Young, Edward Eyestone
Entry Author: David
Parry
Architect
 Edward
Eyestone Young was born on March 11, 1870 in Carthage, Missouri.
He moved to San Francisco in 1902 and started work as a contractor.
He obtained his State Architectural license in 1905 (B366),
by passing the requisite examinations. In November 1906 he
married Julia Tharp, a talented pianist and a relative of
City architect Newton J. Tharp, and in 1907 they moved into
their newly-built house at 22 Presidio Terrace, which had
been designed by Young.
In 1908 Young opened an office at 251 Kearny, where it remained
until 1923, when Young moved his practice into the studio
which is the subject of this article at 2002 California, now
an easily overlooked gem adjacent to, and opposite, two classic
brick-faced apartment buildings at 2000 and 2001 California,
that he subsequently designed.
Young bought the large 137'6" by 137'6" north-west
corner parcel at California and Octavia in April 1921 from
Lottie Woods, daughter of Frederick and Josephine Woods, whose
family house was on the lot. In March 1922 Young applied for
a permit to build 6 luxurious flats on the northerly 50 foot
wide portion of the lot. After completing this building, 1919
Octavia, he sold it in November 1922. The next month he applied
to build a 'one-floor studio' at a cost of $4,000 on the westernmost
25'6" of the lot, which is now 2002 California, and when
it was completed he moved his practice there. His final development
for the major portion of this parcel was for an 'L'-shaped
12-apartment building at a cost of $80,000, the permit for
which he took out in November 1923.
The 2002 California studio is Mediterranean in style. The
elegant triple-arched flat-fronted windows across the front
of it are seen on many Edward Young houses. He stands out
as one of the primary San Francisco architects of his time
to reject the ubiquitous use of bay windows. The gabled roof,
wrought iron balcony and the stucco cladding are additional
Mediterranean elements. Inside the house the entryway on the
left side of the building enters into a long hallway that
runs from front to back. The studio has a center patio, a
master bedroom at the rear, a second bedroom, and a small
loft bedroom. Across the front is a single large room above
the garage, taking advantage of the south light and the view
of the California Street cable cars which extended beyond
Van Ness Avenue in those years. A former member of the Roycrofters,
Richard Kruger, built a long drafting table for Edward Young
(with the letter Y carved at both ends) which sat in front
of the windows. Kruger also painted two large works of art
for Young. One was a scene from the Wagner Opera Tannhauser
and the other was a glorious sunset of the Superstition Mountains
in Arizona.
During his 30 year career, Edward Young's output was truly
prolific, with almost 600 residential buildings designed,
many in interesting groups of 2, 3 or 4 adjacent to each other,
for a loyal set of developer clients. His influence is seen
all over Pacific Heights including 3221 Washington (1908),
2467-69 and 2471-73 Jackson (1912), 2740, 2750 and 2760 Divisadero
(1915), 46, 50, 56 and 68 Presidio Avenue (1916), 2880 Green
(1917), 2235, 2245 and 2255 Octavia (1925), 2815 Pacific (1926),
and 2000 Jackson (1929).
Young designed several clubs and hotels, including the Francisca
Club at 595 Sutter (1919) and the 16-story Hotel Californian
at 403 Taylor (1925). But his apartment buildings are his
most dominant legacy, beginning in 1906 with some brown-shingled
Edwardians and progressing to multi-story Mediterranean-Revival
luxury buildings with flat-fronted brick exteriors and elevators,
many now converted to condominiums.
Some of his Pacific Heights apartment buildings include 2153
Sacramento (1916), 2157 Jackson and 2107 Pierce (1917), 2155
Buchanan (1919), 2105 Buchanan (1921), 2241 Sacramento (1922),
2790 Green (1922, now used as a consulate), 2265 Broadway
and 2230 Steiner (1923), 1896 Pacific (1924), and 2298 Pacific
(1926, a cooperative), One of his last significant Pacific
Heights apartment designs was at 2001 California (1931) opposite
his work studio
Edward and Julia Young finally sold 22 Presidio Terrace in
January 1933, moving to 2362 Vallejo. After Young died (on
February 6, 1934), his second son, John Davis Young, continued
his practice and Julia moved into one of the apartments in
2000 California. She deeded the 2002 California studio to
John Davis Young and his wife Mary Katherine in March 1937.
They owned the property until August 1954. Julia Young sold
2000 California in April, 1955, moving to San Bernardino.
John Davis Young is still alive at the age of 92, living in
Illinois.
Entry taken from the website of David Parry at www.classicproperties.com
and is used by permission. Unauthorized use of this copyrighted
material is strictly forbidden without permission from the
author.
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Born: Carthage, Missouri, March 11, 1870