Theodore Eisen

Theodore Augustus Eisen was born on July 10, 1852, in Cincinnati, Ohio.^[1][2] His father, Augustus Ferdinand Eisen (1824-1870), was a Swedish-born immigrant to the United States.^[2] His mother, Babette Eisen, was a Prussian-born immigrant.^[2] After living in Ohio, they settled in San Francisco, California, where Theodore grew up.^[2]

Eisen became an architect in Los Angeles, California, in 1887.^[1] He opened a practice with Sumner Hunt in 1895.^[3] They designed mansions near Chester Place.^[3] In 1892, they designed the Froebel Institute, later known as Casa de Rosas.^[3] They also designed several mansions on West Adams Boulevard in the Craftsman and Tudor Revival architectural styles.^[3] They planned design the Posey House for Sara Posey and her husband, Oliver Posey, a mining businessman, with touches of Gothic Revival, Moorish Revival and Spanish Revival styles.^[3] However, as the Poseys's wealth declined, the project was shelved.^[3] Instead, St Vincent's Church was built two decades later, thanks to a gift from the Doheny family.^[3]