Richard Clark- Apprentice 1962 Hemicycle For Sale in Chowchilla, CA ($275K)

[SnarlingSquirrel]

I’m told the house was built for schoolteacher Edward Wesley Gray (1926-2007) and his 2nd wife who married in 1957. Gray grew up in the area, and lived at the house into the 1990’s at least, and the home is still owned by family, as mentioned. The stepped concrete fireplace and master bed alcoves evoke the Randall Fawcett house in nearby Los Banos (completed the year before this house). The mahogany version of Cherokee Red floors is similar as well (seen in the entry steps and closet floor in the hallway).

I’m curious if you have any knowledge of an apprentice named Gray and what you think of this surprising house. It doesn’t have much street appeal, yet the aerial reveals an interesting symmetric articulation of the great arc anchored by the carport entry and two circular alcoves at either end. I imagine the hemicycle concept is inverted against the sun because of the intense summer heat in Chowchilla. Instead, the entire roof slopes to form a low-slung carport to protect against the South exposure. I think you’ll agree there are details that evoke Taliesen West and Jacobs II. But is it actually an apprentice design? Thanks from a curious enthusiast:
https://www.compass.com/listing/120-can ... 436308425/

[SnarlingSquirrel]

With further digging, a newspaper article named apprentice Richard C. Clark as the designer of this house. It’s tragic he died at only twenty-five, this being his only design. Clark is described as coming from Bakersfield and working in Wright’s San Francisco office.


There has been some conversation regarding this house on the site, Old House Dreams:
https://www.oldhousedreams.com/2022/07 ... ent-353549

[DavidC]

According to John Geiger's Apprentice List, Richard Clark arrived at Taliesin on January 1st, 1957.


David

[DRN]

Thanks for sharing this....the house looks intriguing and unmolested. It all there for someone to clean it up, repair what needs repairing, and to enjoy.
The inglenook fireplace is a throwback to Wright’s early work translated to a Usonian grammar.

[KevinW]

I visited the house on saturday with the listing agent with possible intent to purchase. The house is a head scratcher, it sings in some ways, but in others it is horrible. The design intent on paper would seem to work for the central valley, CMU thermal mass at the west, solar hemicycle at the back...but there are problems. No insulation on the roof, no operable windows in the bedrooms, (one has a small jalousy window), the original client expressed that heating and cooling this house was a problem. Sure some of the issues could be fixed.
Perhaps it was the dreadful condition it was being shown in..(roaches, carpet beetles and mice scurried in front of us with every step) but, I can usually overlook those things. Double pain glass, operable windows, kick ass efficient hvac, foam roofing, etc.. would help, but the agent seemed pretty stuck on the price.
I was disappointed that I didn't fall hard for this house...it could be great, but the price plus resto / reno cost pretty much ended my realistic interest. It deserves better, currently it is demolition through neglect..I hope it makes it.

[SDR]

Thanks for the report, Kevin. (We miss you.) The 1975 Fresno Bee article found in the "Old House Dreams" discussion shouldn't be missed:

https://www.oldhousedreams.com/2022/07/ ... ent-353478

The misperception that the color in a Usonian floor is added to the concrete before pouring was corrected by one reader there; the idea that the house is a "facsimile of a Wright design" remains to be refuted . . .

S

[KevinW]

Greetings Stephen! Hope all is well with you. The concrete color was obviously stained and not integral. I think many see standard Usonian details and quickly assume it is a copy of something else. Pretty solid effort for a mid 20's youngster. I have a friend interested in the house, so fingers crossed this will be a happy ending. It deserves a chance.

[SDR]

I'm glad to hear that ! Yes, the house deserves a savior. Do keep us informed if and as you can . . .

I'm still remembering my day at Fawcett, some years back when it was on the market. Crosby Doe was occupied with a potential owner---or at least an interested visitor---so I wandered the spread on my own. Do you hear anything of its current ownership, that you can repeat here ?

S

[Reidy]

The owners, a few years ago and presumably today, were a couple from Connecticut who had done a serious restoration, undoing changes Fawcett's second wife brought in (painting the fireplace orange by one account). They hosted a Western PA Conservancy fundraiser.

Los Banos is an odd place to have a vacation house, but I'm glad they're there. It's in good hands.

[KevinW]

Stephen,
The Fawcett owners are incredible people who did such a gorgeous sensitive restoration / renovation. With Covid and other things it just made visiting the house on any regular basis difficult. They love the house and did everything beautifully, but Los Banos is a difficult place to get to quickly and easily, especially for short visits. Hell, it's difficult for me to make my commute to Fresno everyday, LOL.

[SnarlingSquirrel]

Thank you for the useful insights, and thank you to KevinW for helping get the word-out on MidmodFB. I see the hemicycle is Pending! Fingers are crossed that your collective effort helped to match a sensitive buyer with this intact apprentice house.