Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
W. H. Weeks
William Henry Weeks (1864–1936) was an early 20th-century architect who designed hundreds of buildings including many schools, banks, and libraries. He was best known for the monumental neoclassical style of his public buildings, although he had employed other architectural styles earlier in his career. His first office was in Watsonville, California, but later offices were in various parts of the San Francisco Bay area. Weeks' firm designed structures in over 161 California cities, as well as several buildings in Nevada and Oregon. Weeks was a pioneer in earthquake-resistant construction and, as a result, many of his buildings are still in use.
William Henry Weeks was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada on January 18, 1864, the fourth child of Richard and Margaret Weeks. In 1885, Weeks graduated from the Brinker Collegiate Institute, a co-educational day and boarding school that was open for a short time in Denver, Colorado. After the family moved to their new home in Wichita, Kansas, Weeks began his career working with his father as a builder and designer.
Weeks became engaged to one of the Haymaker girls who lived in Charlestown, Indiana, but she died before the wedding took place. Meanwhile, Weeks' family had moved to Tacoma, Washington, but he returned to Indiana and asked his late fiancée's sister Maggie for her hand in marriage. She accepted and they were married in 1891, at the bride's home in Charlestown. He and his wife would later have nine children, of whom only five survived to adulthood. They moved to Tacoma for a period, but eventually moved to Oakland, California along with Weeks' family.
In 1894, Weeks opened an office in Watsonville, and was employed as the designer for several projects in town. His business prospered, and in 1897 he opened a branch office in Salinas, where he then spent part of his work-week. As Weeks' business continued to grow, he began to bid to design buildings in Monterey, Pacific Grove, Santa Cruz, and many other parts of Northern California. In the middle of the 1890s Weeks had moved his family to Watsonville, and when he was in town he was active in his church, teaching Sunday School class when he could. Weeks was also involved in his community at large: he helped draw up the new city charter for Watsonville and volunteered for many years on the YMCA Board of Directors.
By 1899, Weeks began to invest in real estate in Watsonville, and during his lifetime he accumulated a sizable amount of local property.
In 1905, Weeks opened another branch office in San Francisco, at 251 Kearney Street, and he was in the city, staying at a hotel, when the 1906 earthquake hit. Fortunately he was unharmed. He was already busy designing numerous buildings along the California coast and Northern California during 1905, and the earthquake in the Bay Area increased his work load, as he designed and built replacements for many buildings damaged by the quake and the fires in the aftermath.
Weeks' reputation grew because he built many of the Carnegie Libraries in Northern and Central California. However, he actually designed more school buildings than libraries. Local newspapers praised him for his safe and practical school designs. Many of those school buildings remain in use today, including the main buildings of Santa Cruz High School, Los Gatos High School, and Santa Barbara High School.
After 18 years in Watsonville, Weeks decided to move to Palo Alto in 1911, to be closer to his business in San Francisco and the Bay Area in general. He moved yet again in 1922 when he decided his family needed a larger and more spacious home. He designed and built a Spanish Colonial Revival-style house in Piedmont, California at a cost of $20,000.
Hub AI
W. H. Weeks AI simulator
(@W. H. Weeks_simulator)
W. H. Weeks
William Henry Weeks (1864–1936) was an early 20th-century architect who designed hundreds of buildings including many schools, banks, and libraries. He was best known for the monumental neoclassical style of his public buildings, although he had employed other architectural styles earlier in his career. His first office was in Watsonville, California, but later offices were in various parts of the San Francisco Bay area. Weeks' firm designed structures in over 161 California cities, as well as several buildings in Nevada and Oregon. Weeks was a pioneer in earthquake-resistant construction and, as a result, many of his buildings are still in use.
William Henry Weeks was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada on January 18, 1864, the fourth child of Richard and Margaret Weeks. In 1885, Weeks graduated from the Brinker Collegiate Institute, a co-educational day and boarding school that was open for a short time in Denver, Colorado. After the family moved to their new home in Wichita, Kansas, Weeks began his career working with his father as a builder and designer.
Weeks became engaged to one of the Haymaker girls who lived in Charlestown, Indiana, but she died before the wedding took place. Meanwhile, Weeks' family had moved to Tacoma, Washington, but he returned to Indiana and asked his late fiancée's sister Maggie for her hand in marriage. She accepted and they were married in 1891, at the bride's home in Charlestown. He and his wife would later have nine children, of whom only five survived to adulthood. They moved to Tacoma for a period, but eventually moved to Oakland, California along with Weeks' family.
In 1894, Weeks opened an office in Watsonville, and was employed as the designer for several projects in town. His business prospered, and in 1897 he opened a branch office in Salinas, where he then spent part of his work-week. As Weeks' business continued to grow, he began to bid to design buildings in Monterey, Pacific Grove, Santa Cruz, and many other parts of Northern California. In the middle of the 1890s Weeks had moved his family to Watsonville, and when he was in town he was active in his church, teaching Sunday School class when he could. Weeks was also involved in his community at large: he helped draw up the new city charter for Watsonville and volunteered for many years on the YMCA Board of Directors.
By 1899, Weeks began to invest in real estate in Watsonville, and during his lifetime he accumulated a sizable amount of local property.
In 1905, Weeks opened another branch office in San Francisco, at 251 Kearney Street, and he was in the city, staying at a hotel, when the 1906 earthquake hit. Fortunately he was unharmed. He was already busy designing numerous buildings along the California coast and Northern California during 1905, and the earthquake in the Bay Area increased his work load, as he designed and built replacements for many buildings damaged by the quake and the fires in the aftermath.
Weeks' reputation grew because he built many of the Carnegie Libraries in Northern and Central California. However, he actually designed more school buildings than libraries. Local newspapers praised him for his safe and practical school designs. Many of those school buildings remain in use today, including the main buildings of Santa Cruz High School, Los Gatos High School, and Santa Barbara High School.
After 18 years in Watsonville, Weeks decided to move to Palo Alto in 1911, to be closer to his business in San Francisco and the Bay Area in general. He moved yet again in 1922 when he decided his family needed a larger and more spacious home. He designed and built a Spanish Colonial Revival-style house in Piedmont, California at a cost of $20,000.