How the ‘father’ of Carmel-by-the-Sea shaped its cultural legacy

Published April 2, 2025

BY ABBY COE 

Referred to as the “father” of Carmel on a plaque in the downtown park attributed to his name, James Franklin Devendorf changed both the physical and cultural layout of Carmel-by-the-Sea through his unique vision of industrialization. The story of James Franklin Devendorf can be traced through a variety of sources, from an archivist at the Harrison Memorial Library to a lecture given by Devendorf’s granddaughter. 

Born April 6, 1856, in Fallsburg, Michigan, Frank Devendorf grew up in a post-Civil War period that experienced major industrial growth, including new railroads and fresh lenses of entrepreneurship. When he was 18 years old he moved to San Jose, California, where he skirted his original plan of becoming a lawyer and grew interested in the business of land development. Meanwhile, he began working at Hale Brothers Department Store.

“The opportunity to travel opened his eyes to the excitement of the world outside Michigan and whetted his appetite for adventure that he was finally able to indulge only toward the end of his life,” said Jane Galante, granddaughter of Devendorf, in a lecture she gave in 2004. 

After contracting tuberculosis during his first years in San Jose, Devendorf was advised by doctors to participate in work outdoors. 

“It was recommended he have a career that kept him outside,” says Katie O’Connell, local librarian and archivist at the Harrison Memorial Library, “because, at that time, tuberculosis was a big issue.” 

Since San Jose was such an urban area, Frank Devendorf started to consider the potential of more underdeveloped areas in California. After a trip to the Monterey Peninsula in the early 1900s, while visiting his sick mother, Devendorf was struck by the coast’s natural beauty. Contrary to other developed areas of the time, Devendorf thought that Carmel could be thoughtfully built up in a way that was still sustainable for the land. 

With this goal in mind, Devendorf partnered with entrepreneur Frank Powers and founded the Carmel Development Company.

“Powers was the high-powered person,” explains O’Connell. “He bankrolled the major purchase of the property that would eventually be subdivided into Carmel-by-the-Sea.”

While Powers ran part of the business from San Francisco, Devendorf was the man on site, relied upon for his property expertise.

In a time when property developers utilized a rigid, grid-like pattern, Devendorf approached the project with the goal of harmonizing with nature, using unusually shaped lots to adapt to Carmel’s topography. He also established strict building guidelines to maintain his vision, focusing on local materials. 

“Devendorf would pay for people’s mortgages himself,” says O’Connell. “He would front them the money to buy the property. He sometimes would front them the money to build their house.”

Jane’s son, Jack Galante, an environmental planner himself, understands his great-grandfather’s passion for protecting the environment.

“I found out that he was really an innovator,” Jack told The Sandpiper. “He was someone who didn’t fit within the mold of his time of developing communities.”

Devendorf’s ability to adapt and innovate allowed him to make financial deals with investors and landowners to continue innovation. Along with his inventive new layout for the streets of Carmel, Devendorf, along with 19 artists, established the Carmel Art Association in 1907, helping to promote their work and add to the cultural vibrancy of the town. 

“It is special that Devendorf had such a unique vision for establishing Carmel as an artists’ colony,” says Barbara McBride, who teaches AP Literature at Carmel High School. “The beauty of Carmel has inspired so many artists, musicians and poets–from Mary Austin to Robinson Jeffers to Edward Weston, and that artistry is also reflected in the storybook cottages of Carmel, all of which are part of Devendorf’s vision and legacy.”

While digging through archives at the Carmel Public Library, O’Connell found a letter from five other artists writing to Devendorf.

“They had put this together as a gift for him to say thank you for being such a wonderful friend,” says O’Connell. 

Frank Devendorf also helped to donate the land which would later become the Forest Theater of Carmel-by-the-Sea. He saw it as a place for the community to come together–a creative outlet–something scarce in Carmel at the time. Even his youngest daughter, Marion, participated in some of the theater’s earlier productions. 

“He never intended it to be a place for artists,” explained Jane Galante. “That just happened.” 

In addition to contributing to the cultural aspect of Carmel, Devendorf wanted to protect the cypress trees and other native vegetation by restricting their removal and encouraging people to replant. Devendorf’s commitment to preserving the environment may have been influenced by his second stepfather, who frequently planted trees and encouraged preservation in the area. On top of that, Devendorf promoted the use of native plants in the landscaping of the town. 

“The thing that made him the most successful was his honesty and his approachability,” explains Jack Galante. “He had this very deep sense of community and a love of people. He had this profound sense of fairness and community, and people really respected that of him.”

Devendorf also established a well-known law and characteristic of Carmel: No one could cut down trees, and all roads must give trees the right of way. 

“He envisioned it as a place where young families could bring up their children in an atmosphere of goodwill, good moral values, and in harmony with natural surroundings,” said Jane Galante in a 2004 lecture. 

The aspect of familiarity was especially important to Devendorf, as he was also the man who sanctioned the lack of house addresses in town, wanting the residents to meet face-to-face at the post office. 

“He was trying to build a community, not get every cent that he could,” says O’Connell. 

Frank Devendorf was a man ahead of his time. He took his business experience and turned an underdeveloped town into one centered around the community through organizations such as the Carmel Art Association and the Forest Theater.

“Was my grandfather a religious man? Yes, but maybe not in a conventional way,” explained Jane Galante, who died in 2010. “Carmel was his religion. It embodied everything he believed in about the goodness of human beings, the healing power of natural surroundings, the great unifying spirit that inspires our knowledge of the world and our faith in what is beyond our knowledge.”