Ida McCain facts for kids

Ida McCain was an American architect who lived in the early 1900s. She was special because she worked as an architect on the West Coast when very few women did. She designed many homes, especially in California and Oregon.

Ida McCain's Early Life and Education

Ida Florence McCain was born in Fort Collins, Colorado, on August 27, 1884. She was one of six children. When she was 12, her father passed away.

Ida went to public school. At age 15, she started college at Colorado State Agricultural College. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Then, she found out the college had a new architecture course.

Ida decided to take the architecture course. Even though she got good grades, she was first told she couldn't join. But she kept trying and finally got in. She was the only woman in the class. Ida didn't get much more formal training after this. She also never got an official architect's license. Still, she became a very successful architect and builder.

Ida McCain's Architecture Career

In 1903, Ida McCain moved to Los Angeles. She worked for an architect named Lawrence B. Valk for one year. After that, she joined the Lambert & Bartin building company. She became a partner there after just one year.

Building Homes in Portland

In 1909, Ida moved to Portland, Oregon. She went with her mother, her brother Arthur, and her sister Eda's husband, Charles Spencer. Ida started a business with Arthur and Charles. They called their company Spencer-McCain.

They built houses around Portland for about five years. At least ten of these houses are still standing today. Some are in the Laurelhurst area. One of Ida's best buildings was the C.K. Henry House. It was a large building made of granite and wood. It had an Arts and Crafts style. This house had special features like French doors inside and mahogany wood panels.

Designing in the San Francisco Bay Area

In 1914, Ida briefly returned to Los Angeles. Then, in 1915, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area for good. She worked for real estate developers like Stephen A. Born and Baldwin & Howell. She often designed unique homes for their customers.

Baldwin & Howell advertised their Westwood Park development. These ads showed a picture of Ida McCain. The ads were written as if Ida, the "expert bungalow designer," was speaking. A local architect designed most of the homes in Westwood Park. Ida designed almost all the rest.

By the mid-1920s, Ida started her own business. She bought land and designed large houses. These homes were in areas like St. Francis Wood and Monterey Heights. She advertised her skills in designing bungalows. She also highlighted her ability, as a woman, to understand what a home needed. She knew what was important for "her who spends more time than anyone else within the home."

Ida McCain designed hundreds of homes. These included Arts-and-Crafts-style bungalows and Romantic revival villas. She worked in the Bay Area in the 1910s and 1920s. Many of her homes were in middle-class neighborhoods. These included Lincoln Manor and San Mateo Park in San Mateo.

At this time, very few women were architects in America. Because of her success, one developer called her "San Francisco's Woman Builder." Other famous women architects in the Bay Area were Julia Morgan and Emily Williams.

Ida's Home Designs

Ida McCain's bungalows often had unique features. These included exposed beams and cozy fireplace inglenooks. They also had pocket doors, large closets, and wooden wainscoting. Some even had porches made of clinker brick.

Her two-story villas, like those in Lincoln Manor, were more formal. They blended Arts and Crafts details with classic styles. These homes often had large dining rooms and open floor plans. This made them perfect for entertaining guests.

In 1930, Ida lived in a San Francisco apartment building that she owned. She lived there with her mother and older sister. After 1937, we don't know much more about her life. Her exact death date is not known.

Partial List of Buildings by Ida McCain

• 796 Faxon, San Francisco, California (1918)
• 600, 676, and 701 Miramar Ave., San Francisco, California (around 1918)
• 45 Upper Terrace, San Francisco, California ("Dettner House", 1916 or 1917)
• 180 Westwood, San Francisco, California
• 141 Westwood Drive, San Francisco, California
• 475 N.E. Hazelfern, Portland, Oregon (built before 1913; Ida's own home)
• 3391 N.E. Multnomah St., Portland, Oregon (with Spencer-McCain)
• 1617 S.E. 23rd Ave., Portland, Oregon (with Spencer-McCain)
• 4063 N.E. 29th Ave., Portland, Oregon (with Spencer-McCain)
• 3033 N.E. 63rd Ave., Portland, Oregon ("Hibbard House", with Spencer-McCain)
• 2817 N.E. Dunckley St., Portland, Oregon (with Spencer-McCain)
• 444 N.E. Floral Place, Portland, Oregon (with Spencer-McCain)
• 436 and 475 N.E. Hazelfern Place, Portland, Oregon (with Spencer-McCain)
• 7468 N. Huron Ave., Portland, Oregon (with Spencer-McCain)
• 3641 N.E. Senate St., Portland, Oregon (with Spencer-McCain)
• 2647 S.W. Talbot Rd., Portland, Oregon (with Spencer-McCain)
• 1121 N.E. Glisan St., Portland, Oregon (1912, "Henry House", with Spencer-McCain; torn down 1966)
• 1135 E. Glisan St., Portland, Oregon (1910, "Keeney House", with Spencer-McCain; torn down)

See also

In Spanish: Ida McCain para niños