Mullgardt, Louis Christian, 1866-1942

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Mullgardt was a San Francisco architect known for his design of "California Houses." He served on the architectural board of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE).

From the description of Louis Christian Mullgardt papers, 1904-1907. (California Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 122563732

Louis Christian Mullgardt designed residences and large buildings in the San Francisco Bay Area from 1905 until approximately 1920. He was appointed to the board of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, for which he designed an ornate courtyard.

From the description of Louis Christian Mullgardt collection , 1907-1927. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 81301866

Biography

Louis Christian Mullgardt (1866-1942)

Louis Christian Mullgardt was born in Washington, Missouri in 1866. While he was raised and worked for many years in the Midwest, his most influential designs were in the San Francisco Bay Area. At fifteen years old, Mullgardt apprenticed with architectural firms in St. Louis. Six years later, he went to work for the firm of Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge in Brookline, Massachusetts, where he worked on plans for Stanford University. In 1889, Mullgardt enrolled as a special student at Harvard College for a brief period of formal training that was cut short by. By 1891, he was back to work in Chicago for Henry Ives Cobb, where Mullgardt was recognized for his versatile design skills.

Mullgardt formed his first partnership--Stewart, McClure, and Mullgardt--in Chicago in 1892, and the firm lasted for two years. He then went on a year long European tour. In 1899 he formed a short-lived partnership with John M. Dunham. From 1903 to 1904 Mullgardt worked as a structural consultant in England, where he encountered the Arts and Crafts style. In 1905, Mullgardt arrived in San Francisco and opened his own office in early 1906. He designed houses in the Oakland and Piedmont Hills. These were mainly speculative houses of frame construction. He also designed houses in Mill Valley and the Berkeley Hills. His synthesis of residential styles was considered appropriately Californian.

In addition to houses, Mullgardt designed the San Francisco Juvenile Court and Detention Home (1914-1916), a 9-story reinforced concrete building, and the Durant School in Oakland. In 1912, Mullgardt was appointed to the board of the Panama Pacific International Exposition. For the Exposition, he designed the "Court of the Ages," an ornate courtyard that included an "altar tower" on one side. Mullgardt designed the President's house for Stanford University (1915-1918), the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum in Golden Gate Park (1916-1921), and a block-long business center in Honolulu (1919-1921). After a world tour in 1922-1923, Mullgardt returned to San Francisco. It was a difficult period, and he did not adapt well to the new architectural trends. Mullgardt died in a state hospital in Stockton, California, in 1942. Most of his drawings were reputedly destroyed after his death.

From the guide to the Louis Christian Mullgardt Collection, 1907-1927, (Environmental Design Archives.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Clark, Birge M. (Birge Malcolm), 1893-. Lou Henry Hoover House Papers, 1917-1960 (inclusive), 1917-1949 (bulk). Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
creatorOf Louis Christian Mullgardt Collection, 1907-1927 Environmental Design Archives
referencedIn The Knoll (Stanford, Calif.) : architectural drawing, 1916. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Stanford University. Operations and Maintenance. Maps and Records. Stanford University, Operations and Maintenance, Maps and Records, architectural drawings, 1889-1994 [microform]. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
creatorOf Mullgardt, Louis Christian, 1866-1942. Louis Christian Mullgardt collection , 1907-1927. California Digital Library
referencedIn Stanford University architectural drawings collection, 1889-2001. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
creatorOf Mullgardt, Louis Christain, 1866-. Louis Christian Mullgardt diaries : ms., 1922-1923. UC Berkeley Libraries
creatorOf Mullgardt, Louis Christian, 1866-1942. Louis Christian Mullgardt papers, 1904-1907. California historical society
referencedIn Stanford University print collection, 1862-2001 Cecil H. Green Library. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
creatorOf Mullgardt, Louis Christian, 1866-1942. Artist file. Brooklyn Museum Libraries & Archives
referencedIn Stanford University Archives print collection, 1862-2001. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Stanford University, Operations and Maintenance, maps and records, architectural drawings, 1889-1994 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Role Title Holding Repository
Place Name Admin Code Country
France
Japan
China
Burma
California
California--San Francisco
England
Korea
Hong Kong (China)
India
Egypt
Manila (Philippines)
Subject
Architects
Architects
Architecture
Architecture
San Francisco Earthquake, California, 1906
Voyages and travels
Occupation
Architects
Activity

Person

Birth 1866

Death 1942

Americans

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