Robert Stacy-Judd was an architect, archeologist, and tireless promoter of himself and his work. These portraits exhibit how his persona of Mayan explorer informed his architectural explorations.
The National Guard Armory in Williston, North Dakota was designed by Stacy-Judd with a castle-like tower and turrets on either side of the entrances. The Armory was financed with a combination public, private, State, and National funds, since the…
The pair of bungalows for Dr. H. Gale Atwater were part of a larger swath of land owned by Atwater along Avon Park Terrace, adjacent to Elysian Park. Atwater had previously built another "Hopi-style" house on the property, and commissioned Stacy-Judd…
The Carey house is a fascinating study of architectural vision versus reality. The rendering of the house is in the "Mayan" style, reminiscent of Stacy-Judd's Aztec Hotel. The photographs of the completed house show a much more subdued and modest…
Robert Stacy-Judd worked for the railroad in England, then moved to the United States and worked for the Great Northern Railroad in North Dakota. After a couple of years, he started his own practice in Minot. The Central Block was originally designed…
In 1919, Stacy-Judd moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada and partnered with architect William B. Major to construct buildings in the rapidly growing area. The Empire Theater and Apartments in Edmonton contained a number of different architectural…
This church building is widely regarded as one of the premier examples of Mayan Revival style architecture. It was declared a city landmark in 1975, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The exterior steeple is stepped up…
This house possibly located on San Vicente in Santa Monica, features a board and batten exterior, painted light green. Unusual features include a large circular front door and a flat-roofed house volume contrasting with a more traditional gabled…
Theosophy was a religion that began in the United States in the late 1800s as a mix of esoteric Spiritualism, occult influences, and adaptation various Asian religions. The Krotona Institute started in the Beechwood Canyon area of Los Angeles in…
The La Jolla Beach and Yacht Club was a large-scale commission for Stacy-Judd after his success with the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia. For the Club, he created a more subdued theme, with triangular shaped window openings, adobe-style exterior walls, and…
After the Hoover Dam was built in the mid-1930s, Lake Mead became a popular recreation area. Stacy-Judd put forth a proposal to the National Park Service for three tourist areas: Boulder Beach, Lost City, and Pierce Ferry.
As the population of the Los Angeles region grew in the early 1920s, developers purchased land that was formerly ranches to turn into housing developments. Merrick & Ruddick developed the San Fernando Valley area, and asked Stacy-Judd to design and…
The small community of Lake Sherwood is situated in the mountains of Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles. The man-made lake and surrounding forest land was used in the 1922 filming of Robin Hood, and as the setting for many subsequent movies.…
The Morris Plan Bank was a national banking system which primarily loaned money to middle-class people who had trouble obtaining regular loans. The Bank was started in Virginia in 1910, and soon had locations all across the country, including Los…
The National Hall project, for the client Paramount Group, was a group of buildings two city blocks square, at the corner of Sunset and Vine in Hollywood. The project was to include a 23,000 seat auditorium, a 13-story department store, office…
The founder of the Philosophical Research Society, Manely P. Hall, had commissioned buildings by Stacy-Judd previously, due to their shared interest in Mayan design. The Library in the Philosophical Research Society was designed to hold the many rare…
As travel by personal car became more feasible during the 1920s, the mountains surrounding Los Angeles on the east became weekend getaways for residents. The use of hot springs for relaxation and to cure various ailments was a popular attraction. The…
The house Robert Stacy-Judd designed and built for himself and his first wife is a modified Swiss Chalet style house. It has a raised floor plan, where the main living area is on the second floor, with bedrooms and integrated garage on the lower…
The unbuilt "Streets of All Nations" project was designed as a large-scale commercial enterprise. Stacy-Judd designed restaurants, motels, theaters, churches and temples, art galleries, and residences all grouped by country and architectural style.…
Twin Lakes Park was a resort development featuring two man-made lakes. Stacy-Judd designed the entrance gate in Mayan style, on the aptly named Mayan Road. He also designed the clubhouse and a few "Aztec" style cabins.
Unfortunately, the lakes have…