Charles E Waite


Charles Waite’s craftsman-style home on University Avenue was designed by G. Stanley Wilson

Charles E. Waite was born in the Riverside home of his parents, Lyman and Lillian (Shugart) Waite, at 3121 Mulberry Street. He attended Riverside public schools and continued his education at Stanford University, studying economics.

He returned to Riverside and learned the banking business, becoming assistant cashier of the Riverside Savings & Trust Company in 1903. In 1905, he married Gertrude Ferris. The ceremony took place in Galesburg, Illinois.

At age 35, Charles Waite began to build a home designed by G. Stanley Wilson, who also served as the contractor. The style of the home is often called a “Swiss chalet,” but actually reflects the craftsman-style bungalows made famous by Pasadena architects, Greene and Greene.

Waite also worked for First National Bank before joining the investment firm Dubiske & Company at a local branch of this large Chicago brokerage. Charles was active in several Riverside lodges and the couple entertained often.

Charles Waite’s University Avenue home took six months to build and dazzled city residents with its 11 gables, split redwood shake exterior, and massive cobblestone front porch columns.

The Waites lived in the home for six years. They had no children, and probably for that reason, they decided to moved to a smaller house, selling the University Avenue home for a combination of cash and a bungalow at First and Lime Streets.