McI)ougall Bros.
t
McDougall Bros.
McDougall Bros. was an architectural firm consisting of Charles C. McDougall (1857-
1930), Benjamin G. McDougall (1865-1937) and George B. McDougall (1868-1957).
Their father, Barnett McDougall (1825-1905), came to California in 1856. He was a
pioneer builder/architect with offices in San Diego and San Francisco.
Charles C. McDougall was bom in San Francisco in 1857. He trained as an architect
in his fathefs office. Benjamin G. McDougall was bom in San Francisco on January
10, 1865. He began his architectural studies in 1883, studying at the California
School of Design and working in his father's office. George B. McDougall was bom in
San Francisco on October 11,1868. Like his brothers, he trained under his father.
They worked with him as B. McDougali & Sons before forming their own firm,
McDougall Bros.
During the mid-1890s the brothers had offices in San Francisco and Bakersfield.
Benjamin moved to Bakersfield in 1896 and captured an impressive list of
commissions for municipal buildings, schools, banks, business blocks, hotels, and
homes in the Valley. Charles and George ran the San Francisco office. Their first
major effort to do work in Fresno came in 1896 when they submitted plans for an
orphanage. However, the project was later abandoned by the County Board of
Supervisors as too costly. At the tum of the century, Benjamin moved the office to
Fresno. Among the firm's projects were the Kings County Jail (1898), the Hanford
Carnegie Library (1905), the Merced Security Savings Bank (1905), the Visalia First
National Bank (1905), and many residences in Fresno.
After the 1906 San Francisco eanhquake, McDougall Bros. closed its Fresno office.
Benjamin immediately struck out on his own and built an innuential private practice in
San Francisco and the East Bay. His most significant Bay Area building was the
Oakland Federal Building (1913). George and Charles continued as McDougall Bros.
until George was appointed State Architect in 1913. Charles, who had the least
success, started his own small practice and shared office space with Benjamin for
many years.
Among the projects George supervised during his tenure as State Architect were the
State Normal School at Santa Barbara, the Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery at Inyo, and
the State Normal School at Fresno. The latter, completed in 1915, became Fresno
State College. McDougall retired from his post in 1938. Charles died on July 12,
1930, Benjamin on June 11, 1937, and George on April 20, 1957.
Written by John Edward Powell
© 1997 John Edward Powell. All rights reserved.
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, OCR Text: McI)ougall Bros.
t
McDougall Bros.
McDougall Bros. was an architectural firm consisting of Charles C. McDougall (1857-
1930), Benjamin G. McDougall (1865-1937) and George B. McDougall (1868-1957).
Their father, Barnett McDougall (1825-1905), came to California in 1856. He was a
pioneer builder/architect with offices in San Diego and San Francisco.
Charles C. McDougall was bom in San Francisco in 1857. He trained as an architect
in his fathefs office. Benjamin G. McDougall was bom in San Francisco on January
10, 1865. He began his architectural studies in 1883, studying at the California
School of Design and working in his father's office. George B. McDougall was bom in
San Francisco on October 11,1868. Like his brothers, he trained under his father.
They worked with him as B. McDougali & Sons before forming their own firm,
McDougall Bros.
During the mid-1890s the brothers had offices in San Francisco and Bakersfield.
Benjamin moved to Bakersfield in 1896 and captured an impressive list of
commissions for municipal buildings, schools, banks, business blocks, hotels, and
homes in the Valley. Charles and George ran the San Francisco office. Their first
major effort to do work in Fresno came in 1896 when they submitted plans for an
orphanage. However, the project was later abandoned by the County Board of
Supervisors as too costly. At the tum of the century, Benjamin moved the office to
Fresno. Among the firm's projects were the Kings County Jail (1898), the Hanford
Carnegie Library (1905), the Merced Security Savings Bank (1905), the Visalia First
National Bank (1905), and many residences in Fresno.
After the 1906 San Francisco eanhquake, McDougall Bros. closed its Fresno office.
Benjamin immediately struck out on his own and built an innuential private practice in
San Francisco and the East Bay. His most significant Bay Area building was the
Oakland Federal Building (1913). George and Charles continued as McDougall Bros.
until George was appointed State Architect in 1913. Charles, who had the least
success, started his own small practice and shared office space with Benjamin for
many years.
Among the projects George supervised during his tenure as State Architect were the
State Normal School at Santa Barbara, the Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery at Inyo, and
the State Normal School at Fresno. The latter, completed in 1915, became Fresno
State College. McDougall retired from his post in 1938. Charles died on July 12,
1930, Benjamin on June 11, 1937, and George on April 20, 1957.
Written by John Edward Powell
© 1997 John Edward Powell. All rights reserved.
Page 1 of 1
A Guide to
Historic
Architecture
in Fresno,
California
Home
National Register
of Historic Places
Local Register
of Historic
Resources
Heritage
Properties
Historic Districts
Historic
Architecture tours
Historic Building
Surveys
Biographies of
architects,
designers and
builders
Historic
Preservation
Organizations
A Guide to
Historic Building
Research
Resources
Contact
webmaster
Home I National Register I Local Register I Heritage Properties 1 Districts 1 Tours I Surveys
Biographies Organizations Guide to Research Contact webmaster
http://historicfresno.org/bio/mcdougal.htm 8/6/2010
, Heritage Society of Pacific Grove,Historical Collections,Names of People about town,E through F File names,L through M File Names,Library,500 - 600_s CENTRAL - INCLUDING MUSEUM_010.pdf,500 - 600_s CENTRAL - INCLUDING MUSEUM_010.pdf 1 Page 1, Tags: 500 - 600_S CENTRAL - INCLUDING MUSEUM_010.PDF, 500 - 600_s CENTRAL - INCLUDING MUSEUM_010.pdf 1 Page 1