Emmett G. Martin (1889-1937), the architect of St. Brendan Church, was the younger brother of the famous Los Angeles architect Albert C. Martin, whose firm remains a major architectural concern today.

Following studies at the University of Illinois and service in World War I, he completed his studies at the renowned Ecôle des Beaux Arts in Paris in 1919 and received his license to practice architecture in California in 1923.

Martin was most famous for his many Catholic churches as well as a few residences and commercial projects. For his many church commissions, Martin drew upon a wide range of historical styles. His first church was Resurrection Church in East Los Angeles (no longer extant) in 1924.

On the same street as St. Brendan but 67 blocks south is St. Anselm Church (2222 W. 70th at Van Ness), which Martin completed in 1925. It is a beautifully maintained, grand church in a neo-Spanish colonial style obviously much influenced by Streamline Moderne, along the same idea as Union Station. The façade features a streamlined version of a Churriguresque panel, richly detailed. The shell arch at the top of this section is a detail from St. Anselm.

Also on 70th Street (942 W. 70th) a bit further west from St. Anselm is tiny little St. Raphael Church, which Martin completed in 1926 while he was working on St. Brendan. This modest Gothic church is more of a country style, and it serves a vibrant mixed African-American and Latino community in South-Central.

In 1929, Martin completed St. Teresa of Avila Church in Silver Lake (2216 Fargo St). Styled in a pure mission style, it features clean lines and pleasing proportions and serves a largely Latino community.

Martin turned to a more Romanesque inspiration when he designed All Saints Church in El Sereno (3421 Portola Ave.) in 1930. Situated at the top of a hill in a steep residential neighborhood, the church features a magnificent open-beam ceiling that is richly detailed, work that he demonstrated to great effect also at St. Brendan.

In 1930, Martin built two notable buildings. One was the modesst convent at our partner parish, Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood, which now serves as the Social Services building. The other was St. Augustine Church in Culver City, also a well-known Gothic church situated in a most glamorous location, directly across the street from the old MGM Studio on Washington (3850 Jasmine Ave.).

Among his church commissions outside Los Angeles were the convent of the Holy Cross School in Fresno (1926) and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Flagstaff, Arizona (1930), a well-known monument there.

His residential commissions included the J. Clarke Residence addition (1924, Playa del Rey), the Mark Walker Residence (Pasadena, 1925) and the Walter T. McGinley Residence (Santa Monica, 1927).

Martin's short but prolific career ended on November 14, 1937, when he was found dead in his downown Los Angeles office at the age of 48.