The Parkinsons
| John B. Parkinson | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
December 12, 1861 Scorton, Lancashire, England |
| Died | December 9, 1935 (aged 73) United States |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Buildings |
Paradox Iron Brewery Metropolitan Building Holmby Hall |
| Donald D. Parkinson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 10, 1895 United States |
| Died | November 17, 1945 (aged 50) United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Buildings |
Metropolitan Building Holmby Hall |
John B. and Donald D. Parkinson were a father-and-son architectural team operating in Los Angeles in the early 20th century.
John B. Parkinson (12 December 1861 - 9 December 1935) was born in the small village of Scorton, in Lancashire, England in 1861. At the age of sixteen, he was apprenticed for six years to Jonas J. Bradshaw, an architect and engineer in nearby Bolton, where he learned craftsmanship and practical construction. He attended night school at Bolton's Mechanics Institute to study architectural drafting and engineering. Upon completion of his apprenticeship at age 21, he immigrated to North America as an adventure; he built fences in Winnipeg and learned stair building in Minneapolis. He returned to England only to discover that the English construction trades demanded more time and service for advancement. He decided that his then capabilities would be more appropriate to the less-structured opportunities in America. Parkinson went to California, settling in Napa where he again worked as a stair-builder, and he took on architectural commissions in his spare time.
In January 1889, John Parkinson moved to Seattle, where he opened his first architectural practice after failing to secure a position as a draftsman. In March he entered a partnership with Cecil Evers, but this ended little more than a year later. Parkinson's early projects included the Olympia Hotel, Olympia (1889; destroyed), the Calkins Hotel, Mercer Island (1889; destroyed), and several residences. After the Great Seattle Fire of 6 June 1889, he secured several important business blocks, the Butler Block (1889–90; altered), and the Seattle First National Bank Building, later called the Interurban Building (1890–92), an exemplary work of Romanesque Revival architecture.
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