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CLIFF MAY (1906-1989)

May grew up in San Diego CA. He was related to Jose Antonio Estudillo, one of the founders of San Diego. His father's side held a lifetime lease on the old Los Flores Rancho in San Diego County. May built Monterey-style furniture as a young man then started designing houses. He is credited with creating the pitched-roof, low-slung California Ranch-style house in 1932 while having no formal education as an architect or formal licensure.

During his career, May designed over 1,000 houses. In 1932, May's first house sold for $9,500. The second house he built was featured in Architectural Digest in 1934. He continued to build 50 more houses in San Diego before moving to Los Angeles in 1935. His work was featured in all the major magazines. During the 1950s May, along with colleague Chris Choate, designed prefab tract ranch homes sold to builders across the US. The partnership ended in 1956 with May's departure. In 2012, UC Santa Barbara and the organization Pacific Standard Time mounted a retrospective exhibition, Carefree California: Cliff May and the Romance of the Ranch, 1920-1960. Research by Catherine Westergaard Cramer.


Subdivision: Lakewood Rancho Estates


1932 - The Colonel Arthur and Francis O'Leary House, 4725 Norma Drive, San Diego CA. Sold around 1970 to Henri and Irene Ghilbert. Sold in 1995 to Karolyn Kirby. Sold in 1998 to the Richard C. Garbini Trust.


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1932 - The A. O. Mirade Company House, Marston Hills, San Diego CA. Presumed unbuilt.


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1933 - The Cliff May House I, 4338 Adams Avenue, Talmadge Park, San Diego CA. Sold in 2013. Sold in 2017 to Lena Sims and Jeffry Isaacson.


1933 - The John R. and Florence Porterfield Beardsley House, 3130 Shadowlawn Street, San Diego CA. Sold in the 1940s to the Wetherill Family who lived there for 30 years. Sold to Betty Burr Scott. Sold in 2000 to Robert and Agnes Schlesinger. Sold in 2010 to Bruce and Alana Coons.


1933 - The Captain and Mrs. William Lindstrom House, 4669 East Talmadge Drive, San Diego CA. Sold to the Moe Trust. Sold in 1993 to Donn and Laurie Wilson. Sold in 1998 to the D. Lee and Barbara Roper Family Trust, who were instrumental in putting it on the National Registry in 2000. Sold in 2021 to M L G 5 9 3 LLC.


1933 - The Sheldon Hodge House 1, 4365 Altamirano Way, San Diego CA. His third house. Destroyed in the 1950s by a gas explosion. New house built on the site in 1979.


1934 - The Langston House, aka Casa de los Alisos, 6116 Avenida Cresta, La Jolla CA. Sold to Barry and Arlett Richmond. Sold in 1996 to Aguirre Family Trust. Sold in 2018 to Michael H. Joehnk.


1934 - The Alexander and Nancy Highland House, 2400 Presidio Drive, San Diego CA. Sold to Consuelos Mexica. Sold in 1994 to Michael and Dinah Grisdale, later Grisdale Family Trust. Listed on the City of San Diego's Historic Register.


1934 - The Neil Dittenhaver House, 3462 Malito Drive, Bonita CA. Sold in 1936 to Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Hobbs. Sold to David Sohn. Sold in 1992 to Josie Calderon and Richard Scott.


1934 - The Frederick Hunt Wood House, 7575 Hillside Drive, La Jolla CA. Additions in the 1950s and 1960s. Sold to Mark Steven Gosselin. Sold in 1999 to NTC Holding. Sold in 2002 to David and Mary Wilhelm. Sold in 2004 to Robert and Barbara Agdern.


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1934 - The Sweetwater Woman's Club, 3855 Sweetwater Road, Bonita CA.


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1934 - The Alex Highland House, 2412 Presidio Drive, San Diego CA.


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1934 - The Albert Aldrete Sr. House, Tijuana CA. Presumed unbuilt.

1934 - The Frank A. Moore House, Avenida Centenario, Hermasillo, Mexico. Status unknown.


1935 - The Vincent Whelan House, 3597 Lomacitas Lane, Bonita CA. Sold in 1995 to Robert and Nancy Lemke, still owners as of 2022.


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1935 - The John A. Smith House and Gatehouse, 1233 Walnut Street, La Habra Heights CA. Presumed built; status unknown.


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1936 - Hiram and Violetta Lee Horton Speculative Houses, Hillside Drive, La Jolla CA. The Hortons built four of the six speculative houses May designed for them on Hillside Drive in La Jolla, a seaside community in northern San Diego. These homes were sometimes referred to as "The Munchkin Houses," because of a rumor that they were built by the actors who performed in the Wizard of Oz, using their proceeds from the movie. The 2 remaining original houses appear to have been altered and expanded over the years.

Violetta Horton also commissioned May to build the Sweetwater Women’s clubhouse in nearby Bonita. Where May had the chance to work on a corner lot or to orchestrate a number of dwellings together, he was less constrained by the need to separate the porch and court from the sight of neighbors, and began to find more varied ways to organize the house plans. Once out on more spacious exurban sites, May varied the shape and orientation of the courtyard with splayed and open plans.

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1936 - House #1, 7575 Hillside Drive, La Jolla CA. Sold to Mark Steven Gosselin. Sold in 1999 to N T C Holding Co. Sold in 2002 to the Wilhem family. Sold in 2004 to Barbara and Robert Agdern.

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1936 - House #2, 7447 Hillside Drive, La Jolla CA. Destroyed in 2021.

1936 - House #3, 7455 Hillside Drive, La Jolla CA. Destroyed and new house 2006.

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1936 - House #4, 7477 Hillside Drive, La Jolla CA. Sold to the Byram Trust. Sold in 2003 to Adele and Ricardo Icaza.


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1936 - The Franz Alexander House, 5758 Dolphin Place, La Jolla CA. Address changed from 5758 Chelsea. Sold in 1991 to James and Els Myers.


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1936 - The Guy R. Chase House I, aka Hope Ranch, 585 Las Palmas, Santa Barbara CA. Unsure if May designed additional guest house. Sold to Chadwick and Kathleen Bird. Sold in 2022 to Garrott and Rachel Stanton.


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1936 - The H. E. Knauss House, 633 Alameda Boulevard, Coronado CA. Sold to Harold and Sally Robbins. Sold in 1998 to Craig Warriner.


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1936 - The Mildred Boos Speculative House, 1920 Mandeville Canyon Road, Brentwood CA. Sold in 2004 to Keith and Patrice Blackpool. Sold in 2019 to Saturne Group LLC/Jayme and Miles Beckett.


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1936 - The Marie Peacock House, 445 Arenas Street, La Jolla CA. Sold to Tide Pool Holdings LLC.


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1936 - The Mort T. Seligman House, 777 G Avenue, Coronado CA. Guest suite added 2005 as well as a kitchen remodel. Sold to the Wallace Trust. Sold in 1993 to Alan and Diane Crittenden. Sold in 2005 to the Russell and Donna Haley Trust. Sold in 2019 to Theresa Debbink.


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1936 - The Maurice E. Tait House, 4291 Van Dyke Place, Talmadge Park, San Diego CA. Sold prior to 2000 to Wilfred Franson.


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1936 - The Lorraine and Harold Tucker House, 4366 Altamirano Way, San Diego CA. May said in an interview in 1980 that developer George Marston had given him several lots in his development in Mission Hills and he claimed to have built 5-6 houses. The booklet written by the San Diego Commission says that they found 4 houses, the Hodge house, this home, and two others and they dispute the claim that Marston gave him the lots. Sold in 1950s to Willis Miller who hired May's friend, architect Samuel Hamill, to add 2 rooms to the second floor in May's style. Sold in 2012 to Thomas R. Nelson.


1936 - The Sheldon Hodge House 2, 4369 Altamirano Way, San Diego CA. Sold to Michael D. Lutz. Sold in 1989 to John Dunn.


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1936 - The Matthew B. Gardner House, 200 Palm Avenue, Coronado CA. Sold to Elinor Cahedy. Sold in 2008 to Robert P. Adams and William Bocken. Sold in 2011 to Joseph and Nancy Bledsoe. Sold in 2018 to Kai and Sara Andersen. Sold in 2020 to Robert Harward.


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1936 - The O. H. B. Trenchard House, 6126 Avenida Cresta, La Jolla CA. Sold in 2018 to the Baratz Family Trust.


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1936 - The George F. Cottrell House, 7819 Lookout Drive, La Jolla CA. Possible address: La Jolla Vista. Status unknown.

1936 - The H. G. Eales House, Presidio Hills, San Diego CA. Presumed unbuilt.

1936 - The Admiral A. Farenholt House, 3626 Hyacinth Drive, Loma Portal, San Diego CA. Status unknown.

1936 - The Hacienda Ranch House, San Diego CA.

1936 - The Marge Bishop Alterations, Del Mar CA. Status unknown.

1936 - The Dennstedt Patio Home, Talmadge Park, San Diego CA. Although there are some connections between the Dennstedt Building Co. and May, it has not been determined whether any house design of May's was ever included in a Dennstedt subdivision.

1936 - The David Llewellyn House, Escondido CA. Status unknown.

1936 - The William C. Strange Jr. House, Rancho de la Maria, Santa Ana CA. Status unknown.


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1937 - The Mrs. George H. Nuckolls House, 6004 Avenida Cresta, La Jolla CA. Sold to the Arthur B. Reynolds Trust.


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1937 - The John A. Smith Speculative House, 969 Stone Canyon Road, Los Angeles CA. This first May-designed house in Los Angeles combines California Ranch style with the hacienda which would later define May's style. Early photos above from a 1937 article. Sold in 1937 to Mrs. W. H. Lyman. On the market from 1938 through early the 1940s. Sold to Helen and Michael Grant, who commissioned May in 1946 to make alterations. For sale in 1959 through the early 1960s. Sold in 1986 to Eric Eisner. Deeded in 1987 to Charles Eisner. Photos by Michael Locke.


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1937 - The Ivar Winding House, Palos Verdes Estates CA. Status unknown.

1937 - The Jonas Ingram House, Coronado CA. Status unknown.

1937 - The O'Farrell House, Brentwood CA. Presumed unbuilt.


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1938 - The Riviera Ranch Model Home, aka Cliff May House III, 1500 Old Oak Road, Los Angeles CA. The hacienda-style house was built by May as his personal residence in 1938. The house also served as a model home to generate sales in the neighborhood. It is out of sight and at the top of Old Oak Road; he called it Mandalay. Architect A. T. Gilman designed a new wing to the house in 1973, adding two bedrooms and two baths, and remodeled the study. Architects Conrad Buff and Don Hensman designed a bath and dressing room addition and remodeled the kitchen for owners Mr. and Mrs. McDonald in 1977. May remodeled the house for actor Robert Wagner, adding accessory living quarters and attached garage in 1983 and a gym and bathroom in 1985. As of 2023, the house was undergoing a major renovation. Photos by Michael Locke.


1938 - The Howard M. and Fern M. Binford House, 5016 Alta Canyada Road, La Cañada Flintridge CA. Mr. Binford was a Los Angeles attorney associated with Binford & Binford for 50 years. Photos by Michael Locke.  Sold in 2023 to Anahid Nazaretian.


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1938 - The H. H. Utley House, 515 Alma Real Drive, Pacific Palisades CA. Sold in mid-1940s to Evan Lewis. For sale after 1961. Sold to Thomas and Joan Freeman. Sold in 2017 to Stacey and Stephen Henning.


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1938 - The Irving T. Snyder House and Gatehouse, 1145 Camino Mirasol, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.

1938 - The Frank Colligan House, 814 O'Campo Drive, Huntington Palisades, Los Angeles CA. Presumed unbuilt.


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1939 - The Frederic Blow House II, 29 Oakmont Drive, Brentwood CA. Addition of swimming pool and lounge in 1941, a guesthouse and pool in 1944-48, and alterations in 1946. House is just north of House I at 27 Oakmont. Sold to W. and G. Huyck. Sold in 2018 to GK1 LLC/Carmen and John Thai.


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1939 - The D. G. Tomlinson House and Gatehouse, Beverly Hills CA. Presumed unbuilt.

1939 - The Lieutenant Walker House, Mission Hills CA. Presumed unbuilt.

1939 - The Bruce C. Elliot House, Los Angeles CA. Presumed unbuilt.

1939 - The Oakmont House, Los Angeles CA. Located in Brentwood Park.

1939 - The Frederic M. Blow Gatehouse and Studio, 747 Oakmont Drive, Brentwood CA. Presumed unbuilt.

1939 - The Frederic M. Blow Stables and Gatehouse, 747 Oakmont Drive, Brentwood CA. Presumed unbuilt.

1939 - The C. C. Moseley Project, Grand Central Air Terminal Temporary Barracks, Riverside Drive, Glendale CA. Army airfield now owned by Walt Disney. Status unknown.

1930s - The Griffing Bancroft House. Status unknown.


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1940 - The Charles Kaufman House, 13600 Romany Drive, Pacific Palisades CA. Address was changed; originally 1350 Capri Drive. Maid’s room addition added by the Kaufmans in 1948. Sold circa 1979 to L. Waronker, who did a bath remodel. Sold circa 1983 to Alistair Stones, who remodeled and built addition. Sold in 1992 to Bruce Gowers, who reframed the ceiling and did a bath remodel. Sold to Robert and Nancy Bergman. In 2004 to Serena and Shawn Levy. Sold in 2013 to Steven Berson, who did an interior renovation on the first floor and replaced the second story windows. Sold in 2014 to Jeffery and Rachel Schwartz.


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1940 - The Dr. Leslie LeCron House I, 1679 Alta Mura Road, Pacific Palisades CA. Sold to Jenny and Richard Bowen. Sold in 1998 to Bruce and Marlene Rognlien.


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1940 - The F. Clarence Goodwin House and Garden, 5016 Alta Canyada, La Cañada Flintridge CA. Sold to John and Patricia Yunker. Sold in 2002 to Craig and Melissa Mazin.


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1940 - The Frederic M. Blow House I, 27 Oakmont Drive, Brentwood CA. Frederic Blow purchased property for a development of houses, including his own at 27 Oakmont. A second house for Blow in the neighborhood as well as accompanying buildings were built over the next couple of years. Sold to Nancy Mehta.


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1940 - The M. H. Cowen House, 1089 Oxford Avenue, Claremont CA. Sold to the Herman Geller Trust. Deeded in 2022 to Lisa Geller.


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1940 - The Mrs. A. S. Knisely House, 13225 Old Oak Lane, Los Angeles CA. Sold in the mid-1940s to Robert and Dorothy Bowman, who extended the porch roofline. Sold in 1974 to Dr. Joseph Carey. That same year a dressing room, bath, and bedroom were added. In 1980 the kitchen was remodeled, and in 1981 a new family room and a 2-story addition with 2 bedrooms and baths were added. Sold to Brenda Larsen. Sold in 2003 to Andrew Kaplan and the Kaplan Wright Trust.The house was destroyed in 2004 and a new house built. It was listed as a noncontributor to the Old Ranch Road Residential District when the house was destroyed. Photo 1 is the original house; photo 2, current.


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1940 - The E. G. Lloyd House, 1561 Old Oak Road, Los Angeles CA. Sold to Sherman Given. Sold to Elizabeth Bond. Sold in 1999 to Jeff and Fanya Weinberger.


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1940 - The Neil Monroe House, aka Ranchita de la Colina, 13233 Riviera Ranch Road, Los Angeles CA. Sold to H. E. Archibald. Altered between 1946 and 1948 by May, adding two bedrooms and a playroom. In 1968 architect Chris Choate redid the chimney.  Sold to Sy and Maxine Gomberg. Sold in 2010 to David and Karina Calvert-Jones, who added a two-story guest quarters designed by architect Steven Giannetti.  In 2012, they removed the original garage, remodeled, and did a large addition.  The property also has horse stables, a walking ring, and a tackroom. For sale in 2024.


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1940 - The David Hertz House, 1420 Amalfi, Brentwood CA. Demolished in 1998 and new house built in 2000. Sold in 1945 to Arthur Kates, who added a garage and remodeled the kitchen.

1940 - The Eric Scudder House, 1325 Chautauqua Blvd, Pacific Palisades CA. Destroyed in 2015; new house built 2016.

1940 - The John Miller House and Fence, Riviera Ranch, Brentwood CA. Status unknown. Riviera Ranch was a development May designed with First National Financial Corporation and John Smith. The development consisted of 24 Rancho sites and opened in October 1940 with two homes completed and several under construction. It was located on Sunset Boulevard across from the Riviera Country Club Polo Fields. There were a couple of other developments between the two parties, but the relationship later deteriorated due to May wanting to protect his designs.

1940 - The T. V. Cadick House, Woodley Avenue, Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt. Cadick owned the local Packard dealership.

1940 - The Thomas Colby House, Valley Center, Escondido CA. Referred to as his ranch home. Sold in 1942. Status unknown.

1940 - The Charles Crooks House, 1123 San Vincente Blvd., Santa Monica CA. Block started as orchards. Sold in mid-to late-1940s to Donald Royce. For sale in 1969, after which address disappears and homes change. House has been destroyed.

1940 - The Sidney Franklin House, 4970 Corbin Avenue, Tarzana CA. This home and guest house were built on a 15-acre ranch in what was called Rancho Hills. The area exploded in the early 1960s and a development came in. Demolished by the 1960s.

1940 - The Sam Gold House, Huntington Palisades CA. Unbuilt.

1940 - The Floyd B Layne Subdivision, San Fernando CA. Unbuilt.

1940 - The John E. Olson, San Mateo CA. Presumed unbuilt.

1940 - The Charles Philipps House.


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1941 - The Marvel Beem House, 1511 Old Oak Road, Los Angeles CA. 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths in the main house plus an attached 2 bedroom and 1 bath guest house, 3-car garage, and workshop area. Sold in 1988 to Mary Gage and Robert Gage Trust. Sold in 2019 to Riviera Ranch #9 LLC (possibly Cameron Strang). Demolished in 2020. Lot sold in 2023 to unknown buyer.


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1941 - The Arthur B. Campbell House, 13224 Old Oak Lane, Los Angeles CA. This house was on the lot behind the Beem house, which was also destroyed in 2020. Sold to Kelly Harmon Miller. Sold in 2019 to the Estate of Rita and Abraham Kogan. Sold in 2019 to Cameron Strang, who destroyed it in 2020.


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1941 - The Edward Fowler House, 1700 San Remo Street, Los Angeles CA. Three structures remodeled, main house, 4-bedroom guest house, and a yoga/office/gym structure. Sold to Brian Grazer. Sold in 2009 to Howard Altman and Gary Kress. Sold in 2018 to Richard Feldstein.


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1941 - The E. S. Goodrich House I, 1525 Old Oak Road, Los Angeles CA. Sold in 1999 to George and Kelly Davis. Available as a monthly rental.


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1941 - The E. T. Griffith House, 1614 Old Oak Road, Los Angeles CA. Sold to Willard C. Chamberlain Jr. Renovated between 1946 and 1948 by May. Sold to Michael and Shelah Kidd. Sold in 2019 to John Hynes. Destroyed in 2020.


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1941 - The William Edward Woods House, 6117 Avenida Cresta, La Jolla CA. Sold to David G. Fitch. Sold to Richard and Karen Trackler.


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1942 - The First National Construction Inc. Lomita Square Defense Housing, 246th Street, Wilmington CA. Status unknown.

1942 - The Arthur Hess House, Chatsworth CA. Plan only, published in 1942 in Sunset Western Ranch Houses. May's later 1944 Postwar Demonstration House (built in 1947) is based in part on the Hess U-shaped plan.

1942 - The Eunice Lewis Alterations, Cedros Avenue and Nordhoff Avenue, Van Nuys CA. Presumed unbuilt.

1944 - The Brian Aherne Adobe House, Indio CA. Unbuilt.


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1945 - The Helen Prouty House, 1675 Old Oak Road, Los Angeles CA. Sold in 2013 to Roger and Jennifer Gimbel.


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1945 - The Grace Robert House, 1133 Camino del Mirasol, Palm Springs CA. Newspaper lists May as contractor. Sold in 2018 to Georg and Gabriele Richter. Restoration circa 2010.


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1945 - The J. Cliff Garrett Ranch House #1,  Valley Center CA. Unbuilt.


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1945 - The Major J. L. Wier Adobe House. Warner Hot Springs CA. Status unknown.


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1945 - The Colonel and Mrs. Frank C. Wolfe, Escondido CA. Status unknown.


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1945 - The E.F. McCloskey House, 1617 Old Oak Road, Brentwood CA. Sold to Daniel and Luana Romanelli. Sold in 2007 to the Susan Zolla Trust.


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1945 - The J.M. Shields House, 1671 Old Oak Road, Brentwood CA. Sold to Mary Sweeney. Transferred in 2013 to the Victoria Shemania and Mary Sweeney Trust.


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1945 - The James Wallington House, Gatehouse and Barn, Malibu CA. Status unknown.


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1945 - The Robert J. Donovan House, Status unknown.


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1945 - The D. S. Calland House, San Diego CA. Status unknown.

1945 - The Burton S. Dake Jr. House, Pasadena CA. Status unknown.

1945 - The Albert C. Essig House, 12631 Kling Street, Los Angeles CA. Street name is now Teesdale Avenue, with the house in question being at 4708. Status unknown.

1945 - The Richard Hadyn Alterations, 619 Amali, Pacific Palisades CA. In the mid-1980s the home may have been destroyed and rebuilt. Sold to Rochelle Good. Sold in 1995 to Robert and Nancy Good. Sold in 2006 to Valerie Karno.

1945 - The Mrs. I. M. Hopkins House, aka Adobe House, Warner Hot Springs CA. Status unknown.

1945 - The John A. Smith First National Financial Corp. Model House, aka House Beautiful Wood Acres, San Vicente, Santa Monica CA. Unbuilt.

1945 - The G. H. Keith House, Pacific Palisades CA. Unbuilt.

1945 - The C. C. Moseley Alterations, Beverly Hills CA. Featured in Sunset, November 1945.

1945 - The Frank L Robinson Ranch House, Old Ranch Road, Brentwood CA. Status unknown.

1945 - The John A. Smith House, View Park CA. Unbuilt.

1945 - The T. L. Svoboda House and Stables, Wells Drive. Unbuilt.

1945 - The Grant Weiss House, Libbit Avenue, Encino CA. Unbuilt.

1945 - The John P. Massena House, Carlsbad CA. Presumed unbuilt.

1945 - The Robert Andrews House, Van Nuys CA. Unbuilt.

1945 - The Raymond Haight House, Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.

1945 - The H. W. Hitchcock House, Carpinteria CA. Unbuilt.

1945 - The Thomas Hull House, San Fernando Valley CA. Unbuilt.

1945 - The Howard B. Borrow House, Highland CA. Unbuilt.


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1946 - The Frank H. Ayres and Sons Superior Oil Co. Model for GI Ranch House, 6407 West 80th Street, Los Angeles CA. Kentwood Park Estates. Homes completed in 1948. May's "All American G. I. Home" was published in Good Housekeeping around 1947-1950.


1946 - The James B. Rogers House, Ranch Oso Pardo, Keene CA.


1946 - The Minimum House Model. Drawings for Sunset Magazine.


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1946 - The Lawrence Lane Sr. Renovation and Guest House, 800 Quail Hollow Road, Felton CA. Former address was 700 Quail Hollow Road. Lawrence Lane Sr. owned Sunset Magazine. The house was originally built in 1889 and May completely renovated the interior. Sold in 1956 to J. J. Gallentine. Sold in 1957 to Harry Owen. Sold in 1974 to the Santa Clara County School District for a site for environmental studies, which residents opposed. Sold in 1984 to Santa Cruz County and turned into a county park. The house is used for weddings and events held on the property.


1946 - The Russell Frey House, 100 Rio Street, Red Bluff CA. Became a law office.


1946 - The Sam Crowley House, 23635 Cone Grove Road, Red Bluff CA. Sold in 2017.


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1946 - The George Barret or Barrett House, Calabasas CA. Status unknown.

1946 - The Glenn Dial Jr. House, Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.

1946 - The Herbert Francisco House, Kenter Avenue, Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.

1946 - The Clifton Hix House. Unbuilt.

1946 - The Leland Hughes House, Riviera Ranch, Brentwood CA.

1946 - The James L. Maupin House, Fresno CA.

1946 - The M. H. Pettit House, Santa Anita Oaks, Arcadia CA.

1946 - The O. L. Stone House, Woodacres Road, Brentwood CA.

1946 - The Roger B. Young House I, Montebello CA.

Around 1946 - The Cliff May Homes Low Cost Tract Houses.


1947 - The Minimum House. Designed for Good Housekeeping magazine. A design for a small ranch house meant for a 60' x 120' lot.


1947 - The Guy R. Chase House #2, 4135 Lago Drive, Santa Barbara CA. Sold to Douglas and Helen Fabian. Sold in 2021 to 4135 Lago LLC.


1947 - The House Beautiful Pace Setter Exhibition House, 1611 Old Oak Road, Los Angeles CA. Commissioned around 1944. Project architect, William Cody. Remodeled in 1948 by May. Destroyed in 2006 and a new house built. Photographs courtesy of the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, San Marino CA.


1947 - The Palos Verdes Corporation Model House, Palos Verdes CA. Commissioned by Frank H. Ayres & Sons.


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1947 - The John A. Smith House, 560 San Gabriel River Parkway, El Monte CA. Status unknown.

1947 - The George Welch House, 10 Sullivan Canyon, Brentwood CA. Status unknown.

1947 - The E. L. Wiens House, Porterville CA. Status unknown.

1947 - The Lloyd Aldrich House #1, Uplifters Ranch, Pacific Palisades CA. Unsure if built. Aldrich was the city engineer at the time.

1947 - The Frederic M. Blow and Cliff May Subdivision, 10 Units, Brentwood CA. Unbuilt.

1947 - The Frederic M. Blow and Cliff May Subdivision, 8 Units, Brentwood CA. Unbuilt.

1947 - The Frederic M. Blow and Cliff May Subdivision, 20 Units, Brentwood CA. Unbuilt.

1947 - The Maynard Parker House, Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.

1947 - The Fred Vaughn House, Reno NV.  Status unknown.

1947 - The A. F. Monteverde House, 1700 West Washington Street, Montebello CA. Possibly unbuilt or incorrect address.

1947 - The Wilbur and Mariann Henry House, 1733 Westridge Road, Los Angeles CA. Possibly unbuilt or incorrect address.

1947 - The Louis Magee Alterations, Oceanside CA.

1947 - The PIC Magazine for Men Model House. Status unknown.

1947 - The Phil Shipley House, San Diego CA. Status unknown.

1947 - The Herbert Pritzloff House, 73493 Joshua Tree Street, Palm Desert CA. Destroyed by fire in 1949. Rebuilt in 1951 by Walter White.


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1948 - The George L. and Myrtle Mee House, Peach Tree Ranch, Peach Tree Road, King City/Lonoak CA. 30,000 acres.  Mee was a rancher in Monterey County CA. When he died in 1958, his wife and son sold enough cattle to start the George Mee Hospital, still in operation as of 2023.   Status unknown.


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1948 - The W. H. Theobold House, 1831 Old Orchard Road, Los Angeles CA. Allied Builders added a carport and remodeled an existing garage into a den for owner Vancille H. Doering in 1961. Photo by Michael Locke.


1948 - The Perry R. Hanson House, 17 Norfolk Drive, Eastborough KS. Sold in 1960 to Albert D. Barnett. Sold around 1982 to Thomas Rosenberg.


1948 - The Harold C. Price Residence, aka Star View Farm, 2800 Silver Lake Road, Bartlesville OK. Altered from 1957-1958 and 1960. The California ranch style house reportedly did not hold up well over the years in the Oklahoma weather and was eventually abandoned and destroyed.


1948 - The Dwight Wiley House, 13131 Riviera Ranch Road, Los Angeles CA. Sold to Robert E. Knudsen. Sold in 2016 to Michael and Claire Van Konynenberg. Sold in 2020 to John Hynes. Sold in 2021 to Jeffrey and Kristin Worthe.


1948 - The W. L. Folsom House, 1671 Old Oak Road, Los Angeles CA. Sold in 1992 to Victoria Shemaria and Mary Sweeney.


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1948 - The Sullivan Canyon Ranches, Los Angeles CA.

1948 - The Al Stuebing Alterations and Guest House, 4465 Woodley Avenue, Encino CA. Destroyed. New house built 2007.

1948 - The Francis Appleton III Remodel, 2002 Old Ranch Road, Los Angeles CA. Former address was 80 Sullivan Canyon Road. Unknown if built. House at this address was built in 1952 by owner and architect Alfred Gilman.

1948 - The John Hromadka House, 1626 Old Oak Road, Los Angeles CA. Sold in 1950 to Carl Di Lullo. Sold in the 1970s to Everett and Thomas Welmers. Sold in 2015 to Andrew Katzenstein. Destroyed around 2015.

1948 - The Cornelius Ellyson Shinn House, Guest House, and Stables, Crest Road, Rolling Hills CA. Presumed unbuilt.

1948 - The Marston Burnham House, 7320 Vista del Mar Avenue, La Jolla CA. Sold in the 1950s to J. Preston Burlingham. Sold to the Fisler Trust. Sold in 2000 to the Scott Jones Family Trust. Destroyed and a new house built in 2004.

1948 - The Franklin Coen House, 32406 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu CA. Altered in 1949-1951. Sold in the 1950s to Edgar Macon West. Sold to actor Jason Robards. Destroyed between 1967 and 1980. New house built in 1984 and address changed to 32402.

1948 - The George Hatcher House, Carbon Canyon, Malibu CA.

1948 - The Neil Monroe Alterations, 1611 Old Oak Road, Los Angeles CA. Sold in the 1950s to Edward Winchell. Sold in the early 1960s to actor Stuart Whitman. Sold to Maurice Muehle. Sold in 2006. Destroyed in 2006. New house built in 2007.

1948 - The H. Austin Peterson House, 13215 Riviera Ranch Road, Los Angeles CA. Sold in the mid-1960s to Earl Nelson. Sold to Marshall Herskovitz. Destroyed in 2011. New house built in 2015.


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1949 - The Jesse W. Curtis Jr. House I, 1 Quail Canyon Road, San Bernardino CA. Photos above from Architectural Record, 1950. Address has changed.


1949 - The L. E. Tucker House, 13222 Riviera Ranch Road, Los Angeles CA. Permit records for lot also exist under 13224 Riviera Ranch Road. Pool house built around 1961. Sold to Ruth and Arnold Albert. Sold in 2018 to H. Debra Levin (Riviera Ranch Trust). Remodeled in 2021 with second-story addition. Sold in 2021 to Judy and Kevin Seng.


1950 - The Lloyd Aldrich House #2, 15151 Mission Hills Road, Mission Hills CA. Sold to Otto Klinger. House is now considered part of same lot as 15155 and is the southernmost house in above aerial photo.


1950 - The David Rubinoff House, 5050 Encino Boulevard, Los Angeles CA. Sold in the late 1950s to Arthur Braklein. Sold around 1970 to John Lester. Destroyed in 1998. New house built in 1999.


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1950 - The Marla Shelton and Lou Alter House, Amalfi Drive, Brentwood CA. Presumed unbuilt.

1950 - The Frank Coe House, Malibu CA. Presumed unbuilt.

1950 - The Living Kitchen Model House, Orinda CA. Designed for House Beautiful.

1950 - The Smith G. Fowler Working Ranch, Rancho Jamacha, Spring Valley CA. Rancho Jamacha was a nearly 9,000-acre Mexican land grant in 1840. In the late 1940s and early 1950s it was being developed, and a wedding announcement for Fowler states that the couple would be living at Rancho Jamacha after the marriage. Presumed unbuilt.


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1951 - The Prefab House, Phoenix AZ.

1951 - The Edmund Beloin Guest House and Pool House, North Barrington Avenue and Chaparal Street, Brentwood CA. Presumed unbuilt.

1951 - The G. R. Lovejoy House, Rancho Topanga, Malibu CA. Status unknown.


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1952 - The Best O. and Mary Cairns Dawson House, 11681 Valleycrest Road, Studio City CA. Sold in 1987 to Julie Payne Reicheg. Sold in 2023. Photos by Michael Locke.


1952 - The Cliff May House, aka Experimental House, 1831 Old Ranch Road, Los Angeles CA. Sold to photographer Robert Richardson. Renovated in 2007 by Marmol Radziner.  For rent for a few years. Sold in 2011 to Ed O'Neill of Modern Family.


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1952 - The Tanglewood House, Lubbock TX.

1952 - The Robert Meyer House, Soundview Drive, Tacoma WA.


1953- Joseph L. Ettinger House, 1784 Old Ranch Road, Pacific Palisades CA. Sold to Jacqueline Greber. Sold in 1988 to Barbara and Alvin Botter. Sold in 1997 to Timothy J. and Cheryl D.C. Harris. Sold in 2001 to Zuade Kaufman. Sold in 2003 to Samuel H. Harper and Anna M. Mcdonnel. Sold int 2013 to Augunas-Pogue Family Trust. Sold in 2022 to Jeanne-Pierre L. Conte Trust. For sale in 2024. Photos by Michael Locke.


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1953 - The Rancho Rinconada, Cupertino CA. Subdivision of around 900 homes, built with Stern & Price.


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1954 - The Sig M. Blau House, 15464 Deerhorn Road, Sherman Oaks CA.  Designed with Chris Choate.  WesternBuilt Homes Corporation was the builder.  Photo by Michael Locke.


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1954 - Prefab Homes, Tucson AZ.

1954 - Prefab Homes, Lakewood WA.

1955 - The Casa View Oaks Prefab Homes, Dallas TX.

1955 - The Charleston Heights Prefab Homes, Las Vegas NV.

1955 - The Harvey Park Prefab Homes, Denver CO.

1955 - 2 Prefab Homes, Odessa TX.

1955 - The Cherokee Village Prefab Houses, Cherokee Village AR.

1955 - The Castle Hills Prefab Homes, San Antonio TX.

1955 - aka Maywood Hills Prefab Homes, Salt Lake City UT.

1955 - The Fish-Baughman House, Millcreek UT. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

1955 - The Cliff May House, aka Mandalay, Brentwood, Los Angeles CA.

1955 - The Friedman House, Brentwood, Los Angeles CA. Renovated in 2011 by Marmol Radziner.

1955 - The James H. Raley House, Pendleton OR.

Around 1955 - The James House, Brentwood, Los Angeles CA. Renovated in 2009 by Marmol Radziner.


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1956 - The Oakmont Residence, Brentwood, Los Angeles CA. Renovated in 2006 by Marmol Radziner.

1956 - 9 houses, Medford OR. Developed with J. T. Hight Builders.

1956 - 79 houses, Westridge Manor, Bishop CA. Developed with Marburt Homes Inc.

1956 - Developmont in Santa Maria CA. With builder George Pabst.

1956 - aka Overdale House, Columbus OH.


1961 - The Melvin Knaak House, 2507 Drake Drive, Thousand Oaks CA. Sold in 1966. Sold around the 1990s to Greg and Betty Anderson. Sold to Wendy and Richard Pini (comic art creators for Elfquest). Sold in 2023 to the Ledoux family.


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1963 - The Alvin J. Gordon House, aka Ocotillo House, 6225 North Camino Escalante, Tucson AZ. Sold around 1968 to Frederick and Floride Rebsamen.


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1963 - The Vientos House, Camarillo CA.


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1968 - aka Oxblow House, Solvang CA.


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1969 - aka Private Residence, Phoenix AZ.


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1973 - The Charles House, Fresno CA.

1973 - aka El Vuelo House, Rancho Santa Fe CA.


1976 - The Bea Arthur Addition and Remodel, 2000 Old Ranch Road, Brentwood CA. Former address was 2000 Sullivan Canyon Road. Original house built in 1924. Expanded in the early 2000s by Bea Arthur's son, Matt Saks. Sold in 2015 to Jerry Kosberg (Casale Trust).


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1978 - The Gerald (Jerry) Katell House, 27 Crest Road West, Rolling Hills CA.


1982 - 17549 Via de Fortuna, Rancho Santa Fe CA. Status unknown.


Sources include: Cliff May Registry; The Cliff May papers, circa 1931-circa 1989 at University of California Santa Barbara.