Los Angeles County
Biographies
MYRON HUNT
HUNT, MYRON, Architect, Los Angeles, California, was born on February 27, 1868, at Sunderland, Massachusetts, his parents being Myron Hunt, Sr., and Hannah (Miller) Hunt. In 1893 he married Miss Harriette H. Boardman. Three sons and a daughter have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hunt.
After completing the course of the grammar schools in Chicago, where the family early removed, and graduating at the Lake View High School, Mr. Hunt attended the Northwestern University for two years with the Class of 1892, from which school he went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, taking the special course in architecture. After completing the special architectural course at the Institute, Mr. Hunt went to Europe, and during 1895 and 1896, by actual view and study of the great architectural monuments, further prepared himself for the important works which were to come to him.
In the beginning of his career Mr. Hunt served as draughtsman, first for Hartwell and Richardson, architects, of Boston, entering this work in 1894. In a similar capacity he worked for Jenny and Mundie; for Henry Ives Cobb, and for Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, all well known Chicago firms, between the years 1897 and 1899, when the young man found himself in such position that he felt justified in starting out for himself and he began an independent practice in Chicago. This continued from 1899 until 1903, during which period Mr. Hunt made a specialty of apartments and residences. In 1903 he moved from Chicago to Los Angeles as a result of illness in his family. In 1904 he formed a business partnership with Mr. Elmer Grey, who had come to Los Angeles from Milwaukee. This partnership was dissolved in October, 1910. The result of its work can be found in remarkably frequent and varying works of beauty and practical adaptability.
Instances of these achievements are: The Denman warehouses in San Francisco; additions to the Mary Lamb Hotel in Pasadena; the Ingraham Hotel of Los Angeles; the remodeled Casa Loma Hotel in Redlands; and of particular moment, the resident of H. E. Huntington, on his property formerly known as the Shorb Ranch, adjacent to Pasadena; this structure is possibly the most ambitious and complete private residence in the State, and is a worthy setting for the varied art treasures which its owner is installing in it.
Other most delightful residences erected by the firm of Hunt and Grey are those of Messrs. Howard H. Huntinton at Oak Knoll; M. H. McKee, Monrovia; Lee Phhillips, Los Angeles; Walter Leeds, Los Angeles; G. W. Wattles, Hollywood; Dr. Guy Cochran, Los Angeles, E. M. Neustadt, Los Angeles; G. W. Winter, Los Angeles; R. C. Gillis, Santa Monica; L. A. Nares, Beverly; H. W. Bailey, San Rafael Heights, Pasadena; Dr. Webster Merrifield, in the same locality; John J. Mitchell, Pasadena; S. P. Calef, Santa Barbara. The erection of the Gillespie Villa, Santa Barbara, was also superintended by this firm for New York architects.
The firm also designed the Throop Polytechnic institute buildings, in Pasadena, and the dormitory for Pomona College.
Since the dissolution of the firm Mr. Hunt has undertaken the erection of the entire group of buildings for Occidental College, and is completing the unfinished Throop Institute buildings. He is also finishing for the dissolved firm residences for E. M. Taylor, Altadena, and for E. F. Robbins, Oak Knoll, and the First Congregational Church at Riverside.
Mr. Hunt is also official architect for Pomona College, Occidental College, Whittier College, the George Junior Republic and the Hotel Maryland.
He is also erecting from his own designs notable residences for Tussell Taylor in Los Angeles; for John P. Wilson, Pasadena, and has under way at this writing the home for the Elks’ Order at Pasadena and a residence for former U. S. Senator Thomas R. Bard at Oxnard.
The result of Mr. Hunt’s having been one of the architects of Mr. H. E. Huntington’s now famous San Gabriel Valley residence has been his recent appointment as architect for the preparation of the drawings looking toward the improvement of an entire city square measuring 600 feet in each direction, at Main St., Eleventh St., Twelfth St. And Hill St., in Los Angeles, owned by Mr. Huntington, upon a portion of which Mr. Hunt is about to erect for Mr. Huntington a twelve-story fireproof steel office building, for the use of Mr. Huntington’s various corporations and sub-corporations and for the purpose of ordinary office rental. The building, measuring 200 feet square, is a part of a group of buildings of such importance that they are destined to become the nucleus of one of the main business centers of the city.
Mr. Hunt is the author of numerous architectural magazine articles on the subjects of apartments and also on gardens.
He is a Fellow of American Institute of Architects (‘08), president of the Architectural Club of Los Angeles and one of the ex-presidents of the Southern California Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. He is a member of the California Club, University Club, Gamut Club, Architectural Club, Valley Hunt, Twilight and Tuna Clubs.
Transcribed 10-9-09
Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 335, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta.
1913.
© 2009 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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