Charles Gordon Lee
b. 11 July 1918 - d. 1966
Role
Taliesin's on-site representative; architect with Kunz Construction Company
Dates of Involvement
1965 - 1966
Context
Charles Gordon Lee was the head of the Kunz Construction Company, a Denver architectural firm, in the 1950s and 1960s. As a previous student under Frank Lloyd Wright, Lee’s firm was a part of the Taliesin West network of architects. In this capacity, Lee was the primary on-site representative and architect for Taliesin on the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center project, where he interacted regularly with park officials, construction firms, and vendors. He was also in regular contact with Tom Casey, the project’s lead architect at Taliesin West, to coordinate and gain approval for any needed modifications to the original plans and contracts. Unfortunately, he died in 1966 just as the project was nearing completion.
However, he was present at the groundbreaking ceremony for the visitor center in July of 1965. He can be seen in the photo below.
Education
In 1940, Lee graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Architecture Degree. Directly after college, he studied at Taliesin East in Spring Green, Wisconsin. He transferred to Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona where he worked for a year in 1947. While at Taliesin, Lee studied under Frank Lloyd Wright.
