Food, History, and Architecture. By Culinary Expert, Author and TV Personality George Geary CCP
My three interests. When I wrote L.A.'s Legendary Restaurants in 2016 (Santa Monica Press), I successfully incorporated architects and architecture into my historical coffee table book. I wanted to highlight a lesser-known Architect, Paul R. Williams (1894-1980). Mr. Williams designed a number of the iconic Hollywood restaurants I highlighted. (Perino's, Ambassador Hotel (Coffee Shop), Beverly Hills Hotel (remodel), and Chasen's). Going through his archives, I asked the archivist, "I heard a rumor that Mr. Williams was not allowed to eat in the establishments that he had built in the regards as he was a black man." She said, "We believe that is true since we never found any of his receipts for a meal in any of those locations." Because of this finding, I didn't write about it, but I did place a large picture of Mr. Williams with Mr. Perino together while working on Perino's new building on Wilshire.
Paul R. Williams and Perino (2018 L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants, Santa Monica Press)
Over the years, Williams designed over 2000 buildings, with over 10% of these on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. His first residential project on the peninsula was in the 1930s on Williamsburg Lane in Rolling Hills. Thirteen homes were built by Williams individual designs based on Williamsburg pre-Revolutionary War Georgian cottages in Virginia.
Each on an acre of land, the houses were listed for $8,750 ($133,975 in today's dollars). Each home's original designs have been retained over the years. Williams also designed a handful of larger homes dotted throughout the peninsula when creating homes for movie stars (Zsa Zsa Gabor, Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, and Desi Arnaz are just some of them) in Beverly Hills to Palm Springs.
About 30 years later, in 1960, the Linde Construction Company secured a large plot of stable land close to the earth moving Portuguese Bend area, which suffered a significant landslide in 1956. Linde hired Williams to design a 190-unit tract based on eight-floor plans with flexible exterior stylings. The tract was named SeaView. The Los Angeles Times advertisements were so inviting to “Live in Paradise”. The ads ran with all of the credentials of Mr. Williams, but never with a picture of the famed architect. The location was not ideal for commuters into Los Angeles. It was a difficult isolated location on the southside of the peninsula. They started reducing the prices, with focusing on Veterans of World War II and the Korean War with the GI-Bill. Within six months, 95% of the sales were that of veterans. The homes ranged from $34,000 and $43,700 ($294,000/$378,000 in today’s dollars). The SeaView homes were prestigious. Williams built every home with views of the Pacific Ocean. It was even touted as the "cleanest air" in all of Los Angeles, with airflow maps in the ads proving it. Each terraced lot was a large 10,000 square feet so that the homes would have space between each other. Years later, this would prove to be desirable, so owners-built additions.
Seaview Homes (2020 George Geary CCP)
Seaview Homes (2020 George Geary CCP)
Today, SeaView is still a very desirable area of Palos Verdes; sadly, so many of the residents living today living in SeaView were not aware of the historic nature of the architect that designed their homes. Between 75-90 are still considered "original" with little or no changes, with the remainder, unlike their original self. As of today, the area residents have not agreed to historical protection. Many of the restaurants that I highlighted in my book are no longer standing. I hope SeaView will stand for future generations.
Driving through the neighborhood, you will come across the breeze blocks that Williams designed with many homes. The brochure outlining the nine home models (The Bermuda, The Monte Carlo, The Eden Roc, The Lido, The Riviera, The Marina, and Copacabana, and The Biscayne) and their features were also intriguing. As a home buyer, you could add features to make it feel like a custom home.
Again, Williams has been asked to create an area of homes, but he would not be allowed to own one. He also had to leave the site before the sun setting as some of the areas of the county; he would have to travel through had laws against African Americans known as "sundown towns."
Paul Williams had a lengthy career and broke down many walls. He was the first Black Architect to cross over to a white clientele. When Williams was young, he focused on Architectural studies and was told by professors that Black homeowners would not be able to buy a house from him, so he should focus on being a Dentist or a Doctor. To put the client at ease, Williams learned to draw upside down as most white clients would not sit next to him while presenting his plans.
Mr. Williams created a vast range of buildings; even though he was named "Architect to the Stars," he also designed homes for the city's middle class and housing projects. One of his first projects is the 1926 YMCA in Los Angeles on 28th Street. It has been re-purposed as non-profit affordable housing units.
In 1956, he became the first Black member to be inducted into the AIA's College of Fellowship. In 2017, he was honored Posthumous the Gold Medal of the American Institute of Architects.
For additional information regarding Paul R. Williams preserving his works.
George Geary Bio:
George Geary is the author of 15 books on cooking and food history. Currently, George has been broadcasting from his kitchen to his home station CBS-San Diego, Hallmark’s Home and Family Show, NBC Tampa Daytime Show and WGN-TV Chicago, food segments during the pandemic.