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vide comfort and space to encourage creativity. Across the top are renderings made by Williams, along with a portrait of the architect. photos of renderings: Architectural Resources Group
ollywood: Paul R. Williams

by Judy Gonyeau, managing editor
At the age of 27, Williams attained his California License to Practice Left: Mayor Norris
Architecture and one year later opened his own business, Paul R. Poulson (center) poses
Williams and Associates. Also at 27, Williams attained a seat on the Los with the four new
Angeles City Planning Commission – a feat that was hardly ever commissioners he had
bestowed to one so young. At 28, he became the first African American recently appointed. Left
member of the American Institute of Architects. He was on his way. to right: Arthur J.
Rendon, Health
Comms; Paul R.
Catching That Break Williams, Municipal
The great city of Los Angeles was Art Comms; Mayor
growing by leaps and bounds, with Poulson; Mrs. Rudolph
plenty of work for builders, designers, Polk, Municipal Art
contractors, and architects. As architec- Commission, and Lloyd
turaldigest.com put it in an article A. Menveg, Harbor
about Williams, “California was Commission
developing its identity. Post-Gold
Rush, between two world wars, giving across L.A. county. His expertise in and knowledge of what it meant to
birth to Hollywood, and in the midst be able to create luxury homes for the film industry’s titans furthered
of the Great Migration; the state was his fame as an architect.
molding its modern personality and Because Williams knew all aspects of creating a home—from
morphing from rural and expansive designing and making furniture to placement of art, and the sourcing
farmland into homesteads, metropolises, of elegant fixtures and accessories for the home, he was given the
and industries.” moniker of “master of creative eclecticism” from one of his employees.
Williams was in the right place at His level of taste for elegant design on both the exterior and interior of
the right time. However, from early on, the home made him the one who truly created the “lifestyle of the rich
he encountered discrimination wherever and famous” in L.A. William’s ability to imagine what this new lifestyle
he went to work, and he worked in just would be that brought in the quality
about every aspect of architecture he
could. Furniture construction, as an
apprentice to architects, working for
contractors – any “in” he could figure
Above: Williams designed several out to get him to where he wanted to be.
expansions to the original He also entered design competi-
Mission-style Beverly Hills Hotel,
including the Modernist tions to get his work seen without
Crescent Wing. This wing has factoring in the color of his skin. He
become a primary image used won many, and this brought him the Above: Flintridge’s Chevy
when referring to the hotel, attention of area architects. One Chase Drive while still under
with “The Beverly Hills” written architect became a mentor to Williams, construction in 1926.
on the side of the building in his residential architect Reginald Johnson, Left: The Jud R. and Augusta
own handwriting. who brought Williams into his circle of Rush House is a Spanish
professionals and friends – his very Colonial Revival style home,
popular and well-known friends. But it was a customer who bought completed in 1924. It provides
newspapers from him when he was a newsboy who sought him out for beautiful views of the valley
that big break: Flintridge. with outdoor terraces and
Former Senator Frank Flint was creating a suburban community beautiful backyard gardens.
called Flintridge just north of LA. Having remembered the clever news- According to the 1930 U.S.
paper boy from years ago, and having followed his career, Flint hired Census, the home was worth
$35,000, equivalent to
Williams to create his home, leading to the creation of dozens of other $559,686 today.
homes in the area. Williams’s portfolio was growing exponentially
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