William Hodder Carleton, born 1909 in South Prairie, WA, spent his childhood in Nome, Alaska, before arriving in Seattle in 1919. He attended Stanford University and received a Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Washington. Upon graduation, he served as a draftsman for George W. Stoddard (1934-1942).

After WWII, in 1946, Carleton joined the firm of Young & Richardson. While architects Arrigo Young and Stephen Richardson had strong roots in the historical revival styles of the 1930s, by 1941 they had transitioned their practice to meet the modern needs of postwar Seattle. Carleton was a key to this transition and became a full partner.

He was joined in the partnership by John Detlie in 1952 and the firm was renamed “Young, Richardson, Carleton & Detlie”. Together the firm produced a wide variety of projects. Among their most notable works was Gaffney’s Lake Wilderness Lodge which received a National AIA Honor Award in 1952. The Gaffney commission brought the firm local and national acclaim, as well as additional high-profile projects. Other projects included Terry Hall (1953), Lander Hall (1957) and McCarty Hall (1963) at the University of Washington; Seattle Parks Department Administration Building (1948); the Seattle Children’s Orthopedic Hospital (1953); Gethsemane Lutheran Church (1954); and the Carl Erickson House at Hunts Point (1954).

Many of their projects were widely published. Articles appeared in Pacific Architect & Builder, Architectural Record, Architectural Record’s A Treasury of Contemporary Houses series (1953), House & Home, Sunset, and Progressive Architecture. Detlie left the firm in 1956 and the firms name was changed to “Young, Richardson & Carleton”.

Together , with additional partners and a growing staff, they continued to design many modernist projects, including Issaquah High School (1961); various concourses at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (1963-1965); Bloedel Hall addition to St. Mark’s Cathedral (1957-1959); Seattle Unity Church of Truth (1960) in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood; the National Bank of Commerce (1961) in Renton; the Service Center for Seattle City Light (1965); and later the State Office Building No. 2 (1975) in Olympia.

In 1968, the firm became “The Richardson Associates” or “TRA” for short. It remained one of the largest Seattle architectural firms until the mid-1990s, with projects located throughout the United States and abroad. Carleton officially retired from the firm in 1974 and died in Seattle on August 25, 1984.

– Michael C Houser