Gallery

A young Paul R. Williams often accompanied his foster father Charles Clarkson downtown where Clarkson worked as a janitor. Williams sold newspapers at the corner of First and Spring, and even at this age was recognized as a quietly confident young man. One person who regularly bought a paper and remembered Willliams was Senator Frank P. Flint (image 2).  In 1917, when Flint began to plan his 1,500-acre Flintridge development, he decided to give the young African American the job of designing many of the first homes in this upscale community. After he became a licensed architect, Williams built scores of the homes either directly commissioned by Flint or as a result of Flint’s referrals.  This Colonial Revival home built in 1929 at 524 Dartmouth Place was designed for Katherine Flint, the Senator’s daughter. It was a smaller version of Frank Flint’s own grand residence on a thirteen-acre estate in Flintridge.