Résumé

The 1900 US Census indicated that Henry, at age 17, worked as an architect in New York City. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Brooklyn Ward 17, Kings, New York; Roll: 1054; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 0263, accessed 07/30/2025.)

Bridge Designer, employer unknown, Seattle, WA, 1906.

Partner, Kinglsey and Bittman, Architect / Engineer, Seattle, WA, 1907. In 1908, the Seattle City Directory identified Bittman as a construction engineer, and the following year as a structural engineer.

Representative / Structural Engineer, Puget Sound and Alaska Powder Company, Seattle, WA, 1918. In that year the firm had its office in Room #702 of the Securities Building in Seattle. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1918, p. 420.)

Principal, Henry W. Bittman, Architect/Engineer, Seattle, WA, 1924-1927. In 1942, Bittman's office was in Room #1011 of the Securities Building.

Professional Activities

Bittman became a Registered Architect in the State of Washington in 1923; Completed 15-week course, Camouflage School, Camouflage Division, Office of Civilian Defense, University of Washington, 10-12/1942;

Coursework in structural engineering;

Relocation

Bittman was born in Manhattan, NY, and grew up in Brooklyn, NY, in its Greenpoint neighborhood. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation New York City Department of Records & Information Services; New York City, New York; New York City Birth Certificates; Borough: Manhattan; Year: 1882, accessed 07/30/2025.) The 1900 US Census located Henry living at home with his parents John and Dina, three siblings and his maternal grandmother Dora Weiss (born 11/1831 in Germany). As per this year's census. John worked as a "decorator" in New York City. The family resided at 100 Milton Street in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood. Many of the Bittman's workingclass neighbors had immigrated from Germany and Ireland during the nineteenth century. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Brooklyn Ward 17, Kings, New York; Roll: 1054; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 0263, accessed 07/30/2025.)

He migrated to WA State in 1906. He and his wife Jessie resided in Kennydale, WA, on the southeastern shore of Lake Washington, as noted by the 1910 US Census.

Bittman and his family resided at 4625 Eastern Avenue in Seattle's middle-class Wallingford neighborhood by at least 1918 and this dwelling would remain his home until his death in 1953. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1918, p. 420.) In 1920, the Bittmans lived here with a young housekeeper, Katherine Kunihiro (born c. 1899 in HI), whose parents had both been born in Japan.(See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: T625_1925; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 70, accessed 07/30/2025.)

According to the 1930 US Census, the house at 4625 Eastern Avenue had a value of $7,500, a few thousand more than most of the Bittman's immediate neighbors. They had a new maid, Eleanor Wick (born c. 1888 in Sweden), but no children. Wick would remain the Bittman's housekeeper in 1950. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: 828; Page: 4; Enumeration District: 40-233, accessed 07/30/2025.)

The Bittmans lived close-by to the family of Wallace and Pearl Lovett (at 4673 Eastern Avenue) and their son Wendell (1922-2016), who would become a notable Seattle architect and Professor of Architecture at the University of Washington. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0051; FHL microfilm: 2342228, accessed 07/30/2025.)

He died of heart disease at Swedish Hospital in Seattle on 11/16/1953 at the age of 71. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Death Index, 1940-2017, accessed 07/30/2025.)

Parents

His father John Bittman (born 12/1850) had been born in France of German parents. John migrated to the US with his family in 1855, according to the 1900 US Census. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Brooklyn Ward 17, Kings, New York; Roll: 1054; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 0263, accessed 07/30/2025.)

His mother Dina Weiss (born 07/1854 in NY) managed the household and had four children, of whom Henry was the eldest. They married in 1881.

Henry's three siblings were Dora Bittman (born 08/1884 in NY), Paul John Bittman ((born 04/1887 in NY) and Herbert Bittman (boen 08/1892 in NY).

Spouse

Bittman married Lena Jessie Sullivan on 01/28/1908 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. British Columbia, Canada, Marriage Index, 1872-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001, accessed 07/30/2025. This marriage document listed Henry Bittman's middle name as being "Weiss," although his World War II draft registration card indicated that he had no middle initial.)

Jessie's father had come from NY, her mother, IL.

Biographical Notes

Prior to 07/30/2025, PCAD had incorrectly called Herbert Jay Bittman (1925-2016) Henry Bittman's son. He was his nephew.

• Greenpoint, NY (Architect's Birth)
  Greenpoint, NY

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• Seattle, WA (Architect's Death)
  Seattle, WA

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