Emily Williams (architect) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Emily Eolian Williams
Born	(1869-09-25)September 25, 1869 San Jose
Died	June 3, 1942(1942-06-03) (aged 72) Los Gatos
Occupation	Architect

Emily Eolian Williams (born September 25, 1869 – died June 3, 1942) was a groundbreaking woman in architecture. She worked in Pacific Grove, San Jose, and San Francisco in the early 1900s. This was a time when very few women could become architects. Emily mostly designed homes with smart layouts. She also created a few public buildings and an exhibition display.

Emily Williams' Early Life and Education

Emily Williams was the daughter of Edward Williams, who led the San Jose Water Works. She went to the California State Normal School in San Jose, which is now San Jose State University. After that, she became a teacher. She also studied at the University of the Pacific. From 1892 to 1894, she attended the new Leland Stanford University.

Around 1898, Emily met Lillian McNeill Palmer. They found they had many shared interests and became very close friends for life. After Emily's father passed away in 1899, she moved in with Lillian's family. Lillian's parents, Donald and Annie Palmer, welcomed her like their own daughter. In fact, the 1910 US Census listed Emily as an "adopted" daughter of the Palmers. Lillian encouraged Emily to follow her dream of becoming an architect. Emily, in turn, supported Lillian's interests in journalism and metal art.

Becoming an Architect: Emily's Training

In 1901, Emily and Lillian moved to San Francisco. There, Emily studied drawing and architecture for a semester. She attended the California School of Mechanical Arts. At this school, she met Lilian Bridgman, a science teacher who also wanted to be an architect. Lilian had even designed her own house. This likely inspired Emily to keep pursuing her architectural dreams.

Emily's architectural training was not as long or formal as some others. For example, Julia Morgan, another famous woman architect, studied for many years. Emily's projects were usually smaller, mostly designing homes.

After her studies, Emily tried to find work as an architectural "draftsman." However, she was often turned down because many people thought women did not belong in architecture. To get experience, she used money she inherited from her father. With Lillian's help, she built a small cottage in Pacific Grove. The two women did all the work themselves, without hired builders. This project got a lot of attention from newspapers and became a local attraction. The cottage is still standing today!

Designing Homes for Families

Emily's first client was her older sister, Edith. Edith believed in Emily's skills and asked her to design three small houses. These houses were meant to be rented out for income. Soon, more clients came from people Emily and her family knew. Some clients were women who supported women's rights, like Dr. Anna Lukens. She wanted a mild California home to escape harsh New York winters.

Another client was Mrs. Lucy Pray, who was quite wealthy. She wanted her daughter to go to college at the University of California. Emily designed a house in Berkeley so her daughter could live at home while studying. Mrs. Jessie Jordan, whose husband was the president of Stanford University, also hired Emily. She asked Emily to design a house in Carmel while her husband was traveling. The Jordans knew Emily from her time studying at Stanford. Lillian's parents, Donald and Annie Palmer, also asked Emily to design their house in San Jose. Lillian and Emily sometimes lived in this house. Today, this historic house is known as the Arthur Monroe Free House.

Emily as an Inspiration

Emily Williams also inspired other women who wanted to become architects. In 1907, Emily designed a large house in San Francisco for Mrs. Gertrude Austin. Mrs. Austin knew Emily's family from San Jose. While the house was being designed, Mrs. Austin's young daughter, Elizabeth, was studying architecture. Elizabeth may have been able to join in the discussions between her mother and Emily. She could also have watched the house being built. This experience likely helped Elizabeth in her own architectural studies.

Getting the Word Out: Publicity

Small announcements in local newspapers, like the Pacific Grove Daily Review, helped Emily get known. An article in the San Jose Mercury and Herald also helped. Lillian Palmer, who worked for the Mercury, probably wrote this article. These stories led to new projects for Emily in Pacific Grove, Carmel, San Jose, San Francisco, and Berkeley.

Emily also designed two properties for herself and Lillian to rent out. However, they didn't make as much money as hoped. They couldn't keep up with the payments and had to sell them.

Designing Public Buildings

With help from a supporter named Etta Belle Lloyd, Emily got two public projects in Pacific Grove. The first was in 1907. The Woman’s Civic Club asked her to design a public "Look-Out" at Lovers Point, a rocky spot by the ocean. A few years later, she got a second job. She remodeled two large wooden cabins into a nice clubhouse for the Woman’s Civic Club. Even with the attention these projects received, Emily didn't seem to get many new clients from the women's club.

Travel and Moving to San Francisco

In 1908, Emily and Lillian traveled to Europe and Asia. They went for fun and to study. In Vienna, Emily studied classic architecture, and Lillian learned about metalwork. When they returned, they settled in San Francisco. Lillian became successful selling her metal art at "The Palmer Shop."

Emily received only a few new projects. She designed their own home at 1037 Broadway and a weekend cabin called “Wake Robins.” This cabin was in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Around 1920, the Palmers moved to Los Gatos. Emily designed a house for herself and Lillian on the same property there. During the Great Depression, they lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains. They rented out their San Francisco and Los Gatos houses to earn money.

Around 1914, Emily got a very unusual job. She designed an exhibition stand for the Alaska Garnet Mining and Manufacturing Company. This company was owned and run by twelve women from Minnesota. Donald Palmer, Lillian's father, was a mining engineer, so he likely helped make this connection. Sadly, no pictures of this design have been found.

Connecting with Others: Networking

Just like in Pacific Grove, Emily used women's groups to connect with people. In San Francisco, she joined the Business and Professional Woman’s Club, which Lillian Palmer founded. Emily even used the Club's newsletter, The Business Woman, to advertise. Her ad was especially for women:

Like a Dress, Ready-Made Buildings Are Seldom Made To Fit

Architecturally Designed Dwellings

Mean Real Homes

A well-planned structure, whether a concrete building or a week-end

cabin, should to the smallest detail, suit your individual needs.

Before you build

Consult

EMILY WILLIAMS

Despite these efforts, Emily received only a few projects in the early 1920s. She seems to have stopped working as an architect in 1924.

Emily Williams passed away in 1942 in Los Gatos. She had suffered from asthma her whole life. She is buried at the Los Gatos Memorial Park in San Jose, California. Her partner Lillian likely wrote a touching tribute about her. The tribute said that Emily's goal to help women in business led to her own success as an architect. It also inspired other women in their careers.

Emily Williams' Architectural Works

• Williams-Palmer House/Cottage, 246 Chestnut Street, Pacific Grove, 1903
• Edith Williams 1st House, 242 Chestnut St, Pacific Grove, 1904
• Edith Williams 2nd House, 241 Alder St, Pacific Grove, 1904
• Edith Williams 3rd House, 243 Alder St, Pacific Grove, 1904
• Lucy Mabel Pray House, 1325 Spruce, Berkeley, 1904
• Reverend George W. Foote House (demolished), 475 Spencer Avenue, San Jose, 1906
• House near Beach (not found), beach, Carmel, 1906
• Sequoia Lodge by the Sea (Dr. Anna Lukens House), 529 Ocean View Boulevard, Pacific Grove, 1906
• Palmer House (now Arthur Monroe Free House), 66 S. Priest now S. 14th Street, San Jose, 1906
• Gertrude Austin House, 2728 Union Street, San Francisco, 1907
• Lillian Palmer House, 218 Chestnut, Pacific Grove, 1907
• Emily Williams House, 220 Chestnut, Pacific Grove, 1907
• Jordan House (demolished), NE corner of Camino Real & 7th, Carmel, 1907
• W.B. Richards House, 119 Grand Avenue, Pacific Grove, 1907
• Pacific Grove Lookout (demolished), Lovers' Point near Japanese Tea Garden, Pacific Grove, 1907
• House for a prominent man, (not located), Berkeley, 1909
• House in an interior town, (not located), 1909
• Alice Wright House, 1715 Dayton Avenue, Alameda, 1909
• Deer Park Inn Remodel, Highway 89/Alpine Meadows Rd, Tahoe City, 1909
• "Wake Robin" Weekend House, 20075 Gist Road, Lexington Hills, Los Gatos, 1910
• Pac. Grove Woman's Civic Club (demolished), 172 Grand Avenue, Pacific Grove, 1910
• Howell House, 245 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove, 1911
• McIntire House, 117 S.17th Street, San Jose, 1913
• Williams-Palmer House, 1037 Broadway, San Francisco, 1913
• PPIE exhibition booth, Palace of Varied Industries, PPIE San Francisco, 1914–15
• Williams-Palmer House, Addition of, 1037-39 Broadway, San Francisco, 1921
• second story Additions to TenWinkel Cottage, 1071-73 Lombard St, San Francisco, 1922
• Hill House, 426 36th Avenue, San Francisco, 1923
• Cassidy House, 424-26 Mississippi, San Francisco, 1924
• Kennedy House, 1027-31 Broadway, San Francisco, 1924
• Williams-Palmer House, 151 Whitney Avenue, Los Gatos, pre 1924

What People Said About Emily's Work

An article in the San Jose Mercury and Herald on November 11, 1906, praised Emily's work. It said, "Miss Williams' houses have won her an enviable reputation... They are not only beautiful and artistic, but convenient, livable and planned to save steps and with places to put things." The article also mentioned that Emily's interior designs were better than those created by men.

Images for kids

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  Emily Eolian Williams

See also

In Spanish: Emily Williams para niños