Three Decades After His Death, Pioneering Architect Remains L.A.'s Hottest Designer

"He's one of the hottest architects in Hollywood: The houses designed by Paul Revere Williams have attracted generations of stars — Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Bill Cosby, Denzel Washington," writes Beale. "Actress Debra Messing recently sold a home he designed in Bel-Air for $11.4 million in less than a month — a rapid exchange for a transaction at that price."

"Williams' homes caught the imagination of the entertainment elite starting in the late 1920s and are still sought-after today, more than three decades after his death," she continues. "During a half-century in practice, the Los Angeles architect left a legacy of close to 3,000 residential and commercial projects worldwide."

"That his refined style remains coveted among a Who's Who of celebrities is remarkable."

"When Williams opened his own firm in 1922, there were no black architects designing luxury homes, according to [granddaughter Karen E. Hudson's] research. It would be 25 years before Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier and 33 years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus."