Biography for Wallace Frost
Wallace Frost was born on October 27, 1892 in Uniontown Pennsylvania. He was the youngest of 6 children and one of only 4 who survived to adulthood. He was named after his father and deceased brother Wallace.
He went to college at the University of Pennsylvania and studied under French architect Paul Cret who designed the Detroit Institute of Art.
In 1917 He married Grace Bierer.
1918 During WWI Wallace Frost moves to Washington DC and works as a Naval Airforce Architect and designs airplane hangars and the Officer's Club at Langley Air Force Base. While working for the military there he meets Detroit Architect Albert Kahn who is impressed with his work and invites Frost to come to work for him in Detroit.
In 1919 Wallace Frost moves to Detroit and works with Albert Kahn on the Detroit Public Library in 1921, The GM building (now known as Cadillac Place) in 1923 and The William L. Clements Library at The University of Michigan also in 1923. He works on the Edsel Ford House in 1927.
In 1920 they had their only child, Jon Wallace Frost II. He was born in Detroit and died in 2002 at the age of 81.
1921 He builds his first home for himself at 579 Tooting Lane.
In 1926 he opens his own design firm Wallace Frost Architects specializing in residential projects rather than big public buildings.
1929 Great Depression
1932 Wallace Frost heads to Italy to study Italian Architecture
1933 Moves to Santa Barbara California and builds a large home there called The Villa
1939 He returns to Birmingham, Michigan
1948 He designed his new studio at 277 Bates that had room for guests
1958 He donates his studio to the city of Birmingham
1961 He retires and travels back and forth from Michigan to Colorado.
1962 Wallace Frost dies and is buried in Colorado. His headstone simply states "Architect."
He designed in 3 different styles and never went back to an older style once he was finished with it.
1921 - 1933 European influence, French (Paul Cret) and English (46 properties)
1934 - 1939 Italian influence (2 properties including The Villa in CA)
1940 - 1960 Mid-century Modern (26 properties)
(List in Progress)