Hazel Watrous

Hazel Watrous (February 12, 1888 – October 2, 1954) was an American writer who was co-founder of Denny-Watrous Management. The company presented performances in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. She and Dene Denny played roles in founding the Carmel Music Society, the Carmel Bach Festival, and Monterey's First Theater. Their home, the Denny-Watrous Studio, became a hub for hosting musical concerts and lectures. In addition, they established the Denny-Watrous Gallery.[1][2][3][4]

Hazel Watrous
Watrous at San Jose Normal School
Born(1888-02-12)February 12, 1888
Visalia, California, US
DiedOctober 2, 1954(1954-10-02) (aged 66)
San Jose, California, US
Occupation(s)Painter, stage designer, architect and interior decorator

Early life

Watrous was born on February 12, 1888, in Visalia, California. Her parents were Stephen West (1845-1898) and Minnie Jefferds (1858-1941).[5] Her father was a professional photographer.[6][7]

Watrous completed her art major at San Jose State College. She pursued further studies at the San Francisco Art Institute, California School of Arts and Crafts in Berkeley, and in the art department of Columbia University. She became a private pupil of the landscape painter Gottardo Piazzoni, who considered her his most gifted student.[1][6]

Career

Watrous spent numerous years working for the Fisher Studio in Los Angeles, California, where she served as a theater critic for their productions and roadshow vaudeville acts. Additionally, she designed costumes and sets for the Moroni Olson Players in Los Angeles.[1][8] While living in San Francisco, Watrous assumed the position of Art Supervisor for the Alameda City elementary and high schools located in the East Bay.[6][9][10]

Carmel-by-the-Sea

In 1922, Watrous and Dene first encountered each other at a party held in the studio of a mutual friend in San Francisco and quickly became a couple.[7] They embarked on a journey to New York, opting for a detour through Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1923. Once they reached Carmel, they discovered a city devoted to the arts, which left a lasting impression on them.[6]

To generate income, Watrous and Dene took on the task of designing residential houses, completing a total of 36 homes. Among these projects were Johan Hagemeyer home and studio (1923) and plant biologist Fremont Ballou's board-and-batten cottage located on Carmel's Upper Trail, along with several others in Carmel Woods.[7][4]

Denny-Watrous Studio (Harmony House)

Watrous and Dene had purchased a lot from Frank Davendorf in 1922, and temporarily resided above a garage while Watrou designed and built a two-story American Craftsman-style home, now called "Denny-Watrous Studio" or commonly known as "Harmony House." They expanded it into a studio in 1926.[11][2][12][6] The house became a gathering place for musical performances and lectures exploring new sounds and ideas. In 1925, composer Henry Cowell showcased his tone clusters, and architect Richard Neutra gave a lecture on modern building design. Recitals led to the establishment of the Carmel Music Society.[6]

The Denny-Watrous Studio was registered with the California Register of Historical Resources on April 8, 2002. It holds significance as a representation of Watrous's architectural expertise. The distinct style of Watrous is clear in the house, characterized by her trademark use of round arches. The interior concert space features an early cantilevered balcony that provides an unrestricted view of the musical performances held within.[8]

In 2017, the Harmony House was almost destroyed by fire. The current owners rebuilt the house.[13]

The Denny-Watrous gallery was located at the De Yoe Building.

In 1929, Denny and Watrous established the town's first fine arts gallery, Denny-Watrous gallery, in the De Yoe Building, located on Dolores Street, and 7th Avenue. In 1931, they added a stage for theatrical performances and sponsored chamber-music recitals.[14] They presented paintings by Galka Scheyer's Blue Four, and the first rehearsals of the amateur orchestra took place as well as the first known American performance of Bach's composition The Art of Fugue.[6][1][7]

In April 1935, opera singer Maria Montana performed at the Denny-Watrous Gallery.[3] The Denny-Watrous gallery later moved to the Murphy Building on San Carlos Street.[9]

Carmel Music Society

In 1927, Watrous and Dene took the initiative to assemble a group of music enthusiasts from the local community, leading to the inception of the Carmel Music Society. They collaborated effort with Henry F. Dickinson and his wife Edith, who became the organization's inaugural treasurer and one of its first presidents respectively.[15][16]

Denny-Watrous Management
The Carmel Bach Festival is held at the Sunset Center.

In 1928, the official partnership of Denny-Watrous Management was launched. They secured a lease for the Theatre of the Golden Bough from Edward Kuster, and in 1937 lesed California's First Theater in Monterey, a State Historical Landmark, from the Monterey History and Art Association. On June 3, 1937 the theater reopened as a playhouse where the Troupers of the Gold Coast performed.[17][7][9] Over twelve months, they produced a total of twelve concerts and eighteen plays, among them Ferenc Molnár's Liliom, Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones, and Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts.[6] Denny-Watrous Management brought top musical attractions to the San Jose Civic Auditorium.[9] In 1932, Watrous and Denny brought the Neah-Kah-Nie String Quartet, with Michel Penha as its director and cellist to Carmel.[18]

In 1935, Watrous and Denny established the Carmel Bach Festival as a four-day series of concerts.[15][3][19] The Carmel Bach Festival will hold its 86th Season on July 15-29, 2023.[20]

Politics

In 1938, Watrous was appointed by Mayor Herbert Heron to serve on the Carmel City Council from 1938 to 1940, during the unexpired term of Gordon Campbell who resigned from the council to accept an appointment to the United States Marshal's office at Shanghai.[21][9]

Death

Watrous died on October 2, 1954, in San Jose, California. A private funeral service was conducted in San Jose.[1][9]

Notable work
  • Denny-Watrous Studio (1922)[11]
  • Ann Nash-Dorthy Bassett House (1921)[11]
  • Johan Hagemeyer House (1923)[7]
  • Zanetta Catlett Cottage (1924)[12]
  • Fremont Ballou House (1925)[4]

See also

References
  1. "Last Rites Held in San Jose For Hazel Watrous". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz, California. October 6, 1954. p. 12. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  2. "Homes of Famous Carmelites" (PDF). ci.carmel.ca.us. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 1992. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  3. Gordon, David J. (2014). Carmel Impresarios A Cultural Biography of Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous. Lucky Valley Press. ISBN 978-0-9856655-4-8. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  4. Seavey, Kent (2007). Carmel, A History in Architecture. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. p. 123. ISBN 9780738547053. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  5. "Historical Information for Hazel Watrous". FamilySearch. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  6. Wright, Connie (2014). "Dene Denny & Hazel Watrous Carmel Impresarios". Stories of old Carmel: A Centennial Tribute From The Carmel Residents Association. pp. 34–35. OCLC 940565140. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. Alinder, Mary Street (2014). Group F.64. pp. 34–35. ISBN 9781620405550. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  8. Richard N. Janick (July 31, 2002). "Department Of Parks And Recreation" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  9. "Hazel Watrous". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea. October 8, 1954. p. 4. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  10. "Directory of Secondary and Normal Schools". California. State Board of Education. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 1922. p. 11. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  11. Dramov, Alissandra; Momboisse, Lynn A. (2016). Historic Homes And Inns Of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 9781467103039. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  12. "Carmel Inventory Of Historic Resources Database" (PDF). City Of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  13. "'Harmony House' destroyed by fire" (PDF). Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea. June 9, 2017. p. 1. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  14. Richard N. Janick (July 8, 2002). "Department Of Parks And Recreation" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  15. "Carmel Music Society". www.carmelmusic.org. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  16. Hudson, Monica (2006). Carmel-by-the-sea. p. 64. ISBN 9780738531229. Retrieved March 16, 2022. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  17. "California's First Theater" (PDF). Monterey History. Monterey, California. May 31, 1961. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  18. "1957 Carmel Bach Festival Program". Harrison Memorial Library. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 1957. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  19. Watson, Lisa Crawford (July 6, 2015). Legendary Locals of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. p. 81. ISBN 9781439651179. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  20. "Tickets". Carmel Bach Festival. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  21. "Miss Watrous on Carmel Council". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. July 14, 1938. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
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