Benjamin M. Torgerson

One of Talmadge’s renowned Master Builders was Benjamin M. Torgerson. Benjamin’s parents emigrated from Norway to develop a farm in Iowa. He was born November 10, 1894, in Slater, Iowa. As indicated on his 1914 draft card he completed 10th grade and worked as a farmer. Benjamin later enlisted in the US Army during World War I and served until the war ended in 1918.

He returned to Iowa and married Lois Fay Binham. Lois’s parents emigrated from Ireland to develop a large farm. In 1915 Benjamin and Lois visited the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego. They returned to Manning, Iowa where they owned and operated a drug store and resided with Lois’s parents at their farm.

San Diego must have left quite an impression on the couple. Ten years later, in 1925 they moved to San Diego with their four-year-old adopted daughter, Berry Jean. Benjamin worked as a salesman.

Although details are not known, at some point between 1925 to 1927 records show Benjamin worked in carpentry and construction. The earliest known permit in his name dates to 1927, for a house on Palm Street. The 1929 phone directory listed him as a carpenter living at that house.

The 1930 directory lists Torgerson as working in a partnership of Lovett and Torgerson. John Lovett built homes in Mission Hills and Kensington. The partnership dissolved when Torgerson went into business with George E. Cooley in 1931.

Although the stock market crashed in October of 1929, the devasting effects did not impact San Diego real estate until people began losing jobs and assets in 1931 – 1935. Unable to pay their mortgages and property taxes, many in the middle class lost their homes which glutted the real estate market with vacancies and empty lots. Torgerson and Cooley created opportunities in this shifting market. Benjamin and Lois Torgerson along with George and Bertha Cooley co-invested in drastically reduced real estate, taking further advantage of depressed building material costs and eager skilled workers seeking employment. These factors enabled their firm to construct larger more elaborate homes for less cost than before the Great Depression.

On August 18, 1930, both couples pooled their resources to acquire Lot 1 in Block 9 of Kensington Heights Unit 1. Their partnership erected the home at 5158 Marlborough Drive which became Speculation House No.1 in the Davis-Baker Kensington Heights new home development. This prestigious location provided excellent exposure to affluent buyers who visited two of the model homes located at the corner of Middlesex and Marlborough Drive. The Torgerson/Cooley strategy of building high end “Artistic Homes” appealed to buyers who still had the means to acquire luxury properties. Per Davis-Baker Company, thousands of people visited their model homes during that time.

Over 80 years later, 5158 Marlborough Drive established Torgerson as a Master Builder by the San Diego Historical Resources Board, which officially gave him that designation in 2014.

Torgerson and Cooley continued to build modest houses in response to buyers’ needs during the Great Depression. At the same time, they erected high end custom homes in Talmadge Park, Kensington Heights, University Heights, and North Park. These custom homes truly revealed Torgerson’s building capabilities. An unknown number of developers commissioned Torgerson and Cooley to build houses, commercial buildings, and apartments throughout San Diego. No doubt many more Torgerson constructed buildings remain yet to be discovered.

The Torgerson Cooley partnership dissolved in 1935, just as the San Diego real estate market began to turn around. Worth noting are the countless jobs saved by purchasing materials from local suppliers by Benjamin and George when the economy suffered.

Torgerson worked independently and continued to improve his skills from 1935 until retirement in 1942. His architectural range spanned Craftsman Bungalows, English Tudor, French Provincial, Spanish Eclectic, Spanish Renaissance, Monterey/Colonial and Minimal Traditional styles. In a June 1937 San Diego Union article, the author stated: “Torgerson erected many fine homes in the Point Loma, Burlingame and Mission Hills districts” and that “he was contributing to the better-home movement.”

Benjamin was a public figure in the building industry from 1937 to the beginning of World War II. The Association of Builder Contractors elected him president in 1937. He went on the public speaking circuit and news media often quoted him as he promoted his theory of high-quality homes as the panacea to economic recovery from the Great Depression. In March of that year a San Diego Union article entitled “Trend in Building Believed to Show Business Upswing” quotes Benjamin on building trends of the day. The article shows how he used his position as an opportunity to encourage his colleagues to focus on quality. He was quoted as saying:

"To demonstrate another outstanding trend, we observe the greater attention to detail by home builders this year. Two years ago, just anything was alright as long as it had four walls and a roof. Today, builders are more and more considering architecture and workmanship and are carefully planning their homes to meet future needs."

In 1939 Torgerson was again in the limelight as a prominent local builder. Life magazine sponsored Life House, a special project of eight model homes built in eight US cities. The project was prompted by an effort of the Better Homes Movement recovery plan. Architects designed small affordable houses built in the Minimal Traditional style. Torgerson was commissioned to build the La Jolla Hermosa Life House, which he referred to as “California Colonial” style. The La Jolla home was visited by 6,000 people before selling. Torgerson later changed the Life House plans to build different versions, based on buyers’ input. Benjamin incorporated the California Colonial style in numerous homes he built around San Diego. The publicity from Life Magazine was invaluable in procuring more work and notoriety for Torgerson as an accomplished builder.

Another Life Magazine Pictorial of San Diego illustrated a fine example of a hacienda-style house that Torgerson built for Master Architect Cliff May in the community of La Playa on Bessemer Street, unfortunately now demolished.

Architect Louis Prebisius, AIA, retained Torgerson to build numerous houses and apartments between 1939 and 1941.

Torgerson built at least 98 buildings over the course of his career. Four of his works are designated as historical resources by the City of San Diego Historical Resources Board. They include:

• #749 - Benjamin Togerson/George Cooley Spec House #1 (4343 Adams Avenue) 1930

• #1039 – Lois and Benjamin Torgerson and Bertha and George Cooley Spec House #1 (5158 Marlborough Drive) 1931

• #1025 - The Life House (6025 Waverly Street) 1939

• #1152 – Earle and Helen Brucker/Benjamin Torgerson House (2555 Plum Street) 1940

When Congress terminated private construction and diverted all building materials to the war effort in 1942, Torgerson retired.

Prior to retirement, upon completion of De Anza Court Apartments in Burlingame, located at 2444 30th Street, Benjamin and Lois moved into Unit #30 which was the listed address as his residence at the time of his death on October 29, 1952.

Master builder Benjamin Torgerson not only provided much needed employment and housing during a challenging time in America, but he also contributed a great deal to improve construction standards in San Diego by building high quality speculation and custom designed homes, bungalow courts, and commercial buildings.

Talmadge homes built by Benjamin Torgerson include

• 4664 Constance Drive

• 4714 Constance Drive

• 4748 Constance Drive, built in 1936

• 4754 Madison Avenue

• 4683 Natalie Drive

References

May, Ronald V., RPA, President and Principal Investigator

May, Dale Ballou, Vice President and Principal Researcher

2011 Legacy 106 Inc. HISTORIC HOUSE RESEARCH www.legacy106.com

Pages 9, 10, 19, 33 -38

Resource Name: Benjamin M Torgerson, Lois Torgerson, George E. Cooley and

Bertha Cooley Speculation House No. 1

Resource Address: 5158 Marlborough Drive, San Diego, CA 92116

Feeley, Jennifer, MCP

Olsen, Tricia, MCP

Siegel, Ricki

Weatherford, Ginger MPS

City of San Diego Historical Resources Board Staff

October 21, 2020, Biographies of Established Masters – Page 89