It is thought that Richard “Dick” Howells Gomersall (1916-2001) designed all the homes except the custom home models built in Westgrove by the Gosnell firm, since he is frequently noted as the architect in newspaper articles that describe building permit approval and is noted as the architect of record on blueprints. He was a partner in the Alexandria Gomersall & Ayers architectural firm from 1956-1985 as noted in his obituary from The Washington Post, August 26, 2001: Washington Post obituary below.
“Richard Howells Gomersall, 86, an architect who designed residential, commercial, civic and church buildings, died Aug. 19 at Virginia Hospital Center-Arlington after a heart attack.
Mr. Gomersall, an Arlington resident, was born in Woodlynne, N.J., and raised in Atlantic City. He was a 1942 graduate of the University of Michigan.
He served in the Army in Europe during World War II and was wounded during fighting in the Ardennes. He was awarded a Purple Heart. He settled in the Washington area in 1947 and was an architect at various firms before starting his own with Edmond J. Ayers Jr. in 1956. They were partners until 1985. In the 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Gomersall did set design work for the Arlington Players and Touchstone Theatre. He also designed the Signature Theatre in Arlington, on South Four Mile Run Drive. He was a member of the Arlington Economic Development Commission and the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization. Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Lucy Wick Gomersall of Arlington; and a sister, Gwenneth Lavin of Washington.”
Click here to view Mr. Gomersall's obituary
He was a member of the American Institute of Architects, who were contacted to see if Gomersall’s design work was found in their archives. Unfortunately there are no records or easily located surviving relatives.
Ralph A. Fournier (1920-2020) was the architect for the 1956 Better Homes and Gardens Idea Home of the Year, which was built at 503 Middlebury Drive (now 1402 Middlebury Drive) by the Gosnell Firm. Mr. Fournier was also a WWII veteran, a B-26 bomber pilot and instructor in the European Theatre. He graduated from the Washington University School of Architecture in 1952 and opened his own architectural firm, Fournier, Inc. “He designed the prestigious 1956 Better Homes & Gardens Idea House which was built in 93 cities in the US and abroad.” As noted in his obituary https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/18301532/Ralph-Fournier