The Forgotten Work of Arthur G. Barton

Landscape architect of Southern California

An active professional in his field, Barton helped develop the first licensure process for landscape architects and designed over 700 projects in the course of his career.

Barton's Portfolio - use the toggles on the side to zoom in, or click on a dot to view his work.

Early Life

Arthur Gipson Barton was born on October 2, 1907, in Denver Colorado. He studied at UC Davis from 1925-1927, before transferring to UC Berkeley to study landscape architecture. He graduated with a Bachelors of Science in landscape architecture in 1929. One year later, he married Lucile Beach, and soon after the couple moved to Los Angeles.

Arthur G. Barton's business card at Theodore Payne Nurseries

Early in his career, Barton worked for Theodore Payne, a native plants specialist in California. He later worked for the National Park Service in San Francisco, and also served as Assistant Superintendent of Parks for Los Angeles County. Barton's most famous projects include Dodger Stadium, the California State Capitol, Camp Pendleton, and the campus at USC. Throughout his career he was known as a versatile and respected member of the profession.

Professional Career

Barton opened a private practice in Glendale in 1940, but was forced to put the company on hold two years later to serve in World War II - first, in the Camouflage Division of the War Department (1942) and later as a Farm Advisor for the County of Los Angeles (1943-46). He resumed the practice in 1946, designing residences, parks, public buildings, libraries, schools, and corporate campuses primarily in the greater Los Angeles area.

In 1956, he designed the landscape for the Glendale Municipal County building along with renowned architect Arthur Wolfe. [Today, the building is regarded as a historical example of mid-century office design in Los Angeles, and is featured in the L.A Conservancy's resource for Modernism architecture in the city. Read more about Curating the City: Modern Architecture in L.A.  here ].

The pair would continue to work on municipal projects together, including the Superior Court of Los Angeles in 1959, and the re-design of Maple Park in 1967.

Arthur Barton [left] at a project site

He founded Arthur G. Barton & Associates in Glendale in 1963. His primary partners were Tracy Abell (F.A.S.L.A., Harvard, Lic. #7) and Peter Weisbrod (Cal Poly, Lic.#1252). Their work included projects in Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada.

Barton worked on projects for a notable clientele, which included composer Henry Mancini, the Ambassador Hotel, Boys Scouts and Girls Scouts of America, and the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in Los Alamos, New Mexico. He designed for over 80 schools in the Greater Los Angeles area, including Pasadena high school, which is pictured above, 16 parks, and 12 churches.

Licensure Process

Barton worked hard to establish a licensure process for landscape architects in California. In the early 1950s Barton, along with fellow landscape architects Raymond Page, Harry Shepard, Lynn Harris, and George Huntington raised money to begin the licensure process. At this time, few took the practice of landscape architecture seriously. An article in Landscape Architecture Magazine (October, 1953) noted that even the legislators in charge of the bill found it difficult "[to] admit that there is a status above man who mows the lawn or rakes the leaves." However, Barton and his associates persisted, and in the 1953 the Bill for Professional Registration of Landscape Architects was enacted. Barton himself earned license number #362 one year later.

Barton continued to have strong professional and civic engagement even after the licensure process was complete. He was an active member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), serving as the president of the Southern California Chapter of ASLA as well as a Trustee and Vice President for the National ASLA.During his term, he met Gilmore D. Clarke, a fellow landscape architect who would one day recommend Barton for one of the most prestigious projects of his career.

This video offers a visual representation of Barton's work across southern California

Dodger Stadium

In 1959, he was offered the job of landscape architect for Dodger Stadium. His original vision for the stadium was soon extended into a 5-year general plan, following the changes of the seasons. Drawing from his experience with Theodore Payne, Barton was determined to incorporate various native and non native plants into his design. He not only create an icon of Los Angeles, but to preserve an image of the natural area of California. His work stalled however, due to poor weather conditions, and Barton and his team still were still feverishly planting trees in the days leading up to the grand opening of the stadium. Walter O'Malley soon grew impatient with Barton's progress, however, and after two years,  Barton was fired from the project. 

Arthur [left] and Lucile Barton at the Barton Fellow Award meeting, 1962

Later in his career, Arthur Barton was honored with the fellowship award by the American Society of Landscape Architects in three categories - "excellence in executed works of Landscape Architecture," "direct Service to the Society," and "contributions in the field of education."

He wrote several pieces for Landscape Architecture Magazine that focused on  development in residential communities .

He died Jan 28, 1980, in Los Angeles. A prolific and respected member of the profession, Barton's contributions helped shape and define the role of the landscape architect in California. You can view more work from Barton's portfolio  here .

Distribution of projects in Glendale, California

It's not surprising that a majority of Barton's projects over the years were concentrated in the Glendale area (his office was located in north Glendale). What is notable here is the proximity of projects to one another. Many are within a block of each other, and there are a handful of streets with multiple Barton designs. Arthur Barton designed the landscape for eleven residences along West Kenneth Road in Glendale between 1940 and 1977. One may speculate that it was Barton's reputation that earned him business in the area.

Distribution of projects in Sacramento, California

Barton designed the East Wing of the California State Capitol, the site of the old Southern California Edison Company (1970), and Northridge Manor in Citrus Heights (1950).

Distribution of projects in Arizona

Project sites include Yuma, Pheonix, and Glendale, AZ. Click on each dot to see specific project.

Distribution near Pheonix, Arizona

Projects near Pheonix, Arizona include the Scottsdale Fire Station, Chesnutt Park, Eldorado Park, and the Scottsdale Civic Center.

Works Cited

ASLA.com. ASLA Fellows Database. Barton, Arthur Gipson.  http://asla.longtermsolutions.com/ 

Ancestry.com. California, Death Index, 1940-1997 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.

BRANCH, M. C., and ARTHUR G. BARTON. “FITTED INTO A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY.” Landscape Architecture, vol. 50, no. 4, 1960, pp. 204–257. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44662980. Accessed 27 Jan. 2020.

Keylon, Steven. "Walter O'Malley and his Landscape for Dodger Stadium." Eden (2014)

Images

All images are property of Special Collections at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Arthur [left] and Lucile Barton at the Barton Fellow Award meeting, 1962

Arthur G. Barton's business card at Theodore Payne Nurseries

Arthur Barton [left] at a project site