William M. Whidden

William Marcy Whidden (February 10, 1857 – July 27, 1929) was a founding member of Whidden & Lewis, a prominent architectural firm in Portland, Oregon, United States.

Early life

William Whidden was born on February 10, 1857, in Boston, Massachusetts.[1] He was raised there and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He worked at the firm McKim, Mead and White from at least 1882 until 1888; projects included the Tacoma and Portland Hotels per wiki MM&W page 1-2011; then travelled to Portland, Oregon, in 1883 to work on the Portland Hotel.[1] Whidden returned to Boston, but came back to Portland in 1887 to finish the hotel. He married Alice Wygant, great-granddaughter of John McLoughlin, in 1884[2] and had two sons.

Whidden & Lewis

In 1889, Ion Lewis and Whidden formed a professional architectural firm in Portland.[1] Their residential buildings were mostly in the Colonial Revival style, while their commercial buildings were primarily in the twentieth-century classical style. The commercial buildings often featured brick, along with terra cotta ornamentation. Many of their buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).[3]

The Whidden–Kerr House and Garden, which was William Whidden's residence from 1901 until 1911, is also listed on the National Register.[4]

Further reading
  • Marlitt, Richard. Matters of Proportion: The Portland Residential Architecture of Whidden & Lewis. Portland: Oregon Historical Society Press, 1989.

References
  1. Corning, Howard M. (1989) Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing. p. 262.
  2. "The Whidden-Wygant Wedding". The Morning Oregonian. September 25, 1884. p. 5.
  3. "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Failing Building" (PDF). February 27, 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  4. Northwest Heritage Property Associates (August 15, 1987). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Whidden-Kerr House and Garden" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved September 27, 2013.


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