Los Angeles County
Biographies
ROBERT B. YOUNG
YOUNG, ROBERT B., Architect,
Los Angeles, California, was born in Huntington County, Canada, April 1,
1855, the son of Alexander Young and Mary Ann (Dowler)
Young. He married Mary C. Wilson, January 2, 1880, at Denver,
Colorado. There are two children, Frank Wilson and Mary Elizabeth (Young)
Moore.
Mr. Young studied in the public schools of Canada, and
after he had chosen architecture as his profession moved to Denver. There he
studied the art of construction and of architecture designing until 1881.
In that year he moved to San Francisco, and after working
there awhile he decided that Los Angeles offered a better field, and removed to
that city, where he opened an office for himself.
He can be reckoned as one of the pioneer architects of
Los Angeles, as there were but few buildings of any consequence when he started
business; few, indeed, that had needed the services of an architect. Today the
embodiments of his designs are to be found in every corner of that city, and in
every other city of Southern California.
Among the notable buildings of which he was architect are
the Hollenbeck Hotel; the Braum Building, which was
the highest building in the city at the time of its construction; the Lankershim Block, and many fine residences. He built the
industrial school at Whittier. Examples of his work are to be found in
Bakersfield, Stockton, Pomona, California, and Yuma, Arizona. He has built many
Catholic school buildings in California and several churches in the diocese of
Los Angeles and Monterey. In the list of the big Los Angeles business blocks
which he designed are the Lankershim Hotel, the
Broadway and Occidental Block, Westminster, Lexington, and other hotels, Barker
Bros.’ building, California Furniture building, and Blackstone Dry Goods
Company building. There are many apartment houses, residences and lesser
business blocks. At the present time he has under construction the largest
apartment house in Southern California, the Seminole, for Orena
Bros.; another of almost equal size, the Gerold, for
F. E. Engstrum; others for
C. G. Craig, Miss M. C. Mayhew, and a seven-story
hotel building, the largest in point of area and number of rooms, for himself.
He is vice-president of the Southern California Chapter
of the American Institute of Architects. He is a member of the Chamber of
Commerce, the Jonathan Club and the Elks.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
30 August 2010.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 489, International
News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2010 Marie Hassard .
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