Marie Russak (also well-known as Marie Hotchener or Marie Barnard) she was born in October 7 of 1865 in the small city of Four Corners, located in the county of Butte, to the north of California.

She studied music in the Mills College in Oakland, being member of the class of 1884. Later on, she became a renowned singer, acting in several European cities. In 1899, she married the producing of operates amateur Frank Russak, in Rhode Island. In those days, she was interested deeply in the teachings of the Theosophy and she began to collaborate with Annie Besant in the diverse fields of activity of the Society Teosofic.

Between 1906 and 1910 she lived in Adyar, India, where deepened her studies of esoterism. She participated actively in the Co-Masonry; and in 1912, she was called for Annie Besant for the foundation of the Order of the Temple of the Rosicrucian. She fomented actively the activities of the Rosicrucian, until the group was dissolved in 1918 for the First World War.

Not according with the breakup, Russak continued working actively in the Society Teosofic and was contacted in California for Harvey Spencer Lewis, who in 1915, had founded the Order Rosicrucian AMORC. She transmitted many of the esoteric knowledge that had acquired and she collaborated with the elaboration of some rituals, which maintained a clear similarity with those made by the OTRC.

It is of special interest the architectural work fulfilled by Marie Russak and still, it can be appreciated in Krotona, California, some of her designs inspired by the moorish styles and of the missions.

One of the good known creations of Marie Russak is Moorcrest, probably completed in 1921, which was rented to the movie star Charlie Chaplin, before its sale in 1925, to the parents of another star, Mr. Otto Langhanke and his wife.

Marie Russak died in March 4 of 1945, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

Arquitectos of United States