Partners: network

Elton C. Gildow, George A. Hartman, Clark Teegarden, John LeBaron Wright

Active 1973-

Firm Notes

The firm of Wright, Gildow, Hartman, Teegarden, Architects and Planners, was formed in 10/1973. It succeeded the firm of Bindon, Wright and Partners, Architects.

An article in the Seattle Times of 10/07/1973 sketched out the firm's history: “A Seattle architectural firm founded in 1898 has completed its sixth name change, becoming Wright, Gildow, Hartman and Teegarden, Architects and Planners,” Principals in the firm are John Wright, Elton Gildow, George Hartman and Clark Teegarden. Four members of the staff have associate standings. Partnership denotes an ownership interest in the firm while associate ranking is given to key members who are not owners. The firm traces its founding from 1898, when Charles Bebb began his civil-engineer practice here on arrival from Chicago. In 1913, Carl Gould joined him in a partnership, Bebb & Gould. On Gould’s death in 1939, the firm became Bebb & Jones, and on Bebb’s retirement, in 1946 it became Jones & Bindon. John Paul Jones, longtime architect for the University of Washington, retired in 1956, and Wright became a partner. Leonard Bindon retired in 1970, and the present partnership was formed as Bindon & Wright. The firm’s early work includes structures such as the Frye Hotel, the Home Building, the Suzzallo Library and the Times Square Building. Gildow, in charge of administration, has been with the firm since 1954. Hartman, in charge of design, since 1959, and Teegarden, in charge of production and personnel, since 1947. The firm has wholly owned affiliates offering planning and interior-design services.” (See “Old architectural firm reports name change,” Seattle Times, 10/07/1973, p, 44.)Bebb practiced on his own in Seattle between 1898 and 1901 and then created a partnership with Louis Mendel between 1901 and 1914.

On 10/14/1973, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer said of the firm's new name and foci: “In addition to architectural services, the firm has expanded to include predesign services, including site evaluation, economic feasibility studies, land use studies and programming. These services are provided by ‘Complan’ a wholly-owned affiliate of WGHT, which also serves other organizations and individuals in the Northwest.” (See “Old Firm Changes Its Name,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 10/14/1973, p. E2.)

PCAD id: 6486