Ralph Wyckoff

(1884-1956)

Born (Watsonville, CA)

Education (Ecole des Beaux Art, certificate in architecture, 1914)

Firms (name, date, city):

Ralph Wyckoff, Architect, Berkeley (1914-1915)

H. B. Douglas, Watsonville (1915-1918)

Wyckoff & White, Salinas (1919-1921, San Jose (1921-1925)

Ralph Wyckoff, Architect (1925-1956)

Biography:

Ralph Wyckoff was the son of Watsonville engineer Cyrus Newton Wyckoff. He trained under architect William H. Weeks in Watsonville and San Francisco. He opened his first office in Berkeley after receiving his California license in 1914, and returned to Watsonville the following year after taking over the firm of H. B. Douglas. In 1919 joined with Hugh White in Salinas before settling in San Jose in 1921. In San Jose, he continued his association with White until 1925.

Works (year, building, city):

1917 Watsonville Woman's Clulb, Watsonville

1918 Radcliff School, Watsonville

1920 Salinas High School, Salinas (with Hugh White)

Harnell Junior College

Elks Club, Salinas

1922 Wyckoff House, San Jose

1922 San Ysidro School, Gilroy

1922 Los Gatos School, Los Gatos (Wyckoff & White)

1923 Hester School, San Jose

1923 Saratoga School, Saratoga

1924 Ford's Department Store, Watsonville

1924 Willow Glen Grammar School, San Jose (demolished)

McKinnon School, Santa Clara

1925 Watsonville Fire Station

1930 Anne Darling School, San Jose (demolished)

1931 Natural Science Building (Washington Square Hall), San Jose State College, San Jose

1933 San Jose Post Office, San Jose (National Register)

Washington School, Santa Clara

1935 Gas Station, San Jose (San Jose Mercury Herald, May 10, 1935) (demolished)

1936 Stauffer House, Seven Springs Ranch, Cupertino (California Register)

1936 Paul L. Lion House, San Jose

1936 Sunlite Bakery, San Jose

1938 C.J. Haas House, San Jose

1941 Anglo-California National Bank, San Jose (San Jose City Landmark # __)

1947 Joseph George Distributor Bldg., San Jose

1949 Jack Lusardi Bldg., San Jose

Levi Straus Plant, San Jose

Speech and Drama Bldg., San Jose State College, San Jose

Wahlquist Library, San Jose State College, San Jose (demolished)

Santa Clara County Jail, San Jose

Sources:

Douglas, Jack, "Ralph Wyckoff, Local Architect, Leaves His Mark," Continuity, spring 1999.

Ralph Wyckoff drawing collection, History San Jose.

"Long-Time Architect Ralph Wyckoff Dies," San Jose Mercury, August 18, 1956.

Lewis, Betty, Watsonville: Memories That Linger, 1980.