Roland Edward Borhek (1883 – May 7, 1955) was an architect in the state of

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

Biography

Borhek was born in

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton and Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Bethle ...

, in 1883. He attended

Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU), in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, is a private university, private research university. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer. Lehigh University's undergraduate programs have been mixed ...

before working as chief draftsman for the firm A. Warren Gould of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. In 1905 Gould decided to move to

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

for more work which prompted Borhek to follow. Together they designed the American Savings Bank building and the Empire building in Seattle which were the second and third concrete reinforced structures in the United States ever built. Two years after moving to Seattle, Borhek decided to settle in

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...

, and joined the architectural firm of Heath and Twitchell where he was credited for helping design the

National Realty Building Key Bank Center, formerly the Puget Sound National Bank Building, is a 16-floor high-rise in Tacoma, Washington. When completed as the National Realty Building in 1911, the tower was the tallest building in the state of Washington until surpa ...

and the First Church of Christ Scientists. By 1910 Borhek had made his own firm and secured jobs creating the Capitol Theater in Tacoma, and the Rialto Theater.Sullivan, Michael, Rialto Theater, 77001352; United States Department off the Interior, National Park Service; National Register of Historic Places Inventory�
Nomination Form
Washington D.C., August 21, 1992 His Auditorium Dance Hall, constructed in 1921 received high reviews from the Tacoma Daily Ledger. Borhek also designed the Jason Lee Middle School in 1924, for which he won an award from the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

. He became the president for the Tacoma Society of Architects in 1920, and served as vice-president and president of the Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1930 and 1931.

Personal life

Borhek married his wife, Marie, in 1913. He retired in 1942 and died on May 7, 1955, in

Gig Harbor, Washington Gig Harbor () is the name of both a bay on Puget Sound and a city on its shore in Pierce County, Washington, Pierce County, Washington (state), Washington. The population was 12,029 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Gig Harbor bills ...

Completed projects

* Puget Sound Bank Building - 1912 * Colonial Theater Tacoma - 1914 * Rialto Theater - 1918 * Tacoma Motors Company - 1919 * Winthrop Hotel - 1923 * Jason Lee Middle School - 1924

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Borhek, Roland E. 20th-century American architects 1883 births 1955 deaths People from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania People from Tacoma, Washington Lehigh University alumni