W. C. Farley Building
Mission Cleaners
W. C. Farley Building on Dolores Street
Location7393 Dolores St., Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Coordinates36°33′16″N 121°55′21″W / 36.55444°N 121.92250°W / 36.55444; -121.92250
Built1927
Built byMichael J. Murphy
Built forW. C. Farley
Original usedry-cleaning
Current useRetail
ArchitectMichael J. Murphy
Architectural style(s)Mediterranean Revival architecture
W. C. Farley Building is located in Carmel, California
W. C. Farley Building
W. C. Farley Building
W. C. Farley Building

The W. C. Farley Building, is a historic commercial building in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. It was built and designed in 1927, by master builder Michael J. Murphy as a retail shop. It is an example of a Mediterranean Revival architecture style building. The structure is recognized as an important commercial building in the city's Downtown Conservation District Historic Property Survey, and was nominated and submitted to the California Register of Historical Resources on June 19, 2002.[1]

History

W. C. Farley Building showing three shops on Dolores Street, Carmel-by-the-Sea.

The W. C. Farley Building was established for businessman W. C. Farley in 1927, located on Dolores Street between Ocean Avenue and 7th Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.[2]

The W. C. Farley Building is a one-story Mediterranean Revival architecture-style building commercial building constructed of reinforced concrete with a low-pitched Spanish-style ceramic clay tile roof with a Carmel stone wall. The three wedge shaped shop stone entrances have low arched show windows with Dutch doors. Awnings were installed that cover one of the arched window and the entrance doors. In 1927, the cost of the 40 ft (12 m) by 70 ft (21 m) building was $6,000 (equivalent to $101,080 in 2022).[1][3]

The center shop has a horizontal wood beam or lintel above the main entrance door that reads: "TA SUNKA WETKA," meaning "Chief Crazy Horse." It comes from the fact that Farley operated a general store and post office on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, and when he left the Indians gave him this honorary title.[4]

The building qualified for inclusion in the city's Downtown Conservation District Historic Property Survey, and has been nominated and submitted to the California Register of Historical Resources on June 19, 2002. The property is significant under the California Register criterion 3, in the area of commercial Mediterranean Revival architecture development in downtown Carmel and as work done by master builder Michael J. Murphy.[1]

The Dolores Street property has been the home of many businesses over the years. It was the site of the W. C. Farley's Mission Cleaners business for more than 60 years.[3]

Several additions and remodeling’s took place over the years. In 1927, a dry-cleaning plant was constructed to the rear of the building by Murphy for $700 (equivalent to $11,793 in 2022). The cleaning plant was remodeled in 1969 for $10,000 (equivalent to $79,800 in 2022). In 1983, new store windows, Dutch doors, and awning were completed by contractor Alan Williams for $1,200 (equivalent to $3,526 in 2022). In 2000, an interior remodel was done for $1,800 (equivalent to $3,059 in 2022).[1]

W. C. Farley

William C. Farley was born on November 13, 1885, in Terre Haute, Indiana. His wife was Nell Farley.[5]

In the early 1920s, Farley first entered the dry cleaning business when he purchased a plant at Paso Robles, California. In 1924, Farley founded the first dry-cleaning business in Carmel-by-the-Sea.[6][7]

Farley was called to Washington, D.C. in the 1930s by the National Association of Cleaners and Dyers, where he served as technical field engineer for several years. In 1934, he then became the technical engineer in the dry cleaning industry at the Marshall Steel plant in Oakland, California, and directed the activities of a new $250,000 (equivalent to $5,468,905 in 2022) plant.[6]

He later moved to Brownsville, Texas with his daughter, Henrietta and her husband Frederick de Stefano (1900–1974).[7]

Farley died on December 1, 1966, in Brownsville, Texas, at the age of 81.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Richard N. Janick (June 19, 2002). "Department Of Parks And Recreation". National Park Service. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  2. ↑ Seavey, Kent (2007). Carmel, A History in Architecture. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. p. 106. ISBN 9780738547053. Retrieved 2022-06-15.
  3. 1 2 Dramov, Alissandra (2019). Historic Buildings of Downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. p. 78. ISBN 9781467103039. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  4. ↑ Beth (1955-04-07). "The Needler". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. p. 4. Retrieved 2022-06-15.
  5. 1 2 "JaClarence Farleyud". The Terre Haute Tribune. Terre Haute, Indiana. 17 Dec 1966. p. 2. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  6. 1 2 J. Ulrich (7 May 1934). "Technical Expert Directs Cleaning". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. p. 6. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  7. 1 2 "W. C. Farley Visitng". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. January 14, 1955. p. 9. Retrieved 2022-06-15.
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