by Carrie Benuska

As residents of the Greater Pasadena area, we are truly blessed to live amongst so many outstanding architectural homes and public buildings, built by famous and world-renown architects. These gems are tucked in many of our neighborhoods and are a pleasure to view, especially when they have been beautifully renovated. As we walk our neighborhoods, it is as if we are walking the rooms of an art gallery, viewing masterpieces made of wood, nails and plaster.

In a community of great architecture, we are lucky to be home of the Pasadena Showcase House of Design, one of the nation°òs largest and most successful annual home and garden tours. The Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts (PSHA) is a nonprofit organization which yearly organizes the renovation of a significant Greater Pasadena home, utilizing local designers and builders. The group then sells tickets to the public, so that we can come view the home and all of the wonderful improvements that have been made. This Pasadena tradition is accomplished by a very committed group of volunteers who are united by their belief in the power and beauty of music. The proceeds from the Pasadena Showcase House of Design and other donations received allow the group to fund three annual music programs, plus award gifts and grants to other nonprofit organizations that provide musically oriented programs.

This year, the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts will be presenting a beautiful Paul Williams estate in La Canada Flintridge. You can be assured that I will not miss this wonderful opportunity to view a home designed by one of my very favorite architects. The tours will run from April 17 through May 15. Special pre-purchase tickets are available through December 20, or as long as supplies last atwww.pasadenashowcase.org.

Paul Revere Williams (1894 - 1980), is a designer who resonates with me on so many levels. His home designs were often traditional in style (English Tudor, Regency, and Mediterranean) but were given a smart, contemporary look and often featured a dramatic, curved staircase. They were elegant but not formal and had a close tie between the home and the garden. He designed many homes for wealthy individuals in the Greater Pasadena area and was also known as the “architect to the stars”. His famous clients included Frank Sinatra, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, and Zsa Zsa Gabor. Williams also went on to design many famous public buildings like the saucer-shaped restaurant at Los Angeles International Airport.

What makes his story so remarkable, though, is that Paul Revere Williams, an African American, built his career during a period of intense racial hatred in our nation. Although no one denied his amazing talent, he had to struggle to overcome racial discrimination throughout his life and career. He took segregated train cars to client meetings and even perfected the art of drawing upside down, so that his white clients would not be forced to sit next to him. In an interesting article about Williams on the USC website, he was described as the “Jackie Robinson of architecture”. Life was never easy, but he never gave up.

After losing his parents at an early age, Williams was lucky to be raised in Los Angeles by loving foster parents who were very supportive of his obvious artistic talents. The only African American in his elementary school, Williams was known as the class artist and was rarely seen without his sketchbook. After a family friend, who was a builder, suggested that he become an architect, he spoke to his high school counselor about his career plans. At that time in history, it was unfathomable to imagine a white person hiring an African American man to design his home or any public building, so he was discouraged from pursuing this field.

Luckily, Williams did not listen to the negative advice and continued his architectural education and training, eventually studying Architectural Engineering at USC. He worked for several firms before starting his own in 1922. His career spanned 50 years and some 3,000 projects. He was the first black member of the American Institute of Architects in Southern California, received numerous awards, and wrote several books about architecture.

Enjoy the Showcase House this year with a fresh perspective. As you roam the halls of this gorgeous home, don°òt forget about the man who created it years ago. His story is enduring and his life an inspiration that will live on through all that he accomplished.