Charles K. Sumner
Encyclopedia
Charles Kaiser Sumner was an American architect, practicing primarily in California
. He was born Charles Sumner Kaiser in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
in 1874, and studied at the Columbia University
School of Architecture. He received a traveling scholarship to Europe and the Middle East and was hired by McKim, Mead and White in New York, working for Charles Follen McKim
. Kaiser, as he was still known, moved to Berkeley, California
in 1906 and opened a practice there, designing houses and the Claremont Club, as well as houses and the Farmers and Merchants Bank in Sacramento. In 1916 he moved to Palo Alto
and established his practice in San Francisco. Responding to anti-German sentiment during World War I, he reversed his middle and last names in 1917, calling himself "Charles Kaiser Sumner."
Sumner designed as many as fifty houses in Palo Alto, with twenty houses on the Stanford University
campus. His work was primarily residential, with occasional commercial or institutional clients. At the request and personal expense of National Park Service
director Stephen T. Mather, Sumner designed the Rangers' Club
in Yosemite National Park
in 1928, now a National Historic Landmark
. Sumner practiced until 1941. He died in Palo Alto on May 25, 1948.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He was born Charles Sumner Kaiser in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
in 1874, and studied at the Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
School of Architecture. He received a traveling scholarship to Europe and the Middle East and was hired by McKim, Mead and White in New York, working for Charles Follen McKim
Charles Follen McKim
Charles Follen McKim FAIA was an American Beaux-Arts architect of the late 19th century. Along with Stanford White, he provided the architectural expertise as a member of the partnership McKim, Mead, and White....
. Kaiser, as he was still known, moved to Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
in 1906 and opened a practice there, designing houses and the Claremont Club, as well as houses and the Farmers and Merchants Bank in Sacramento. In 1916 he moved to Palo Alto
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
and established his practice in San Francisco. Responding to anti-German sentiment during World War I, he reversed his middle and last names in 1917, calling himself "Charles Kaiser Sumner."
Sumner designed as many as fifty houses in Palo Alto, with twenty houses on the Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
campus. His work was primarily residential, with occasional commercial or institutional clients. At the request and personal expense of National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
director Stephen T. Mather, Sumner designed the Rangers' Club
Rangers' Club
The Rangers' Club is a building in Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park that was donated by the independently wealthy first director of the National Park Service, Stephen Tyng Mather. He intended it to be used by the newly hired park rangers who were taking over from the departing army...
in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
in 1928, now a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. Sumner practiced until 1941. He died in Palo Alto on May 25, 1948.
External links
- Charles K. Sumner at Palo Alto Stanford Heritage