A. E. Doyle

A. E. Doyle

Albert Ernest Doyle (1877–1928) was a prolific architect in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington. He is most often credited for his works as A.E. Doyle.

Doyle was born in Santa Cruz, California, and moved with his family to Portland, Oregon where he ultimately established his practice. He began an apprenticeship with the firm of Whidden & Lewis in 1893 and remained until 1906, with the exception of two years in New York with the office of Henry Bacon. While with Whidden & Lewis he may have substantially designed the Forestry Building of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. While with Henry Bacon, he may have attended classes at Columbia University. From April to December 1906 he made a "grand tour" of Europe.

After returning to Portland, he opened his own practice. After securing the commission for a major addition to the Meier & Frank store, he formed a partnership with architect William B. Patterson. The firm, Doyle & Patterson, lasted until 1914. Patterson served as the engineer and superintendent for the firm. When work dried up in 1914, the partnership dissolved and Doyle practiced on his own as A.E. Doyle, Architect.

Doyle & Patterson's Revival- and Italianate-style works set the tone for other commercial buildings in Portland, especially the use of glazed terra-cotta. A series of residential cabins along the Oregon and Washington coasts inspired a regional style that was widely emulated in the 1930s. Doyle also designed Portland's public drinking fountains known as Benson Bubblers.

Unbuilt works include additions to the now-demolished Portland Hotel (currently the site of Pioneer Courthouse Square) and Doyle's own United States National Bank. Doyle also drew up an original design for the Equitable Building which called for an Art Deco skyscraper design. The building ended up being built after World War II by Pietro Belluschi in its noted and early International Style design.

Doyle is sometimes credited with the design for Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood near Government Camp, Oregon, but he was merely one of several architects solicited to draw up plans for the building, which ended up being designed by Forest Service architects.

In the 1920s, Doyle's firm had a second period of growth. In 1925, Doyle hired the young Pietro Belluschi.

Doyle died in Portland in 1928. The firm continued as A.E. Doyle & Associates until 1943, when the name was changed to Pietro Belluschi, Architect.

Doyle's collection of architecture books was purchased by Reed College.