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Hugh W. Comstock
Hugh and Mayotta Comstock (Photograph courtesy of the Harrison Memorial Library Collection.)
Born
Hugh White Comstock

April 17, 1893 (1893-04-17)
Evanston, Illinois, US
Died1 June 1950(1950-06-01) (aged 57)
Santa Barbara, California, US
OccupationDesigner and builder
SpouseMayotta Browne

Hugh W. Comstock (April 17, 1893 – June 1, 1950)[1][2] was an American designer and master builder who lived in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Comstock developed a fairy tale or storybook architectural-style that has been closely identified with Carmel. Twenty-one of his cottages remain in the area today. Comstock also created a modern use of adobe in the construction known as "Bitudobe," a type of post-adobe brick.[3]

Early life

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Comstock had a ranch in Yolo County, California.[4] As a rancher, he had no formal architectural training and had only basic carpentry skills.[3]: p80 

In 1924, Comstock traveled to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California to visit his sister Catherine and her husband, George Seideneck.[5] She introduced him to Mayotta Browne, a nearby doll maker, known for making and selling popular hand-made "Otsy-Totsy" felt dolls. They were married on April 14, 1924, in Salinas.[4][3]

Career

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The Hansel Cottage.
The Tuck Box by Hugh Comstock

In 1924, he built a cottage for her to house the dolls, resembling a fairy house in the woods. The space became a showcase where potential buyers could come to see her dolls. Many residents that saw the cottage requested similar houses, which lead to Comstock's building career.[5]: p100  This first cottage was called Hansel after the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel.[6]

In 1926, Comstock designed and built the Tuck Box, located on Dolores Street. It was built in the Craftsman, Fairy Tale style, and features a steep gabled shingled roof, stucco walls, faux-timber beams, multi-pane glass windows, and used brick for an uneven chimney. In November 1931, Comstock built the Garden Shop Addition, which is between the Tuck Box and the El Paseo Building. Both buildings were recorded with the Department of Parks and Recreation on October 8, 2002.[7]

Comstock was in charge of the reconstruction of the Forest Theater in 1939 as part of a $20,000 Works Progress Administration project. He drew up the plans, working with major Herbert Heron.[8]

Monterey County Trust & Savings Building (now the China Art Center)

He designed and built the two-story Spanish Mission Revival style Monterey County Trust & Savings Building (now the China Art Building) in 1930.[9][10][3]: p110 

During the Great Depression Comstock used cheaper materials. He made adobe bricks in a plant he built in Carmel Valley. His first adobe house was built in 1936. He made a specialized adobe brick called "Bitudobe." In 1948, he published the book Post-Adobe; Simplified Adobe Construction Combining A Rugged Timber Frame And Modern Stabilized Adobe, which described his method of construction, including how to make "Bitudobe." In 1938, he served as an adviser to the architects Franklin & Kump Associates, who built the Carmel High School, which used his Post-adobe system.[11][10][3]

Comstock was a Carmel civil leader, serving as the president of the board for the Carmel Unified School District and chairman of the board for the Carmel Sanitary District.[5]

Death

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Comstock died on June 1, 1950, at the age of 57, at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, in Santa Barbara, California.[1] His wife, Mayotta Comstock survived him.[11] He was buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California. His wife died on May 30, 1979, at the age of 87, in Sacramento, California. She was cremated and her remains taken to the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland.[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Comstock, Hugh White (June 1, 1950). "California U.S. Death Index 1940-1997" (Database). Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
  2. ^ Comstock, Hugh White (April 17, 1893). "U.S. Word War II Draft Registration Card" (Database). Selective Service System.
  3. ^ a b c d e Seavey, Kent (2007). Carmel, A History in Architecture. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publications. pp. 113, 117. ISBN 9780738547053. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  4. ^ a b "Famed Maker Of Dolls And Rancher Wed". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. 16 Apr 1924. p. 3. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  5. ^ a b c Hale, Sharron Lee (1980). A tribute to yesterday: The history of Carmel, Carmel Valley, Big Sur, Point Lobos, Carmelite Monastery, and Los Burros. Santa Cruz, California: Valley Publishers. p. 100. ISBN 9780913548738. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  6. ^ Paul, Linda Leigh (2000). Cottages by the Sea The Handmade Homes of Carmel, America's First Artist Community. New York, NY. pp. 88–89. ISBN 9780789304957. Retrieved 2022-11-03.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ Kent L. Seavey (October 8, 2002). "Department Of Parks And Recreation" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  8. ^ "Salinas Morning Post". The Californian. Salinas, California. 13 May 1939. p. 3. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  9. ^ "County Banking Firm Opens Branch". The Californian. Salinas, California. 6 Sep 1930. p. 3. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  10. ^ a b Grimes, Teresa; Heumann, Leslie. "Historic Context Statement Carmel-by-the-Sea" (PDF). Leslie Heumann and Associates1994. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  11. ^ a b "Comstock's Brother Dead at 57". The Californian. Salinas, California. 3 Jun 1950. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  12. ^ "Comstock". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. 23 May 1979. p. 60. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
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