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GORDON CONVERSE DRAKE (1917-1952)

Drake was born in Childress TX and later moved to Los Angeles CA.  After graduating from Hollywood HS, he enrolled at Santa Monica Junior College in 1935.  In 1936, he moved to Hawaii to live with his brother, Navy pilot H. Max Drake.  In 1937, Drake enrolled in architecture at USC on a track scholarship, graduating in 1941.  While at USC Drake was influenced by Harwell Hamilton Harris, first as a student and later as a draftsman for him in 1940. While serving as a Marine combat leader in WWII 1940-1946, he received his first professional architectural commission, the Haleakala Theatre in Hawaii. He married Joanne Richards in 1941.  After service, he joined Louis Soltanofff and several others.   He was a visiting lecturer at USC 1947-1948.  In 1948 Drake relocated from Los Angeles to Carmel and then to San Francisco in 1950. In 1951 he worked for Ernest Kump while keeping a small office for his own projects. 

Drake died at 34 in a skiing accident -- as he was poised to become one of the great midcentury modernist architects.   Drake is buried at Fort Rosecrans in Point Loma.  His archives are at UC-Berkeley.

1939 - The Harrington Max Drake and Catherine Drake House, 374 Avenue D, Coronado Island, Coronado CA.  Max died in 1945, Catherine in 1996.  Won a special award at USC exhibition.  Destroyed.

1945 - The Charles Stubbs House, Haiku HI.  Designed while he was in the Marine Corps.  Status unknown.

1945 - The Lee Bedford House, Long Beach CA. Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1946 - The Gordon and Janie Drake House, aka Basic House, 10433 Oletha Lane, Los Angeles CA.  B/W photos by Julius Shulman. Complete with lily pool, terrace, and pool. Featured in Interiors, September 1947;  in Progressive Architecture January 1950. House was designed with Louis Saltanoff as a prototype for future low cost veterans houses.  Destroyed, needs verification.

1946 - The William (Bill) and Shirley Hanna House, Sherman Oaks CA.  He was a founder of Hanna-Barbera in 1957.  Unbuilt.

1946 - The Ben Norman House, Los Angeles CA.  Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1946 - The Emery Cook House, Los Angeles CA.  Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1946 - The Emmet Riordan House, Los Angeles CA.  Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1946 - The James Barr House, Los Angeles CA.  Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1946 - The James Poe House, Los Angeles CA.  Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1946 - The Jenkins House, somewhere in AZ.  Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1946 - The Joseph Pallock House, Los Angeles CA.   Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1946 - The Luther Fitch House, Los Angeles CA.  Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1946 - The Martin Weiner House, Sherman Oaks CA.  Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1946 - The Norman Rose House, Los Angeles CA. Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1946 - The Robert Hodgins House, Los Angeles CA. Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1946 - The Robert Lee House, Los Angeles CA. Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1946 - The Robert Reed House, Los Angeles CA. Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1946 - The Wallace Byam House, Los Angeles CA. Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1947 - The Charles Noble House, Ann Arbor MI.  Unbuilt.  

1947 - The Coleman Castella Harris House, Castellammare CA. Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

 

 

1947 - The Rucker House, aka George Spillman House, West Los Angeles CA.  Designed by one couple, built by another, and lived in by the Spillmans.  Won a 1947 House and Garden second place design award.   B/W photos by Julius Shulman.  Featured in Arts and Architecture, ad for Douglas Fir, April 1950; California Lumber Merchant, July 1950; Home and Garden, May 1948; Progressive Architecture, January 1948.  Status unknown.

 

1947 - The David Presley House, 2115 Fargo Street, Los Angeles CA.  Built by Structon.  A demonstration house for the Home-Ola Company.  B/W photos by Julius Shulman. Featured in Architectural Forum, September 1947; House and Home, March 1952.  Won Honorable Mention in Progressive Architecture's 1947 Awards.  Sold in 2005 to John P. Sgueglia and Brian Delapp.

 

 

1948 - The Thomas Dammann House, 2925 Trudy Drive, Beverly Hills CA. He was a PR executive.  Featured in House and Home, March 1952.  B/W photos by Julius Shulman.  Various renovations and the additions of a second story have removed any trace of the original Drake house.

1950 - aka Carmel House, Carmel CA.  Featured in House and Home, March 1952.   Status unknown.

1948 - The George Miller House, aka Mesa House, Carmel CA. Landscape design, Douglas Baylis.   Featured in the 1951 book, The American House Today.  Status unknown.

1948 - The Edward Kennedy House, aka Vacation House, Carmel CA. He was publisher of the Monterey Peninsula Herald.   Status unknown.

1948 - The Roza-Ribal House, Monterey CA.  Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1949 - The Woman's Home Companion House, aka Expandable House, New York NY.   Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1950 - Sunset Magazine featured a demonstration cabin of Drake's in the July issue.  Unbuilt.

 

 

1950 - The Robert Berns House, 31654 Trancas Beach, aka 31654 West Beach Road, Malibu CA. In 1984, house was heavily modified, bottom three photos.  Sold in 2024 to Armon Enterprises and Menci Properties. Became a rental. 

1950 - The Lyman Lee House, Gustine CA.   Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1950 - The Scribner Garden House, aka Unit House, Hayward CA.  Commissioned 1950.  B/W photos by Julius Shulman. Landscape design by Douglas Baylis.  Status unknown.

1951 - The Ludwig Gerber House, Los Angeles CA.   Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

1951 - The Thor Smith Ranch House, Burlingame CA.   Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

 

1952 - aka Malibu House, Malibu CA.  After Drake's death, finished by William Stimmel.  Commissioned 1950. Featured in Progressive Architecture, June 1956.   Status unknown.

 

1956 - The Doug and Maggie Baylis House, Telegraph Hill, San Francisco CA.  Commissioned in 1951.  Finished by Baylis.   Status unknown.

Year unknown - The Nathan House.   Presumed unbuilt, status unknown.

 Sources include: John Crosse Bibliography, California Houses of Gordon Drake by Douglas Baylis and Joan Parry. Research by Catherine Cramer.