Archives West Finding Aid

Edward Baar (1913-2003) was born in Portland, Oregon on February 2, 1913. He was the first child of Josef O Baar and Maude Greene Baar. His sister Elizabeth was born in 1920 and his half-brother David was born in 1937. Edward married Mary Louise Barnum, b. 1916, in 1937. Edward’s children are Joseph, b. 1943 and Letitia, b. 1945. After Mary Louise’s death in 1961 Edward married Elizabeth Foisie Troberg.

Edward graduated from U.S. Grant High School in Portland, Oregon. He attended the University of Washington and in 1932 chose Architecture as his major in 1932. He studied under Lionel Pries and was granted a degree as Bachelor of Architecture in 1937.

After graduation from the University he was employed or partner is several architectural firms in California, Oregon, and Washington. He was employed 1943-46 by Naramore, Grainger & Johanson, Architects in Seattle, Washington as draftsman, job captain and planner. Work included housing for naval personnel and related fire stations and community halls, and Franklin Roosevelt Hospital, all in Bremerton, Washington. Other work for this firm included the Seattle Blood Bank, Swedish Hospital Nurses’ Home and advance planning for an expansion of Swedish Hospital.

In 1944 the State of Washington licensed Edward to practice Architecture and in 1947 Edward published a monograph, The Manipulation of Projections for World Maps, under the auspices of the American Geographical Society.

From 1947-50 he was employed by Grainger & Thomas, Architects in Seattle, Washington as Associate and Partner. During this time his principal assignments were Seattle’s City Engineering Department Shops building at what is now the Charles Street complex and a recreation unit at the Monroe Reformatory. He became a member of the American Institute of Architects in 1948. Baar was partner in Grainger, Thomas & Baar, Architects in Seattle, Washington, from 1951-1958. Principal assignments during these years included work for the University of Washington: Denny Hall interior reconstruction, Languages Building, Drama-TV Building, and the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority house.

From 1950 through 1972 Edward was a member of the editorial board and a contributing architect for the national magazine Small Homes Guide, which later became the New Homes Guide.

After Clyde Grainger’s death in 1958 Edward remained a Partner with Donald Thomas in the firm Thomas & Baar, Architects. The practice was mostly involved in residential construction and remodels, along with alterations and additions for Diesel Oil Sales in Seattle.

In 1962 Edward began a shared practice with Jerry Gropp, Architect under the name Associated Architects. This firm remained in place until 1970 and most of its work was related to residential construction and remodels local to Seattle.

From 1969 through 1974 Edward was in private practice in Seattle as Architect and Consultant. His work remained primarily residential in nature.

Employed 1974 by Naramore Bain Brady & Johanson, Architects in Seattle, Washington as graphics consultant and job captain for heavy construction at the Trident Submarine Base, Bangor, Washington.

Employed 1974 by Crittenden Cassetta Cannon/Helmuth Obata Kassabaum, Architects in Anchorage, Alaska as space planning consultant and construction document oversight for alterations and additions to the Arco Base Camp, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.

Edward moved to Santa Cruz, California early in 1975 and was employed there with several firms. He died in 2003.