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

Charles E Waite

Charles E. Waite was born in the Riverside home of his parents, Lyman and Lillian (Shugart) Waite, at 3121 Mulberry Street.

He returned to Riverside and learned the banking business, becoming assistant cashier of the Riverside Savings & Trust Company in 1903.

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.

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.