This week marks the eighth year anniversary of blogging for the Argus-Courier’s Petaluma360 site, as a volunteer blogger. This post highlights another “Petaluman of Yesteryear.”

“Perhaps no man has left more living memorials of his achievements and of his contributions to this community than this architect who drew the plans and laid down specifications for so many of our homes, our business structures and our schools. He was a small town architect only in the sense that he lived and worked in a small town.”

Prior to venturing to San Francisco to work and study architecture Mr. Jones worked for Jos. Cowan, bookbinder, at his workshops on what was then Main Street. When in San Francisco he gained his early architectural experience in the office of McDougal Bros, prominent architects of that City He advanced rapidly and worked on several of San Francisco’s most prestigious commercial buildings and residences.

At the turn of the century Jones returned to Petaluma to open his own firm. His first office at 910 1/2 Main Street saw him begin some of his most remarkable work. Such civic monuments as the Carnegie Free Public Library, Post Offices, Churches, and schools throughout the City and as far south as San Rafael and north to Cloverdale bear Jones’ signature. He worked at the same time with famous colleagues such as Julia Morgan, Albert Farr, and Warren Perry – all of whom have designed homes in Petaluma.

In the Petaluma building booms of the early teens and twenties Jones designed mansions and cottages, fraternal lodges, clubhouses, business buildings, and schools for the growing communities of the North Bay. No one style can be attributed to Jones but in fact his variety and scope of work have made him so memorable.

Brainerd Jones – helping to build the Petaluma community. How fortunate we are to have so many examples of his work still standing.