Résumé

Draftsman, unknown architect, Portland, OR, 1910.

Principal, Earl A. Roberts, Architect, Portland, OR, 1912-1916. In 1916, Roberts leased office space in Room #416 of the Selling Building. (See Polk's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1916, p. 1027.)

Engineering Draftsman, Todd Dry Dock and Construction Corporation, Seattle, WA, 1918. The Todd shipyard was located at 1801 16th Avenue South, Seattle.

Principal, Earl A. Roberts, Architect, Seattle, WA, 1921-1939. In 1921, Roberts maintained an office (#1056) in the Empire Building, Seattle. From 1922-1939, he worked in several offices in the Burke Building. In 1925, he had an office in Room #510 of the Burke Building. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1925, p. 1193.)

In Seattle, Roberts developed a specialty of designing large-scale apartment buildings and high-rise hotels.

College

His Seattle Daily Times obituary stated “He studied architecture in New York City, later returning to Portland.” (See "Earl A. Roberts," Seattle Daily Times, 05/29/1939, p.)

Relocation

Earl Andrew Roberts was born in OR. He resided at 568 60th Street in Portland, OR, in 1910, where he worked worked as a draftsman in an architect's office. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Portland Ward 8, Multnomah, Oregon; Roll: T624_1287; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 0200; FHL microfilm: 1375300, accessed 09/30/2020.)

Roberts lived in Portland, OR, at 526 East 51st Street North in 1916.

On 09/12/1918, he and his wife lived on Mercer Island, WA, and he commuted to the Todd Dry Dock and Construction Corporation for work. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Registration State: Washington; Registration County: King; Roll: 1991651; Draft Board: 02, accessed 09/30/2020.)

Roberts rented a home at 9508 Rainier Avenue in 1920. He and his wife had two children, a boy, (Donald, age 7), and girl, (Margaret, age 6), at the time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Year: 1920; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: T625_1930; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 315, accessed 09/30/2020.)

In 1925, Roberts resided at 10101 Renton Way in Seattle.(See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1925, p. 1193.)

Earl, Mary Ann and their three children owned a residence at 2535 11th Avenue West in 1930. At that date, it had an approximate value of $5,000. (See Ancetry.com, Source Citation: Year: 1930; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Page: 26A; Enumeration District: 0076; FHL microfilm: 2342230, accessed 09/30/2020.)

The architect died in 1939 at the age of 53.

Parents

According to the 1910 US Census, Roberts’s father, William Andrew Roberts, was of English-Canadian descent, and his mother, Lyde Young, came from IA.

In 1892, William A. Roberts worked in a firm called "Roberts Brothers" (with his brother David M. Roberts) that dealt in real estate and insurance. (See R.L. Polk’s Portland, Oregon City Directory, 1892, p. 814.)

Spouse

He wed Mary Alice Hanson, (born c. 1890 in OR-d. 01/1938 in Seattle, WA), on 12/30/1908 in Multnomah County, OR. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Oregon State Archives; Salem, Oregon; Oregon, Marriage Records, 1906-1910, 1946-1966, accessed 09/30/2020.)

Children

He and Mary Alice had three children: Donald E. Roberts (born c. 1912 in Portland, OR), Margaret A. Roberts (born c. 1914 in Portland, OR) and Lois Elizabeth Roberts (born c. 1927 in Seattle, WA).

Donald became an architect. As he had done with his father, Earl went into architectural practice with his son, Donald.

Biographical Notes

According to his World War I draft registration card, Roberts was Caucasian, of medium height and build, and had gray eyes and dark brown hair. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Registration State: Washington; Registration County: King; Roll: 1991651; Draft Board: 02, accessed 09/30/2020.)