Lee Gottfried (July 12, 1896 –January 15, 1968) was an American

master builder A master builder or master mason is a central figure leading construction projects in pre-modern times (a precursor to the modern architect and engineer). Historically, the term has generally referred to "the head of a construction project in the ...

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 ...

. He had a significant influence on the architecture of the Village of Carmel during his career. Gottfried was one of the main local builders in Carmel and responsible for the first major residential designs done using the local Carmel stone as a building material.

Early life

Gottfried was born on July 12, 1896, in

Hicksville, Ohio Hicksville is a village in Defiance County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,581 at the 2010 census. It sits around 2.2 miles east from the Ohio- Indiana border. History Led by Henry W. Hicks, the Hicks Land Company platted the comm ...

. His father was Phillip H. Gottfried (1858-1935) and his mother was Vanilla Belle Ritenour (1867-1940). He married Bonnie Adele Hale (1900-1967) on November 4, 1919, in Carmel, who was the stepdaughter of writer

Frederick R. Bechdolt Frederick Ritchie Bechdolt (July 27, 1874 – April 12, 1950) (also known as Fred or Bech) was an American journalist, Western fiction writer, and pioneer member of the Carmel art colony. He is best known as a Western writer for the works ''When ...

. They had two children during their marriage.

Professional background

Gottfried came out west and worked for the Pacific Telephone Company. In 1917, he enlisted in the

U. S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

and served in France during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. After the war he came to California and in 1919, moved to

Carmel-by-the-Sea 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 ...

. There, he worked in the contracting business. During the 1920s and 1930s, Gottfried was one of the main local builders and responsible for reintroducing Carmel stone as a local building material. The Vernacular-style cottage known as the La Von "lee" Gottfried House was designed and built by Gottfried himself in 1921. It was situated on Dolores Street in the southwest region of

Carmel Point Carmel Point also known as the Point, is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California, United States. It is a cape located at the southern city limits of Carmel-by-the-Sea and offers views of Carmel Bay, the mouth of Carmel River, a ...

In 1920, Gottfried was commissioned by

Edward G. Kuster Edward Gerhard Kuster (August 15, 1878 – September 1961) was a musician and attorney from Los Angeles for twenty-one years before coming to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California in 1921. He became involved in theater and establish his own theatre and s ...

to design and build a small Medieval European-style stone castle at 26205 Ocean View Avenue off of Scenic Drive on Carmel Point. The design was similar to his neighbor

Robinson Jeffers John Robinson Jeffers (January 10, 1887 – January 20, 1962) was an American poet, known for his work about the central California coast. Much of Jeffers's poetry was written in narrative and epic form. However, he is also known for his short ...

Tor House Tor House and Hawk Tower are buildings in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, United States. They were the home of poet Robinson Jeffers and family from 1919 to 1999. The two structures, often referred to jointly as ''Tor House,'' are generally bel ...

. He continued to work for Kuster, building the

Tudor Revival Tudor Revival architecture (also known as mock Tudor in the UK) first manifested itself in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture ...

-style Carmel Weavers Studio (now Cottage Of Sweets) for Ruth Kuster in September 1922 and the original Theatre of the Golden Bough in 1923. The Carmel Weavers Studio was enlarged by Gottfried in 1923 to accommodate a brick fireplace and a ticket booth for the Theatre. In 1922, he was the contractor and builder for two houses in

Carmel Woods Carmel Woods is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California, United States. It is located adjoining the northern city limits of Carmel-by-the-Sea and adjacent to Pebble Beach.Carmel Woodsat Geonames.org (cc-by)post updated 2006-0 ...

near the Serra Circle. That same year, he built the Philip and Marie Gordon House on San Antonio Avenue and 9th Avenue. It is significant as the first major residential designs done with local Carmel Stone. In 1925, writer and editor

Harry Leon Wilson Harry Leon Wilson (May 1, 1867 – June 28, 1939) was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his novels ''Ruggles of Red Gap'' and '' Merton of the Movies''. Another of his works, ''Bunker Bean'', helped popularize the term "flapper". ...

commission Gottfried to build the Tudor Revival-style "Bloomin Basement," a flower shop for his wife, Helen MacGowan Cooke, the daughter of writer

Alice MacGowan Alice L. MacGowan (December 10, 1858 – March 10, 1947) was an American writer. Early years She was born in Perrysburg, Ohio, the daughter of John Encil MacGowan and Malvina Marie Johnson. The family moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where her ...

. The first floor had a restaurant and bar, called Sade's. Abalone League Team Captains

Gottfried was an early member of the

Abalone League The Abalone League was an amateur baseball and softball club based in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California from 1921 through 1938. It was the first softball league in the Western United States. The League was incorporated on September 8, 1927. The League ...

along Fred Godwin, Charley Van Riper, Eddie Burns, Harrison Godwin, and

Byington Ford Lewis Byington Ford (November 1, 1890 – January 19, 1985) was a Monterey Peninsula real estate developer. He was a major force in developing Pebble Beach and Carmel Woods. Ford established the Carmel Valley Airport, the first airpark of its kin ...

. The games began after

on a diamond at Carmel Point. In addition to his work in the building industry, Gottfried was an active member of the community. He served as a member of the American Legion Post No. 512. Gottfried also participated in local politics and served on the Carmel City Council. He and his brother Roger S. Gottfried (1906-1975) were listed as architects and residents in the Carmel City Directories from 1947 through 1963.

Works

Death

Gottfried died on January 15, 1968, in

Monterey, California Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...

at the age of 71. Funeral services were held at the Little Chapel-by-the-Sea.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gottfried, Lee 1886 births 1968 deaths People from California People from Ohio