Photos • Biography • Facebook • Twitter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fred Ruhl
Born
Jesse Frederic Ruhl

(1876-08-27)August 27, 1876
Topeka, Illinois, US
Died25 October 1961(1961-10-25) (aged 85)
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, US
Occupation Builder
Spouse
Alma Merle Warren
​
( m. 1923)​
Children3

Fred Ruhl (August 27, 1876 – October 25, 1961) was an American master builder in Monterey County, California. He is best known for his contributions to the architecture of Pebble Beach, and Carmel-by-the-Sea, most notably for building the Flanders Mansion, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He worked closely with architect Robert Stanton to build the Normandy Inn on Ocean Avenue in Carmel. [1]

Early life

Ruhl was born on August 27, 1876, on a farm in Topeka, Illinois. His parents, Jesse Franklin Ruhl (1839-1920) and Harriet Upp (1839-1887). His father possessed carpentry skills but chose to follow a farming path. Growing up immersed in the rural landscape, Ruhl received his education from local schools before embarking on a journey into carpentry. [1] [2]

Career

In 1903, Ruhl moved to San Francisco, California, where he ventured into contracting with Frank Dowsett. He joined the firm Dowsett and Ruhl located at 77 O'Farrell Street. [3] [4]: p78 

In 1916 Ruhl moved to the Monterey Peninsula where in the 1920s, he became the primary contractor for construction projects in Pebble Beach. [4]: p78  Noteworthy among his projects were the McComber residence, the Pebble Beach lodge, the Malcom McNaughton household, and the McKensie House. [1] He became the building supervisor for the Pacific Improvement Company. [5] In 1924, Samuel F.B. Morse hired Ruhl to build a quadrangle-style of stables with an open retangular interior courtyard in Pebbe Beach. The main purpose of this structure was to serve as a boarding stable for the horses owned by residents. The stables became the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center that sponsored riding lessons, horse shows, and team trials for the 1960 Summer Olympics. [6]

In 1925, Ruhl collaborated with architect Robert Stanton to construct Stanton's office building in downtown Carmel, situated southwest on Monte Verde Street and Ocean Avenue. [4] [7]: p68  The office building is a one1+1⁄2-and-one-half story wood-framed French provincial-style commercial building. [2] [8]

Front of the Flanders Mansion built by Ruhl in 1924/1925

The Outlands in the Eighty Acres, also known as Flanders Mansion, in Hatton Fields, was built by Ruhl in 1924/1925 for real estate developer Paul Aiken Flanders. The Flanders Mansion is an 8,000 square feet (740 m2) Tudor Revival house. While "Outlands" was under construction in February 1925, the Flanders family were displaced from their temporary accommodations within the Pebble Beach residence belonging to Ruhl, due to a fire incident. [2] [9] [10]

The Ethel P. Young House was designed by architect Robert Stanton and built by Ruhl for Ethel Young, Stanton's mother-in-law, in 1926. It is located on southwest corner of Carmelo Street and 8th Avenue. The one-story wood-framed house is an example of Spanish Eclectic-style architecture. [7]: p68  [2] [11]

In 1936, Ruhl embarked on the construction of the Normandy Inn for Ethel P. Young, just west of Stanton's office. This two-story hotel has the French provincial-style and occupies the southwest side of Ocean Avenue, between Monte Verde and Casanova Streets. The Normandy Inn was designed in a "U" shape, surrounding a central courtyard. The exterior walls are brick and cement stucco with narrow bands of false half-timbering. [7] [12] [2]

Works

  • Niscori Residence (1921) [3]
  • W. Broderick House (1923) [13]
  • Belle Monti County Club (1924) [14]
  • Outlands in the Eighty Acres (1925)
  • Homes in Rio del Mar (1926) [15]
  • Joseph Mora Moss House (1926) [16]
  • Ethel P. Young House (1926) [11]
  • F.A. Hill Apartment Building (1926) [17]
  • Crocker First National Bank Building (1927) [18]
  • Paul Veeder House (1927) [19]
  • J.W. Perry House (1927) [19]
  • Rufus M. Kingman House (1931) [11]
  • Normandy Inn (1937) [11]

Personal life

Ruhl married Alma Merle Warren (1894-1981) on August 18, 1923, in Pebble Beach, California. [20] Ruhl played a role in the establishment of the Monterey County Builder's Exchange in 1928. [2] He was involved in the Masonic order and as a Noble Grand in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. [1]

Death

Ruhl died on October 25, 1961. He was buried at the El Carmelo Cemetery in Pacific Grove, California. [21]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Watkins, Rolin G. (1925). History of Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties, California: Biographical. Illinois: S.J. Clarke. p. 34. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "DPR 523 Forms Volume I A-69" (PDF). Department of Parks and recreation. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. October 14, 2001. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Building Contracts, ETC". The Recorder. San Francisco, California. July 20, 1921. p. 8. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Seavey, Kent (2007). Carmel A History in Architecture. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 78, 84–85. ISBN  9780738547053. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  5. ^ Neal Hotelling (June 2013). "Early Days at Pebble Beach" (PDF). Forest News. Pebble beach, California. p. 1. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  6. ^ Neal Hoteling (June 2014). "Forest News" (PDF). dmfpo.org. Pebble Beach, California. p. 3. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Dramov, Alissandra; Momboisse, Lynn A. (2016). Historic Homes and Inns of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 68, 80. ISBN  9781467115971. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  8. ^ Dramov, Alissandra (2022). Past & Present Carmel-By-The-Sea. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 36. ISBN  9781467108980. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  9. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form". National Park Service. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. February 21, 1989. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  10. ^ "The Flanders Mansion Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)" (PDF). City of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. March 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c d "Carmel Inventory Of Historic Resources Database" (PDF). The City of Carmel. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  12. ^ Dramov, Alissandra (2019). Historic Buildings of Downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 52–53. ISBN  9781467103039. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  13. ^ "Building Contracts, Etc". The Recorder. San Francisco, California. July 23, 1923. p. 8. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  14. ^ "New Club Under Way". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. October 11, 1924. p. 13. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  15. ^ "Big Program On In Rio Del Mar". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. April 10, 1926. p. 10. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  16. ^ "Building Contracts, Etc". The Recorder. San Francisco, California. May 22, 1926. p. 10. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  17. ^ "F.A. Hill Plans Home". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. May 29, 1926. p. 11. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  18. ^ "Building Contracts, Etc". The Recorder. San Francisco, California. October 14, 1927. p. 10. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  19. ^ a b "Builders Exchange". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. December 12, 1927. p. 5. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  20. ^ "San Jose Vital Statistics". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. August 20, 1923. p. 9. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  21. ^ "California, U.S., Death Index 1940-1997". Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics. Sacramento, California. Retrieved August 20, 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fred Ruhl.
Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Fred_Ruhl&oldid=1208547845"