Edward C. Hill

Tacoma builder Edward Cook Hill was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1861. After learning the construction trade in St.Helena, Florida, he returned to Cincinnati and worked as a building contractor until 1889. For reasons unknown, Hill then moved to Tacoma and opened his own construction firm, eventually entering into partnership with J.R. Addison in 1903. Hill was involved in the construction of several of Tacoma schools and the early buildings at the Puget Sound College and quickly became a prolific house builder between 1901 and 1905. Under the name Addison & Hill, the firm branched out to specialize in street and sidewalk improvement projects. After two years, they shifted focus and purchased the interests of the Western Mill Company, incorporating the business under the name of the South Tacoma Mill Company. Edward Hill’s younger brother, Frank D. Hill, was a designer and active developer of homes in Tacoma. Edward C. Hill passed away in Tacoma on January 27, 1951.