Lester S. Moore

Lester Sherwood Moore (1871 - circa 1925) was an American architect.

Moore designed residential homes and other buildings in the early 20th century. He was based in Los Angeles and is credited for being one of the first to recognize and appreciate Mission Style as a worthy architectural form. [Walker, Lester. 2002. "American Homes; An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Domestic Architecture". New York, NY: Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers.] Moore's office was located in the Tajo Building, #307, at the NW corner for First and Broadway in Los Angeles.

Biography

Moore, born in Kansas in September of 1871, was the second of five children born to Douglas J. and Cynthia A. Moore. His father, a farmer, painter and occasional huckster, was a Canadian immigrant who fought with the 11th Kansas Cavalry for the Union during the American Civil War, but did not become a naturalized citizen of the United States until 1886. He enlisted in the war as a Private, but was a Corporal before the war's end. Moore's mother was born in Illinois.

After moving to California, Moore married Anna "Belle" Russ in Los Angeles on June 6, 1894. Initially the two lived with Anna's parents, John and Louise Russ, but subsequently moved to 3301 Griffin Ave, Los Angeles. They had two children. Dorothy L. Moore was born in 1901 and Barbara M. Moore was born in 1906. Around 1918 Moore and his family moved to Kern County, where he worked for the CCM (Chanslor-Canfield Midway) Oil Company as a Geologic Engineer. Moore died some time before the 1930 Federal Census, which shows his wife Anna, and Daughter Barbara, were back living in LA with Anna's mother, who was now living at their old address on Griffin Ave. The 1930 census also show's Anna was widowed at that time. [United States Federal Census]

Work

One of Moore's notable achievements is the "Montecito View Home" which was declared Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument #529 on 04/23/1991. This 1909 house is a one and one-half story Craftsman bungalow overlooking the Arroyo Seco from Monetcito Heights, and is located at 4115 Berenice Place, Los Angeles, CA 90031. He also designed the Thomas J. Washburn House (1911) which was purchased in 1941 by Hattie McDaniel, the first black actress to win an Academy Award when she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Mammy in "Gone with the Wind". [Artunian, Judy and Oldham, Mike. 2006. "Movie Star Homes; The Famous to the Forgotten". Santa Monica, CA: Santa Monica Press LLC.]

Moore became associated with Riverside, California when he submitted plans for a new Riverside County courthouse in 1902. [Riverside Daily Press, January 4, 1902] Moore did not win the contract, but he did subsequently design a number of homes and other structures in Riverside. Many of the Riverside homes Moore designed were located in the somewhat exclusive area now known as the Rubidoux Heights Historic District, which included one section commonly referred to as "Banker's Row".

tructures Designed by Lester S. Moore [Saylor, Henry H. 1926. "Bungalows; Their Design, Construction and Furnishings". New York, NY: Robert M. McBride & Company. ] [Klotz, Esther H. and Hall, Joan H. 2005. "Adobes, Bungalows, and Mansions of Riverside, California Revisited". Riverside, CA: Highgrove Press.] [Hall, Joan H. 2003. "Cottages, Colonials and Community Places of Riverside, California". Riverside, CA: Highgrove Press.] [Southwest Builder and Contractor.]

References

External links

General & Informational Links

* [https://digital.lib.washington.edu/php/architect University of Washington Libraries, Digital Initiative Program, Architect Database (Search the Architects for "Moore, Lester S.")]
* [http://olmsted.riversideca.gov/historic/ "City of Riverside Historic Districts and Homes Database"]
* [http://www.riversideca.gov/planning/PDF/MtRubDG-Front.pdf "Mount Rubidoux Historic District Design Guidelines, Riverside, California" by Thirtieth Street Architects. September 2, 1992]
* [http://www.csulb.edu/~odinthor/socal1.html Brent C. Dickerson, A Visit to Old Los Angeles and Environs; (See "8. Broadway (part 2). First Street to Fourth Street." for a glimpse of the Tejo Building)]

Photo's of Lester S. Moore and Buildings he Designed

* [http://contentdm.califa.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/p3003coll27&CISOPTR=210&CISOBOX=1&REC=10 Photograph of Lester Moore at CCM Oil Company (1912 - tallest man in second row)]
* [http://digarc.usc.edu/search/controller/view/chs-m545.html Apartment Building West Sixth Street Los Angeles (1900)]
* [http://historian4hire.com/MontecitoViewHouse.html Montecito View Home; Charles J. Fisher, Historian (1909)]
* [http://www.arroyovistainn.com Ezra & Ida Thompson Residence (1910)]
* [http://angeles.sierraclub.org/about/MuirLodge.asp Sierra Club, Angeles Chapter, Muir Lodge (1913 - including pictures with Lester S Moore)]
* [http://www.cityofhemet.org/library/library_history.htm Hemet Public Library (1913)]