Charles Bebb

Charles Herbert Bebb (Birth Registered as "Herbert Charles Bebb"), (10 April 1862 – 21 June 1942) was an American architect, who participated in two of the city's most important partnerships, Bebb and Mendel (with Louis L. Mendel) from 1901 to 1914, and Bebb and Gould (with Carl F. Gould) from 1914 to 1939. Bebb was also important in the development of the architectural terra cotta industry in Washington State, and he was an early participant in the Washington State Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (predecessor to today's AIA Seattle Chapter).

Eldest son of solicitor Henry Charles Lewis Bebb and Jessie Green (daughter of John "Paddy" Green of Evans Hotel, Covent Garden), Charles was born on 10 April 1862 at 11 Silchester Road, Kensington, London, England, where he spent his childhood. Notting Hill, London, England. He later claimed he was born 10 April 1856 on his US Naturalisation papers (8/12/1920). He was educated privately and he stated that he attended the University of Lausanne, and then studied at the School of Mines in London. In 1881 he is listed on the UK census as a Law Student living with his Aunt, Alice Green in Lee, London. After a stint in South Africa as a railroad construction engineer, Bebb returned to London (17/2/1885) aboard R.M.S. "Athenian" and instead of going to Australia to join his father, he came to the United States as an Engineer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 15 April 1885 aboard "British Prince") and lived as a boarder in Chicago, listing as a Surveyor. He said that he joined the Illinois Terra Cotta Lumber Company where he became involved in the development of fireproofing materials. In 1887, Bebb went to work for Chicago architects Adler and Sullivan as a superintending architect at 118 Dearborn Street (1887), Takoma Building (1889) and 1600 Auditorium Building (1890). He came to Seattle in 1891 (Griffith House) to superintend construction of the firm's Seattle Opera House, but the project did not go forward and Bebb returned to Chicago. While in Chicago, he married (21/11/1888) Virginia Rutler Bush (née Burns) adopting her son Joseph Crispia Bush (Bebb).

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