George A. Applegarth was born October 4, 1876 in Oakland, California. He began his professional career as a draughtsman for his uncle George Sanders, of the architectural firm Wright & Sanders in San Francisco. After studying at the University of California, Berkeley under Bernard Maybeck, and at his encouragement, Applegarth attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, where he was a member of LaLoux atelier, and received his diploma in 1906.

Upon his return to the United States, he formed a partnership with Kenneth MacDonald, which lasted for six years, after which time Applegarth practiced on his own. Applegarth’s career comprised over forty projects, including the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, the Clift Hotel, residential and commercial projects for the Spreckles family, and the town of Clyde, California. He was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects. He died in 1972.

Applegarth’s most recognizable project is the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, which was financed by Adolph and Alma de Brettville Spreckles and presented to the city of San Francisco in 1924. He also designed several other commercial and residential projects for the Spreckles family. Clyde, California was a company town built for the employees of the Pacific Coast Shipbuilding Company and funded through a United States government loan. Applegarth prepared the plans for the town for funding purposes and was the architect of the project. During the Clyde project he worked with Bernard Maybeck, who was hired as the supervising architect to oversee the government's interests. As the plans for the project were generally completed prior to the hiring of Maybeck, the project layout is more the work of Applegarth, with the influence of Maybeck coming in later designs and improvements.

Sources: Applegarth, Katherine. “Reflections on my Grandfather.” Term paper, University of California, Santa Barbara, n.d.

Cardwell, Kenneth H. Bernard Maybeck: Artisan, Architect, Artist. Santa Barbara, CA: Peregrine Smith, Inc., 1977.