Archives West Finding Aid

George R. Bartholick was born on May 12, 1921 in Bellingham, Washington. After graduating from Bellingham High School in 1939, Bartholick attended the University of Washington in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in architecture. At the onset of WWII, Bartholick left school to serve in the Air Force until 1945. Bartholick returned to school at the University of Oregon in 1946 and received his degree in 1950. Bartholick practiced architecture in Holland, Sweden and Switzerland until 1954. While in Europe, Bartholick studied various styles of architecture and urban planning. These influences led to the development of a distinct “Bartholick” style, in which structural design harmonized with the surrounding landscape.

After returning to Bellingham in 1956, Bartholick designed many small commercial, residential, and public projects primarily in northern Washington. In the 1970's, Bartholick moved to Seattle where he worked with architects Ibsen Nelsen and Fred Bassetti. Bartholick retired in the early 1990s and returned to Bellingham. He died on August 31, 1998.

Bartholick is best known for his larger projects. These projects focused on remodeling existing structures and the planning of future additions, rather than the construction of new buildings. These projects include:

• Western Washington State College/University Long Term Planning & Old Main Remodel (1963-1979). Bartholick developed the long-range, central and academic reserve area plans for WWU. He also determined the layout of the on-campus sculpture garden and the placement of Fisher Fountain in Red Square. Bartholick also remodeled the WWU administration building, known as “Old Main”, which was first built in 1898.
• Whatcom Museum Remodel (1963-1977) This building, constructed in 1892 and former home of the Bellingham City Hall, suffered much damage during a fire in the 1950s. Bartholick remodeled the building and attempted to save or recreate as much of the original wood and iron work as possible. He also reconstructed the ruined bell tower from photographs, as no plans of the tower were extant.
• Woodland Park Zoo Remodel (1969-1974) Bartholick developed a long range master plan for the Seattle zoo that focused on large, naturalistic exhibits and grouping of animals by geographic region. He traveled to Europe and Africa to study zoos in several cities, as well as to view typical zoo animals in their natural habitat. Bartholick’s plan called for a bridge over Aurora Avenue, in an attempt to connect the two halves of Woodland Park. This bridge led to controversy and eventually Seattle voters rejected Bartholick’s plan in 1974.
• Pike Place Market Remodel (1974-1980) Bartholick’s award-winning remodel of Seattle's Pike Place Market successfully “cleaned-up” a deteriorating urban area, while preserving the Market’s bohemian atmosphere. Bartholick carefully chose paint, tile and construction materials to mesh with the traditional Market environment. He compared his work on Pike Place to that of a forester restoring a mountain meadow, saying that if the job was done right, no one would notice any difference.
• Fairhaven Revitalization (1979-1980) Bartholick conducted a detailed study of the historical Fairhaven area of Bellingham. He examined historical districts of other cities such as Port Townsend and attempted to create a plan that would reverse urban decay and attract tourists to Fairhaven.