Archives West Finding Aid

Edwin Walker Houghton (1856-1927) was a leading designer of theaters in the Pacific Northwest during the early 20th century. E. W. Houghton was born in England to a family of architects and surveyors, receiving his architectural training in the practices of his family members. He emigrated to western Texas during the mid-1880s, settling near El Paso, before moving to Pasadena, California. Houghton established an independent architecture practice in Pasadena. It is unknown when he came to Seattle, though he became associated with Seattle architect Charles Saunders, who had also been working in Pasadena, in 1889. Their partnership, Saunders & Houghton, dissolved in September 1891, after which E. W. Houghton practiced independently. As an independent architect, he became associated with theater proprietor John Cort to design Seattle's Grand Opera House, 1898-1900, and went on to design a number of theaters throughout the Pacific Northwest for Cort. He began receiving larger commissions in Seattle, designing the Moore Theater and Hotel, 1903, and the Majestic Theatre, 1908-9. Houghton's practice became known as E. W. Houghton & Son in 1923 after employing his son, Gordon Houghton. He practiced under this name until his death in 1927. Houghton was a founding member of the Washington State Chapter of the AIA in 1894.