The Lyman Farwell papers span 4 linear feet and date from circa 1893 to circa 1933. The collection contains large format scrapbook pages (measuring 26 x 19.5 in.) filled with articles written by Farwell, newspaper clippings regarding his buildings, sketches, and handwritten notes. The collection also includes one flat file folder that contains undated architectural drawings of an unidentified school.

Lyman Farwell was born on December 19, 1864 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in architecture in 1887. After graduation, Farwell went to Europe and studied in the Henri Duray atelier of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts from 1890 to 1891. Farwell traveled, during the year of 1892, around Europe studying and sketching architecture in France, Belgium, Algeria, Tunis, Palestine, Asia Minor, Turkey, Italy, England and France. Farwel left Europe and relocated to New York where he worked for the firm McKim, Mead & White. In 1894, Farwell left New York for Redlands, California where he worked for less than a year. Farwell moved from Redlands to Los Angeles where he began a partnership with Oliver Perry Dennis in May of 1895. Dennis and Farwell, Architects dissolved in March 1913. Farwell went on to serve in the California Assembly and later served on the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission. By 1917, he was the director of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Lyman Farwell died in Los Angeles on November 4, 1933, at the age of 69.

4.0 Linear feet (1 record storage box and 1 flat file folder)

Partially processed collection, open for use by qualified researchers.