Featured Image Courtesy Ruth West
Preservation in Print – Some Architect: Peter J. Weber’s Enduring Creativity
Join the California Preservation Foundation for Preservation in Print, a free lunchtime series for anyone interested in historic preservation, architecture, planning, history, and related fields. Each one-hour session features a conversation with the author or a key contributor of a recent preservation-related title. There’s no need to read the book in advance—whether you’ve read every page, browsed the photos, or are simply curious, you’re invited to join. The program includes a brief presentation by the guest speaker, followed by a Q&A with questions from CPF’s Education Committee lead and audience members.
Some Architect: Peter J. Weber's Enduring Creativity
by Dave Stolte with Ruth West
Inlandia Institute, 2025. Description and book cover art courtesy author.
Some Architect is a captivating and long-overdue comprehensive biography of the enigmatic Riverside architect Peter J. Weber. From surviving the devastation of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as a boy to forging his career during the Roaring ’20s and the Great Depression, Weber met his life’s challenges with scrappy determination, adaptability, and grace. Though he never claimed fame as the lead designer for G. Stanley Wilson, his work helped define Southern California’s iconic character, and his thoughtful designs stand as a testament to their enduring beauty, quality, and purpose. Some Architect explores and preserves the previously untold story behind Weber’s resilience, his imagination, and his timeless creative voice.
“A captivating biography of a gifted and complex man who left his imprint on Riverside and Southern California." —Dan Bernstein, author and columnist
“Engaging writing, beautiful imagery. I thoroughly enjoyed it.” —Brett Waterman, architectural preservationist and designer, host of the television show “Restored”
“Should attract an eager audience. Important work.” —Dr. H. Vincent Moses, historian
“A lasting tribute to an architect who finally gets his due.” —Jen Mermilliod, architectural historian
Be sure to pick up a copy! Purchase Some Architect from the Old Riverside Foundation, stewards of the Peter J. Weber House, at https://oldriverside.org/biography.
About the Author
Dave Stolte is a Riverside-based visual designer and preservation advocate. A lifelong student of architecture and local history, he serves as president of the Old Riverside Foundation and has spent years researching the life and work of architect Peter J. Weber, one of the city's most influential early 20th-century designers. His biography of Weber, Some Architect, draws on extensive archival research, family collections, and previously unpublished materials to illuminate Weber's remarkable life and his enduring impact on California's architectural heritage.