Robert Durham, 86, Was Architect Known For Churches He Designed

Robert Lewis Durham, who designed the award-winning Fauntleroy Community Congregational Church in West Seattle, was known as "the church architect."

He had designed the church with a wall at the rear of the altar. But as the wall was being built, he realized it would obscure trees and flowers, so he came up with the idea for a picture window.

The next day the workers took down the wall and installed glass.

It was one of about 200 churches that Mr. Durham and his firm designed in Washington, Idaho and Alaska. Durham, Anderson and Freed also drafted plans for Seattle Pacific University, The Evergreen State College and the interfaith chapel at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair.

"He was a good architect, but his No. 1 skill was working with people," said his son, David Durham of Kent. "He had a tremendous ability to work with groups, pull people together and get things done. He could go into church committee meetings and suggest things in a way that let people think something was their idea."

Mr. Durham died of a heart attack last Saturday (July 25). He was 86.

Born in Seattle to architect W.W. Durham and his wife, Abbie, he grew up in Tacoma, where he studied architectural drawing. He graduated from Tacoma's Lincoln High School in 1930.

He earned a bachelor's degree in architecture in 1936 at the University of Washington.

Mr. Durham's first job was with Seattle's Building Department. He worked with architect B. Dudley Stuart, then spent four years as a cost engineer for the Federal Housing Administration before rejoining Stuart in an architectural partnership that lasted until 1951.

Mr. Durham took over the firm, which became Durham, Anderson and Freed. The group built fire stations and libraries as well as churches in Washington and Alaska.

His signature, which he helped pioneer in the Northwest, was concrete or laminated wood arches.

"He liked to travel, especially in Europe, and always had a camera in his hand," said his son. "He shot many churches. People were rebuilding after (World War II). He'd come home and show the slides to other architects. Many of those designs were on the leading edge."

A fellow and a past national president of the American Institute of Architects and a past officer in the Seattle chapter of AIA, Mr. Durham served on the Seattle Planning Commission and Seattle Arts Commission.

He took up art full time after retiring in 1977. Many of his watercolors of scenes from around the world were shown at art festivals. He also had a one-man show at Seattle's Frye Art Museum.

Other survivors include his wife of 61 years, Marjorie Durham of Seattle; his children Gail Durham Philippson of Portland, Catherine Gunstone of Burien and Jennifer Jerde of Portland; his brother, Ernest Durham of Roy, Pierce County; nine grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Aug. 9 at Fauntleroy Community Congregational Church, 9260 California Ave. S.W., Seattle.

Remembrances may go to the church (ZIP code 98136) or to the Seattle Architectural Foundation, 1333 Fifth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101.