Charles Herbert Bebb (10 April 1856 – 21 June 1942) was a leading Seattle
architectAn architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...
, who participated in two of the city's most important partnerships, Bebb and Mendel (with Louis L. Mendel) from 1901 to 1914, and
Bebb and GouldThe architectural partnership of Bebb and Gould was active in Seattle from 1914 to 1939. Partners Carl Freylinghausen Gould and Charles Herbert Bebb were jointly responsible for many buildings on the University of Washington's Seattle campus, as well as the Seattle Times Square Building , Everett...
(with Carl F. Gould) from 1914 to 1939. Bebb was also important in the development of the architectural
terra cottaTerracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic. Its uses include vessels, water and waste water pipes and surface embellishment in building construction, along with sculpture such as the Terracotta Army and Greek terracotta figurines...
industry in Washington State, and he was an early participant in the Washington State Chapter of the
American Institute of ArchitectsThe American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
(predecessor to today's AIA Seattle Chapter).
Bebb was born at West Hall, Mortlake, Surrey, England, and was educated at private schools before attending the
University of LausanneThe University of Lausanne or UNIL in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
, and then studying at the School of Mines in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
.
Charles Herbert Bebb (10 April 1856 – 21 June 1942) was a leading Seattle
architectAn architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...
, who participated in two of the city's most important partnerships, Bebb and Mendel (with Louis L. Mendel) from 1901 to 1914, and
Bebb and GouldThe architectural partnership of Bebb and Gould was active in Seattle from 1914 to 1939. Partners Carl Freylinghausen Gould and Charles Herbert Bebb were jointly responsible for many buildings on the University of Washington's Seattle campus, as well as the Seattle Times Square Building , Everett...
(with Carl F. Gould) from 1914 to 1939. Bebb was also important in the development of the architectural
terra cottaTerracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic. Its uses include vessels, water and waste water pipes and surface embellishment in building construction, along with sculpture such as the Terracotta Army and Greek terracotta figurines...
industry in Washington State, and he was an early participant in the Washington State Chapter of the
American Institute of ArchitectsThe American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
(predecessor to today's AIA Seattle Chapter).
Biography
Bebb was born at West Hall, Mortlake, Surrey, England, and was educated at private schools before attending the
University of LausanneThe University of Lausanne or UNIL in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
, and then studying at the School of Mines in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
. After a stint in
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
as a railroad construction engineer, Bebb came to the United States about 1882 and joined the Illinois Terra Cotta Lumber Company where he became involved in the development of fireproofing materials. In 1888, Bebb went to work for
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
architects
Adler and SullivanLouis Henri Sullivan was an American architect, and has been called the "father of modernism." He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago School, was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an inspiration to the Chicago...
as a superintending architect. He came to Seattle in 1890 to superintend construction of the firm's Seattle Opera House, but the project did not go forward and Bebb returned to Chicago.
Bebb came permannently to Seattle in 1893 and went to work for the Denny Clay Company, which, with his assistance, began to produce architectural
terra cottaTerracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic. Its uses include vessels, water and waste water pipes and surface embellishment in building construction, along with sculpture such as the Terracotta Army and Greek terracotta figurines...
. Bebb always saw himself as an architect, and he was an early member of the Washington State Chapter of the AIA, founded in 1894. By 1898, Bebb opened his own architectural practice. His early projects reflected the influence of Louis Sullivan in the use of terra cotta ornament with "Sullivanesque" designs.
In February 1901, Bebb joined with Louis L. Mendel to form Bebb and Mendel. Over the next thirteen years their firm was one of the leading architectural practices in Seattle, designing homes, hotels, office buiildings and institutional, commercial and industrial structures. The
Hoge BuildingThe Hoge Building is a historic building in Seattle, Washington located on the Northwest corner of Second Avenue and Cherry Street. The building was constructed in 1911 by and named for John Hoge, an attorney and real estate investor. It is constructed primarily of tan brick and terra cotta built...
(1909-11) was Seattle's tallest when it was completed, but it was passed three years later by the
Smith TowerThe Smith Tower, located in Pioneer Square, is the oldest skyscraper in Seattle, Washington, USA. Completed in 1914, the tower is named after its builder, firearm and typewriter magnate Lyman Cornelius Smith. Containing 42 floors, it was the tallest office building west of the Mississippi River...
.
In early 1914 Bebb and Mendel dissolved their partnership. By mid-1914, Bebb had formed a new partnership, Bebb and Gould with Carl F. Gould. Their partnership agreement gave primary responsibility for management, engineering, specifications and construction to Bebb; planning and design, though the responsibility of both partners, were primarily allocated to Gould. The firm's early success in winning the commission for the
University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. UW is the largest university in the northwestern United States and one of the oldest public universities on the west coast. The university has three campuses, with its flagship campus...
campus plan propelled it to prominence and Bebb and Gould won many significant institutional commissions over the next two decades.
Bebb was among the early members of the Washington State Chapter of the
American Institute of ArchitectsThe American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
. He served as the Chapter president in 1902, 1903 and 1904. He was elected a
FellowFellow of the American Institute of Architects is a postnomial, designating an individual who has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects...
of the AIA in 1919.
Bebb was never directly involved in architectural education, but several years after Carl F. Gould became head of the architecture program at the University of Washington, Bebb provided funds for an award for an annual student competition called the "Bebb Prize."
In 1924, when Bebb was 68, he began to gradually reduce his participation in the firm. However, he remained a partner with a share in the practice until Gould's unexpected death in 1939. Bebb carried on by taking draftsman John Paul Jones into partnership and renaming the firm Bebb and Jones. This partnership was short-lived as Bebb died in June 1942. Thereafter Jones continued the firm as Jones and Bindon with new partner Leonard Bindon.
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