The following architects, designers, and builders all played significant roles in creating the historic architectural heritage of Fresno and California's Central Valley. Some, such as W. D. Coates and Eugene Mathewson, spent most of their professional careers in Fresno, and designed many of the city's most prominent buildings. Others, including George W. Maher and S. Charles Lee, designed only one structure in the area, yet those structures have become local landmarks. One architect on the list — Charles H. Cheney — never had any of his designs built in the Central Valley, yet his plan for Fresno's downtown civic center was so remarkable that it warrants his inclusion here.