10/26/2021
Murray Jones Building 1913
Special thanks to Janet Lancaster at the McHenry Museum for shedding light on this building.
Hello Lee Blevins,
I hope the following sheds light on your questions about the Murray and Jones building.
The architect was Charles Crownshield Frye (1880-1937) who was working in San Francisco from 1909-1916.
Two recent arrivals to Modesto about 1910 with interests in real estate teamed up to develop the four corners of 10th and J Streets. They were Charles Murray and William Jones - it was the Murray-Jones Building. Previously they had built "The Majestic Building" directly across J Street today occupied by Ralston's Goat.
The first occupant of the Murray and Jones building was PRIESTER'S LADIES FURNISHINGS which opened August 9, 1913, in corner space facing 10th Street. Joseph Priester had a business in San Francisco previously.
The brick Murray and Jones building was designed for two stories - the first floor with two stores facing 10th Street and the upstairs, reached by marble stairways, to be used for offices and apartments. The building permit estimated the cost of the building to be $35,000.
Thanks for your interest in our local history.
My best,
Janet Lancaster, volunteer,
McHenry Museum
Modesto, California
