Levi Goodrich was born January 1, 1822, in New York City, New York. His parents died when he was young, and he lived with relatives in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Goodrich became a carpenter, then studied architecture in the office of R. G Hatfield in New York City.[1][2]
On March 8, 1849, Goodrich sailed for California via Cape Horn on the ship Loochoo arriving on September 16, 1849. He traveled with a large quantity of building materials and sold them upon arriving in San Francisco. Soon after arriving, he designed the Parker house, a wood-framed building on Portsmouth Square. The building, at the corner of Washington and Kearny Streets, was built to replace tents used by Gold Rush miners. It was reportedly the first work in San Francisco by a professional architect.[1][2][3][4]
Goodrich moved to San Jose, California in November 1849. His architectural offices were in the Knox Block.[1][5]
On April 13, 1854, Goodrich married Juliet Peck. They had a son, E. B. Goodrich, who joined his father's office and, eventually, succeeded him.[2]
Goodrich married Sarah Knox on January 15, 1879. She was prominent in the cause of equal rights for women, fully supported by her husband.[2]
Goodrich retired in 1886. On April 2, 1887, he suffered an attack of apoplexy while visiting San Diego with his wife, and quickly died. He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in San Jose.[6][7]
Buildings
San Jose
1851, an adobe house at Santa Clara and Lightstone Streets, with J. D. Hoppe[8]
1851, two one-story adobe buildings on Santa Clara Street, for Frank Lightson[9]
In 1874, Goodrich purchased a 500-acre sandstone quarry that came to be known as Goodrich's Free-Stone Quarry. The quarry is about eight miles south of San Jose in the Santa Teresa Hills on the eastern slope of the Almaden Valley. After Goodrich's death, the quarry was leased, and then sold, to the quarry's stone master Jacob Pfeiffer. It was renamed Graystone Quarry.[22][23]