Résumé

Draftsman, Baldwin and Pennington, Architects, Baltimore, MD, 1904.

Draftsman, James Gamble Rogers, Architect, New York, NY, 1905-1906.

Architect, Purdy and Henderson, Engineers.

Partner, [Harold] Whitehouse and Price, Architects, Spokane, WA, 1914- . In 1922, Whitehouse and Price had an office in the Hutton Building in Spokane.

Professional Activities

Price became a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Washington State Chapter, in late 1920. (See "New Members Elected," Journal of the American Institute of Architects, vol. IX, no. 1, 01/1921, p. 58.)

Archives

The Whitehouse and Price Records 1939-1972 are maintained at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture/Eastern Washington State Historical Society, Joel E. Ferris Research Library and Archives, Spokane, WA. This collection contains 20 flat files.

High School and College

Price attended primary and secondary schools in Jamestown, NY.

B.Arch., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1900-1905. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., School Catalogs, 1765-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012, p. 258, accessed 08/14/2025.) Both Ernest and his partner, Harold C. Whitehouse (1884-1974), attended Cornell.

Relocation

Ernest Valois Price was born in Jamestown, NY, on 01/18/1881 to to Charles Harrison Price and Mary B. Kimberly. He had an unusually stable childhood, living in Jamestown, a city known in the 19th century for its many successful businesses, most notably in furniture manufacture and metalworking industries. The New York State Census of 1892 listed Ernest living with his grandparents, parents and brothers in Jamestown, and the 1900 US Census confirmed that he, resided at 310 Lakeview Avenue in Jamestown with his paternal grandparents, parents and two brothers. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., State Census, 1892 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012, accessed 08/14/2025 and Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Jamestown Ward 1, Chautauqua, New York; Roll: 1014; Page: 13; Enumeration District: 0103, accessed 08/14/2025.)

Ernest lived in Jamestown until 1900, when he matriculated at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. In 1905, Price lived at 615 East State Street in Ithaca, NY, when he applied for a US passport to travel abroad. Presumably, this was for the standard "grand tour" undertaken by many recently graduated architectural students of the era.

He returned to live and work in New York, NY, by 02/1906, at least, if not earlier.

The architect passed away from a heart attack in Spokane, WA, on 01/18/1975 at the age of 94. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Death Index, 1940-2017, accessed 08/14/2025.) He was buried in the Riverside Memorial Park in Spokane.

Parents

His mother Mary Belle Kimberly (born 04/02/1848 in Chautauqua County, NY-d. 04/13/1923 in NY), whose family settled in CT before the Revolutionary War. She wed Charles Harrison Price (born 07/23/1841 in Chautauqua County, NY-d. 12/19/1916) on 10/23/1866. He descended from a long-established NY family that could trace its roots back to a Welsh settler who came to the US before the Revolutionary War. In 1875, Charles worked as a printer in Chautauqua County. As noted in the 1875 NY State Census, Charles and Mary resided with his parents--Wilson Andrews Price (born 09/1816 in Homer, NY-d. 12/24/1905 in Jamestown, NY) and Amy Eliza Butler (born 06/20/1820 in Poultney, VT-d. 02/24/1926 in Jamestown, NY)--in Ellicot, NY. The Kimberly family, presumably Mary's parents, lived a few doors down from the Prices. Both Mary's and Charles's fathers worked as carpenters. A Butler family lived next door to Wilson and Amy, perhaps relatives of hers. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation New York State Archives; Albany, NY, USA; Census of the State of New York, 1875, accessed 08/14/2025.)

Ernest lived for his entire childhood in a multigenerational household, with his father's long-lived parents. Wilson Price lived to be 89, while his grandmother Amy died at age 105. Residing with his grandfather, a carpenter, could have enhanced his knowledge of construction and perhaps stimulated his interest in architecture.

Ernest had two elder brothers Wilson Clark Price (born 07/03/1875 in NY-d. 06/07/1966 in NY) and Albert Stanley Price (born 12/05/1878 in Jamestown, NY-d. 07/28/1955 in Jamestown, NY). Both Wilson and Albert became lawyers.

Spouse

Price married Jessie Robertson Easson on 10/30/1912 in Spokane, WA. (See Spokane County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1880-2025 - Ernest - V - Price - Et Al., Spokane County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1880-Present, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives, http://digitalarchives.wa.gov, accessed 08/14/2025.)

Biographical Notes

A US passport application of 05/18/1905 indicated that, at age 24, Price stood 5-feet, 9-and-3/4-inches tall. He was Caucasian, with a "clear" complexion, blue eyes, "Grecian" nose, "medium mouth, "square" chin, dark brown hair and a "long" face. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Roll #: 678; Volume #: Roll 678 - 17 May 1905-21 May 1905, accessed 08/14/2025.)

Price attended the Baptist church during the 1900s. A record indicated that he registered at New York City's 5th Avenue Baptist Church on 02/02/1906. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Riverside Church; New York City, New York; Riverside Church Records through 1955, acccessed 08/14/2025.)

SSN: 533360747.