Résumé

Partner, [William E.] Boone and Willcox, Architects, Seattle, WA, late 1890-1892. In 1892, Willcox maintained his architectural office in Rooms #537 and 539 of the new Burke Building in Seattle's Pioneer Square. (See R.L. Polk’s Seattle City Directory, 1892, p. 959.)

Principal, William H. Willcox, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1893-1898.

Partner, [John] Haggerty and Willcox, Architects.

Willcox authored the 1884 architectural treatise on ecclesiastical design: Hints to Those Who Propose to Build; also a Description of Improved Plan and Construction of Churches, (St. Paul, MN: Pioneer Press Pub. Co., 1884).

Relocation

The well-traveled Willcox worked in New York, Chicago, Nebraska and Minneapolis-Saint Paul before landing in Seattle, WA, to practice architecture. He had been born in England.

He and his wife Henrietta lived in August and Emily Turner Wexelberg's boarding house at 2111 Indiana Avenue in Chicago, IL's south side in 1880. It was several blocks east of what is today the Englewood neighborhood. (See (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 185; Page: 483D; Enumeration District: 018, accessed 12/07/2023 and Chicago, Illinois, City Directory, 1878, p. 1086.)

During 1892 and 1893, Willcox resided on the southeast corner of Prescott Place and Hamlin Street on Lake Union in Seattle. (See R.L. Polk Directory Company's Seattle, WA, City Directory, 1892, p. 927 and R.L. Polk Directory Company's Seattle, WA, City Directory, 1893, p. 944.) The 1893 directory noted that he lived on "Mansion southeast corner of Hamlin."

He moved to Los Angeles, CA, c. 1893, during the Depression of that year, like John Parkinson (1861-1935), Elmer Fisher (c. 1844-1905) and a few other leading Seattle architects. He died in a veteran's home in the Northern CA town of Yountville at the age of 96.

Spouse

He was married to Henrietta Willcox (born c. 1830 in New York)

Children

He had a son Frederick P. Willcox, who resided at home in 1893. (See R.L. Polk Directory Company's Seattle, WA, City Directory, 1893, p. 944.)

Biographical Notes

While in Los Angeles, CA, in 1896, Willcox became active in local Republican Party politics. He was named to be (1 of 73) Vice-Presidents of the McKinley Club of Los Angeles in that year.

In 1898, Willcox sued the 1st Baptist Church of Los Angeles for failing to pay for his services.