Henry Hartwell Hester
(1925-2006)

(Hester & Davis, Cody & Hester, Hester & Jones, Hester & Livingstone)

Though his designs for Gerald Jerome, Colonel Irving Salomon and Jonathan Edwards were widely published through Julius Shulman’s timeless images, the La Jolla based architect was a private man. Married twice (Piretta, Nancy) and raising a son and a daughter, Henry Hester retired in the late 1980s from his downtown La Jolla office, leaving his 2nd home on Torrey Pines Road to golf and health in Palm Springs, California.

Henry Hester was born May 30, 1925 in Vinta, Oklahoma. Young Henry attended Roosevelt Junior High and Brown Military Academy in San Diego until WW2 broke out. Hester served three years in the US Coast Guard and then attended USC.

According to the San Diego Union Tribune, “I knew him at USC and he was a talent even then,” Hal Sadler said. “He was recognized by a group of USC people who came to San Diego as one of the early standouts in design.”

The same day he graduated from USC’s School of Architecture in 1947, he moved to La Jolla. Designing two homes for himself (also photographed by Shulman) in addition to a wide array of residential and commercial commissions, Hester had the good fortune of a small personal inheritance that allowed him to pick only the clients and projects he felt strongly about.

Through the years, Henry Hester would join in partnership with Frederick Liebhardt (1957), Ronald K. Davis (1958-59), William F. Cody (1958-1960), fellow USC-grad Robert E. Jones (1960-67) as well as Roger Zucchat and David Lorimer. According to his obituary, Hester worked alongside Lloyd Ruocco in some capacity. Projects, while mainly focused in the San Diego area, stretched to Denver, Albuquerque, Florida and throughout California.

Henry Hester’s designs peaked during as Julius Shulman recently stated, “a good period of architecture when San Diego  was just beginning to express itself in favor of modernism… in the early years…the International Style was not accepted… Hester and others warmed up the work quite a bit and edited it in a way that clients would accept.”

Among the few articles on Henry Hester, the September 1983 San Diego Magazine review of San Diego’s architectural firms included a very brief description of his firm: “In the last seven years Hester has limited his practice to custom residential projects. A solid “contemporary architect,” he says his work runs “a broad gamut, from designing houses with limited budgets to designing houses with no budgets at all.” He also incorporates landscaping and interior work into his practice.”

Partial List of San Diego Projects

American Housing Guild Subdivision House (1961)
North, Above San Diego Stadium and in La Mesa
Hester, Jones & Associates
According to San Diego & Point (Jan. 1961) "Three Hester home plans presents are building at Mission Village West and Climax." Marty Gleich (Gleich Residence) was head of American Housing Guild.

Butler Realty/Professional Building
1625 Rosecrans, Point Loma
Hester & Davis

Detchon, Mr & Mrs John A. Residence
4284 Ibis Street, Mission Hills
Landscape by Joe Yamada

Casey, McClenahan and Christensen (1961)
110 Laurel Street
Hester & Davis

Cornelius Residence (1958)
10385 Bonnie Lane
Hester

Del Mar Residence (1962)
Hester, Jones & Associates
San Diego AIA Award of Merit (1963)

Del Mar Residence (1963)
Hester-Jones
San Diego AIA Award of Merit (1964)

Edwards, Jonathan Residence (1962)
Quiet Hills, Escondido
Hester & Davis

El Patio Building (1962)
Ivanhoe, La Jolla
Hester & Davis

Givler Residence (1958)
329 Catarina Drive, Borrego Springs
Hester & Davis

Gleich, Martin L. & Enid Residence (1958)
5120 Norris Road
Hester & Davis
Notes: Award of Excellence, AIA San Diego 1960. Landscape by Wimmer & Yamada.

Golden, Ken Residence
Point Loma

Hester, Henry Residence #1
1630 Mimulus Way, La Jolla
Featured in Architectural Record, August 1962

Hester, Henry Residence #2
Torrey Pines Road

Horizon Home Contest Winner
2608 Angel Avenue, University City

Jerome, Gerald W. Town House (1961)
7930 Prospect Place
Hester, Jones & Associates

Jones Residence (1963)
Hester & Jones

Jones, Robert E. Residence (1962)
2041 Balboa
Hester & Jones

Mueller Residence
Hester

Palmer Hughes Office Building (1962)
Hester, Jones & Associates
7863 Herschel Avenue

Private Residence (1955)
6632 Via Manona, La Jolla

Private Residence
Nemulus, La Jolla

Private Residence
1595 Coast Walk, La Jolla

Private Residence
9982 Shadow Road, Mt Helix

PSA Building (1968)
Hester & Livingston

Schwartz, Lyn Residence (1959)
5483 Drover, College Area
Hester & Davis

Silverman, Richard Residence (1958)
4021 Miller, Mission Hills
Cody & Hester

Salomon Apartments (1959)
3200 6th Avenue
Hester & Davis
Each of the apartment floorplans are individual adding variety to exterior elements. Distinguishable block-like balconies become outside rooms enhancing privacy from neighboring tenants. Award of Merit, AIA San Diego 196

Solomon, Herbert Residence (1964)
6827 Elaine Way, Del Cerro
Remodeled

Spec House (1962)
North Lane on right (South) side of the street.
Hester & Davis

Subdivision House (1962)
Hester, Jones & Associates
San Diego AIA Honorable Mention June (1962)