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. He and
Michael J. Murphy were responsible for giving Carmel its architectural character.[3] 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.[4]
Early life
Comstock was born in
Evanston, Illinois on April 17, 1893.[1] He moved to
Santa Rosa with his family in 1907.[3] Comstock had a ranch in
Yolo County, California.[5] As a rancher, he had no formal architectural training and had only basic carpentry skills.[4]: p80
In 1924, Comstock traveled to
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California to visit his sister Catherine and her husband, George Seideneck.[6] 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.[5][4]
Career
Comstock embarked on his career as a designer-builder when his wife requested him to construct a cottage for her dolls.[3] 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.[6]: p100 This first cottage was called Hansel after the
fairy taleHansel and Gretel.[7]
The Hansel house became the first of many
fairy taleStorybook-style cottages that Comstock would go on to design and build.[3]
The cottages have steep gables, wooden
half-timbering with stucco and plaster surfaces, and wood and diamond-paned windows. They often had tall, narrow chimneys covered in battered Carmel stone to create a rustic appearance.[3]
In 1926, Comstock designed and built
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.[8]
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][3][4]
Comstock was a Carmel civil leader, serving as the president of the board for the Carmel Unified School District and chariman of the board for the Carmel Sanitary District.[6]
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.[19]