club was located at Monte Verde Street in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, where the Golden Bough P ...
to support artistic works. In 1927, the club was replaced with the Carmel Art Association
The Carmel Art Association (CAA) is a Not-for-profit arts organization and Art museum, gallery located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. The CAA is Carmel's oldest gallery. It features the work of many local artists living on the Monterey Peninsu ...
. He donated the site that would become the Carmel Forest Theater
The Forest Theater is an historic amphitheater in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Founded in 1910, it is one of the oldest outdoor theaters west of the Rockies. Actor/director Herbert Heron is generally cited as the founder and driving force, an ...
; and gave land for the Devendorf Park
Devendorf Park is a city park that occupies the block of Ocean Avenue and Junipero Street, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey County, California, United States. The park is Carmel's central gathering place for outdoor events. The nearest larger town is Pe ...
.
In 1906, Devendorf, through the Carmel Development Company, purchased land from local ranchers five miles south of Carmel where he developed the Carmel Highlands. In 1915, he developed the Highlands Inn in the Carmel Highlands, which was a resort hotel. His friend, marine artist William Frederic Ritschel
William Frederic Ritschel, also known as Wilhelm Frederick Ritschel (1864–1949), was a California impressionist painter who was born in Nuremberg, Germany on July 11, 1864.
Germany and New York
After completing his education at a regional Gy ...
helped Devendorf design the Highlands Inn. He sold the Highlands Inn in 1922.
After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
At 05:12 Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, the coast of Northern California was struck by a major earthquake with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (''Extreme''). High-intensity sha ...
, more lots were sold because of relocated residents. By 1909, the Carmel Development Company was advertising "Carmel-By-The-Sea" round trip railroad rates to get people to come down to the town. A row of pine trees was planted down the middle of Ocean Avenue because of Devendorf's love for trees and the beautiful environment of the Monterey Peninsula
The Monterey Peninsula anchors the northern portion on the Central Coast of California and comprises the cities of Monterey, Carmel, and Pacific Grove, and the resort and community of Pebble Beach.
History Monterey
Monterey was founded in 17 ...
. By 1913, there were 550 residents in Carmel with thousands of summer visitors. The Carmel Realty Company publish a map and brochure of Carmel in 1913, advertising a "A town in a Pine Forest." The town included a post office, Wells Fargo Express office, public school, and free library.
Death
In May 1934, Devendorf visited the Wildcat Canyon area of the Carmel Highlands on horseback searching for water for the Highlands. There was a storm and Devendorf got ill and never recovered. He had a heart attack soon after this trip. Devendorf died on October 9, 1934, at the age of 78, at his home in Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
. His funeral was at his family home in Oakland.
Legacy
Devendorf's daughter, Edwina Dupre Devendorf (1881-1954), became a painter and sculptor. In 1949, she made a bronze bust of her father that was dedicated at the Devendorf Park
Devendorf Park is a city park that occupies the block of Ocean Avenue and Junipero Street, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey County, California, United States. The park is Carmel's central gathering place for outdoor events. The nearest larger town is Pe ...
, which was named in his honor. The park is located on Ocean Avenue at the entrance to town. The plague says:
The mountain behind the city of Carmel was named after him.
References
External links
Carmel Heritage website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Devendorf, James Franklin
1856 births
1934 deaths
People from Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
People from Michigan