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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 Max Drake.  In 1937, Drake enrolled in the architecture program 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 from 1940-1946, he received his first professional architectural commission, the Haleakala Theatre in Hawaii. After service, he joined Louis Soltanofff and several others and within four months, the group constructed a basic house for veterans.  In 1948 Drake relocated from Los Angeles to Northern California and in 1951 worked for Ernest Kump while keeping a small office for moonlighting. 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.  Status unknown.

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. Status unknown.

1946 - The Gordon and Janie Drake House, aka Basic House, 10433 Oletha Lane, Los Angeles CA. 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 affordability for veterans as a prototype for future houses.

1946 - The Ben Norman House, Los Angeles CA.  Status unknown.

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

 

1946 - 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.  Won Honorable Mention in Progressive Architecture's 1947 Awards.  Sold in 2005 to John P. Sgueglia and Brian Delapp.

1946 - The Emery Cook House, Los Angeles CA.  Status unknown.

1946 - The Emmet Riordan House, Los Angeles CA.  Status unknown.

1946 - The James Barr House, Los Angeles CA.  Status unknown.

1946 - The James Poe House, Los Angeles CA.  Status unknown.

1946 - The Jenkins House, somewhere in AZ.  Status unknown.

1946 - The Joseph Pallock House, Los Angeles CA.   Status unknown.

1946 - The Luther Fitch House, Los Angeles CA.  Status unknown.

1946 - The Martin Weiner House, Sherman Oaks CA.  Status unknown.

1946 - The Norman Rose House, Los Angeles CA.  Status unknown.

1946 - The Robert Hodgins House, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.

1946 - The Robert Lee House, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.

1946 - The Robert Reed House, Los Angeles CA.  Status unknown.

1946 - The Wallace Byam House, Los Angeles CA.  Status unknown.

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

1947 - The Coleman Castella Harris House, Castellammare CA.  Status unknown.

1947 - aka Prefab House.  Featured in Architectural  Forum, 1947; House and Home, March 1952.  Status unknown.

1947 - The Spillman House, aka Rucker House, Los Angeles CA.  Won a 1947 House and Garden second place design award.   Status unknown.

1947 - The Thomas Dammann House, Beverly Hills CA. Featured in House and Home, March 1952.  Status unknown.

1948 - aka Mesa House, Carmel CA. Landscape design, Douglas Baylis.   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.   Status unknown.

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

Sunset Magazine demonstration projects.

 

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

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

1950 - The Lyman Lee House, Gustine CA.   Status unknown.

1951 - The Scribner Garden House, aka Unit House, Hayward CA.  Commissioned 1950.  B/W photos by Julius Shulman. Landscape design by Douglas Baylis.  Status unknown.

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

1947 - House in Los Angeles CA.  Featured in Arts and Architecture, ad for Douglas Fir, April 1950. Featured in Progressive Architecture, Jan 1948.   Status unknown.

1951 - The Ludwig Gerber House, Los Angeles CA.   Status unknown.

1951 - The Thor Smith Ranch House, Burlingame CA.   Status unknown.

 

1956 - The Doug and Maggie Baylis House, San Francisco CA.   Status unknown.

Year unknown - The Nathan House.   Status unknown.

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