John and Donald Parkinson were a father-and-son architectural firm operating in the Los Angeles area in the early 20th century. They designed and built many of the city's iconic buildings, including

Grand Central Market Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and commun ...

, the Memorial Coliseum and the

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

John Parkinson

Early years

John Parkinson (12 December 1861 - 9 December 1935) was born in the small village of Scorton, in Lancashire, England in 1861. At the age of sixteen, he was apprenticed for six years to Jonas J. Bradshaw, an architect and engineer in nearby Bolton, where he learned craftsmanship and practical construction. He attended night school at Bolton's Mechanics Institute to study architectural drafting and engineering. Upon completion of his apprenticeship at age 21, he immigrated to North America as an adventure; he built fences in Winnipeg and learned stair building in Minneapolis. He returned to England only to discover that the English construction trades demanded more time and service for advancement. He decided that his then capabilities would be more appropriate to the less-structured opportunities in America. Parkinson went to California, settling in Napa where he again worked as a stair-builder, and he took on architectural commissions in his spare time, designing some of his first commercial projects including an annex to the original

Bank of Napa The Bank of Napa, at 903 Main St. and 908 Brown St. in Napa, California was built in 1923. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. It is a two-story building stretching for a block, consisting of an original Classical R ...

building (1888, Demolished).

Seattle practice

Considering Napa a "dead town", Parkinson ventured north to Seattle in February 1889, where he opened his first architectural practice after failing to secure a position as a draftsman. In March he entered a partnership with

Cecil Evers Cecil may refer to: People with the name * Cecil (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) * Cecil (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Canada *Cecil, Alberta, ...

, but this ended little more than a year later; Parkinson would leave Napa for good in September 1889 but would retain professional relationships with local mills to supply lumber and trim. Parkinson's early projects in Puget Sound included the Olympia Hotel,

Olympia The name Olympia may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games * ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...

(1889; destroyed), the Calkins Hotel, Mercer Island (1889; destroyed), and several residences. After the Great Seattle Fire of 6 June 1889, he secured several important business blocks, the Butler Block (1889–90; altered), and the Seattle National Bank Building, later called the Interurban Building (1890–92), an exemplary work of

Romanesque Revival architecture Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

. In 1891, Parkinson won the design competition for the B.F. Day School (1891–92; altered), located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. Thereafter the Seattle School Board appointed Parkinson as the Seattle Schools Architect and Superintendent. Parkinson was responsible for all Seattle Schools projects over the next several years, including the Pacific School (1892–93; destroyed) and the Cascade School (1893–94; destroyed). He also designed the Seattle Seminary (1891–93)--the first building at Seattle Pacific University (now known as Alexander Hall); and the Jesuit College and Church (1893–94; altered)--the first building at

Seattle University Seattle University (SeattleU) is a private Jesuit university in Seattle, Washington. Seattle University is the largest independent university in the Northwestern United States, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate prog ...

(now known as the Garrand Building). Parkinson frequently published renderings of his buildings in the professional architectural press. He was an early member of the Washington State Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (predecessor to today's AIA Seattle chapter). Parkinson invested in real estate and he was both architect and developer of the Seattle Athletic Club Building (1893–94; destroyed). His investments left him financially vulnerable when the

Panic of 1893 The Panic of 1893 was an economic depression in the United States that began in 1893 and ended in 1897. It deeply affected every sector of the economy, and produced political upheaval that led to the political realignment of 1896 and the pres ...

, the severe national depression, curtailed construction after June 1893. Parkinson's schools position was terminated by the Seattle School Board early in 1894. In 1893 and 1894, he entered several competitions, but failed to win any commissions.

Parkinson firm in Los Angeles

Faced with no projects, nor prospects for work in Seattle, John Parkinson moved to Los Angeles in 1894 and opened his architecture office on Spring Street between Second and Third Streets. By 1896, Parkinson had designed the city's first Class "A" fireproof steel-frame structure: the Homer Laughlin Building at Third Street and Broadway. His 1901

Susana Machado Bernard House and Barn Susana Machado Bernard House and Barn is an elaborate Art Nouveau Gothic Revival style mansion and carriage house located in the Pico Union section of Los Angeles, California. Built in 1901, the house was designed by architect John B. Parkin ...

has been designated as a Historic Cultural Monument and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. His design for the 1904 Braly Block at Fourth Street and Spring became the first "

skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...

" built in Los Angeles. It held the distinction of being the tallest structure in town until the completion of

in 1928. In 1905, Parkinson formed a partnership with G. Edwin Bergstrom which lasted for ten years. Parkinson and Bergstrom became the dominant architectural firm for major structures in Los Angeles. Bergstrom left to establish his own successful practice in 1915.

Parkinson & Parkinson

John Parkinson was joined in 1920 by his son, Donald B. Parkinson (1895—1945). Parkinson & Parkinson designed many of Los Angeles' finest buildings, which became some of the city's most enduring landmarks. Found on the impressive roster are: the Campus Master Plan and several noted buildings of the University of Southern California (1919–3

the

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a mem ...

(1923 and 1930–31), Los Angeles City Hall (1928, with Albert C. Martin/structural and John C. Austin/working drawings), Bullocks Wilshire (1929) and Union Station (1939). John Parkinson completed an important early renovation of Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles. Their work was also part of the architecture event in the art competition at the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

Parkinson firm evolution

*1888–1889 John Parkinson, Architect ( Napa, California and Seattle, Washington) *1889–1890 John Parkinson and Cecil Evers, Architects ( Seattle, Washington) *1890–1894 John Parkinson, Architect ( Seattle, Washington) *1894–1895 Burton and Parkinson, Architects ( Los Angeles, California) *1895–1905 John Parkinson, Architect (Los Angeles, California) *1905–1915 John Parkinson and G. Edwin Bergstrom, Architects (Los Angeles, California) *1915–1920 John Parkinson, Architect (Los Angeles, California) *1920–1945 John Parkinson and Donald B. Parkinson, Architects (Los Angeles, California) *1945–1955 Parkinson, Powelson, Briney, Bernard & Woodford, Architects (Los Angeles, California) *1955–1984 Woodford & Bernard, Architects (Los Angeles, California) *1984–1990 Woodford, Parkinson, Wynn & Partners, Architects (Los Angeles and San Diego, California) *1990–1992 DWL Parkinson Architects (Los Angeles and San Diego, California) *1992–2008 Parkinson Field Associates (Los Angeles, California and Austin, Texas)

Selected works

* Seattle National Bank Building (Interurban Building), 102 Occidental Ave S, Pioneer Square, Seattle (Parkinson) * Alameda Square, the former terminal of the

Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

in Downtown Los Angeles * Hotel Alexandria, part of the Spring Street Financial District, Los Angeles (John Parkinson) *

A.G. Bartlett Building The A.G. Bartlett Building is a 14-floor building at 215 W 7th St Street in Downtown Los Angeles, California. When completed in 1911, it was the tallest building in the city for five years. It is within the Spring Street Financial District, a ...

, 215 W 7th Street, part of the Spring Street Financial District, Los Angeles (Parkinson & Bergstrom) *

, 845 S. Lake St., Los Angeles (John Parkinson) *

Blackstone's Department Store Blackstones or Blackstone's may refer to: * The Blackstones, UK-based reggae vocal trio active since the mid-1970s * Blackstones F.C., non-league football club from Stamford, England * Blackstone's commentaries, Blackstone's ''Commentaries'', Comme ...

(later "The Famous", Broadway & 9th, Los Angeles (1917, John Parkinson) *Broadway Department Store (now the

Junipero Serra State Office Building The Broadway was a mid-level department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1896 by English-born Arthur Letts Sr., and named after what was once the city's main shopping street, the Broadway became a dominant reta ...

, 4th & Broadway, Los Angeles (1915, Parkinson & Bergstrom) *

Continental Building The Continental Building, formerly Braly Block, is a 151 ft (46 m), 13-story high-rise residential building on Spring Street in the Historic Core of Los Angeles. The Continental Building is part of the Spring Street Financial District whic ...

, 408 South Spring Street, part of the Spring Street Financial District, Los Angeles (John Parkinson) * Bullock's Downtown flagship, 7th & Broadway, Los Angeles (1906-7, Parkinson & Bergstrom) * Bullock's Westwood (first store), 1000 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles (Parkinson & Parkinson) * Bullock's Wilshire Building, 3050 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles (John Parkinson) *

Burdick Block The late- Victorian-era Downtown of Los Angeles grew year by year, around 1880 centered at the southern end of the Los Angeles Plaza area, and over the next two decades, extending south and west along Main Street, Spring Street, and Broadway ...

, NE corner 2nd & Spring, Los Angeles (John Parkinson, addition of top floors to original 1888 construction, 1900) *

Caliente Railroad Depot Caliente station is a historic Mission Revival style railway station, located in Caliente, Nevada, United States. The station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Caliente Railroad Depot, and is Nevada Historical Marke ...

, 100 Depot Ave.,

Caliente, NV Caliente , formerly known as Culverwell and Calientes, is a city in Lincoln County, Nevada, United States. Its elevation is . The population was 1,130 at the 2010 census, making it the least populated incorporated city in Nevada. The city's ...

(Parkinson & Parkinson) *Crocker Bank, 453 S. Spring Street, part of the Spring Street Financial District, Los Angeles (Parkinson & Bergstrom) * Engine House No. 18, 2616 S. Hobart Blvd., Los Angeles (John Parkinson) * Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, 409 W. Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles (Parkinson & Parkinson) *Geronimo Hotel, Tucson Arizona (John Parkinson) * Homer Laughlin Building (orig. as Coulter's department store, now Grand Central Market), 317 S. Broadway, Los Angeles (John B. Parkinson, 1896-8) *

Jacoby Bros. Jacoby Bros. (late 1930s, Jacoby's) was one of Los Angeles' largest dry goods retailers in the 1880s and 1890s, developing over the decades into a department store, which closed in the late 1930s. In 1870, Isaac, Nathan, Charles, Abraham, and Les ...

department store, 331-3-5 S. Broadway, Los Angeles (John B. Parkinson, 1899-1900) * H. Jevne & Co. Building, southwest corner of 6th and Broadway, Los Angeles (1906-7, Parkinson & Bergstrom) *

, 3911 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles (Parkinson & Parkinson) * Los Angeles City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, California (Albert C. Martin & John Parkinson) * National Bank of Whittier Building, 13002 E. Philadelphia St.,

Whittier, CA Whittier () is a city in Southern California in Los Angeles County, part of the Gateway Cities. The city had 87,306 residents as of the 2020 United States census, an increase of 1,975 from the 2010 census figure. Whittier was incorporated in ...

(Parkinson & Parkinson) *

Pomona station (California) Pomona station, also called Pomona–Downtown station, ( ) is a train station in Pomona, California, United States. Amtrak's '' Sunset Limited'' between Los Angeles and New Orleans and ''Texas Eagle'' between Los Angeles and Chicago via Texas, a ...

100 West Commercial Street, Pomona, CA 91768 (1940) *

Saks Fifth Avenue, Beverly Hills The Saks Fifth Avenue store building is a department store located within the Golden Triangle business district of Beverly Hills, California. It has housed a Saks Fifth Avenue department store since its completion in 1938. It is the third-highest ...

, 9600 Wilshire Bd, Los Angeles (Parkinson & Parkinson) with

Paul R. Williams Paul Revere Williams, FAIA (February 18, 1894 – January 23, 1980) was an American architect based in Los Angeles, California. He practiced mostly in Southern California and designed the homes of numerous celebrities, including Frank Sina ...

. * Security Building, part of the Spring Street Financial District, Los Angeles *Rowan Building, 131 W. 5th Street, part of the Spring Street Financial District, Los Angeles (Parkinson & Bergstrom) * Security Trust and Savings, 6381-85 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA (Parkinson & Parkinson) *

Southern California Gas Company Complex The Southern California Gas Company Complex is a group of buildings on Flower Street in Downtown Los Angeles. The main building, completed in 1925, was designed in the Renaissance Revival style by John and Donald Parkinson. It was originally use ...

, 800, 810, 820 and 830 S. Flower St., Los Angeles (Parkinson & Parkinson) * Sterling Plaza in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

Title Guarantee and Trust Company Building The Title Guarantee and Trust Company Building is an Art Deco style highrise building on Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles. It was built in 1930 on the site of the California Club building. The building was designed by The Parkinsons, who ...

, 401-411 W. 5th St., Los Angeles (Parkinson & Parkinson) *Title Insurance Building, 433 S. Spring Street, part of the Spring Street Financial District, Los Angeles (Parkinson & Parkinson) * Union Station (Los Angeles), 800 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles (Parkinson & Parkinson) *

Union Station (Ogden, Utah) Union Station, also known as Ogden Union Station, is a train station in Ogden, Utah, at the west end of Historic 25th Street, just south of the Ogden Intermodal Transit Center. Formerly the junction of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Rai ...

, 25th St. at Wall Ave., Ogden, UT (Parkinson & Parkinson) *Washington Building, 3rd and Spring, Los Angeles (Parkinson & Bergstrom) *

Zumberge Hall of Science Zumberge Hall of Science, commonly known as ZHS, is one of the original buildings of the University of Southern California's University Park Campus, completed in 1928. Science Hall Originally known as "Science Hall" it was renamed in 2003 to ho ...

, 3651 Trousdale Parkway, University of Southern California campus, Los Angeles (Parkinson & Parkinson) http://www.planning.lacity.org/eir/USC/DEIR/files/IV.C.%20Cultural%20Resources.pdf

References

* Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, "John Parkinson" in ''Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects'' (ed. Jeffrey Karl Ochsner), University of Washington Press, Seattle and London 1994, pages 28–32, 303, * Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, and Andersen, Dennis Alan, ''Distant Corner: Seattle Architects and the Legacy of H. H. Richardson'', University of Washington Press, Seattle and London 2003, pages 49–52, 175-79, 225-28, 249-54, 283-85, 310-14, .

External links

An interview with ''Iconic Vision'' author Stephen Gee about John Parkinson's work
on ''Notebook on Cities and Culture'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Parkinson, John and Donald Business duos Defunct architecture firms based in California American neoclassical architects Art Deco architects Historicist architects American railway architects Spanish Colonial Revival architects Architects from Los Angeles English emigrants to the United States Architects from Seattle 20th-century American architects Architects from Lancashire Olympic competitors in art competitions