Joe Estep Sites

The magnificent Santa Monica City Hall, built in 1938-39, was largely financed by the Public Works Administration (PWA). Designed by architects Donald B. Parkinson and Joseph M. Estep, the building is a fine example of Moderne/Deco architecture. It is a long, low building with squared corners and a flat roof, two wings and a raised central section with a low, louvered tower. It has minimal decoration on the facade (e.g., bas-relief columns between the windows on the two wings), but noteworthy use of stepped edges to a protruding core and strikingly beautiful tile work around the front doors. The grand entry lobby...

In 1936, the Works Project Administration (WPA) completed construction of a new Streamline Moderne–style campus for Grant Elementary School in Santa Monica, CA. The school was designed by architects Donald Parkinson and Joe Estep, who would go on to design Santa Monica City Hall. Grant's original Virginia Avenue campus was one of four Santa Monica schools demolished after suffering severe damage in the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. System-wide renovations cost $3 million dollars.