Edward William Martin [also known as E. William Martin] was born in Inverarnan, Scotland on 2 November 1891. He moved with his family to Delaware as a child and attended the University of Delaware from where he graduated with a B.S. in 1916. He developed an interest in architecture and attended architectural classes at the University of Pennsylvania. He then moved to England where he studied at the University of Liverpool School of Architecture, during which time he gained work experience in the office of Sir Percy Scott Worthington. In 1921, Martin was awarded a Honan Travelling Scholarship by the Liverpool Architectural Society enabling him to make a study trip to the Continent.
Martin graduated with a B.Arch. in 1922, and, after another study tour of European cities, returned to the USA later that year. He settled in Philadelphia where he worked in the offices of Wilson Eyre & McIlvaine and Evans & Warner.
In 1926 he moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where he set up his own firm, E. William Martin, Arch’ts, Inc. After successfully practising alone in Wilmington for many years, in 1961 he formed a partnership with Donald S. Wason, who had worked with him since 1952. The name of the practice was changed to Martin & Wason. Soon after, Martin retired.
Martin became a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1923, and was elected was elected a Fellow of the Institute (FAIA) in 1945. He also belonged to the Delaware Chapter of the AIA. He died on 10 December 1977.
Banquet Room on the estate of Pierre S. Dupont, near Kennett Square, Philadelphia (1928); Delaware State Legislative Building in Dover, Delaware (1932); Pierre S. Dupont High School in Wilmington, Delaware (1934); and the US Post Office, Court House and Custom House in Wilmington, Delaware (1935).
Biographical Dictionary of Philadelphia Architects: 1700-1930. Edited by Sandra L. Tatman and Roger W. Moss. Boston, Mass.: G.K. Hall & Co., 1985
Martin, E. William. ‘Cottage on Estate of Pierre S. DuPont, Longwood, P.A.’. American Architect vol. 135, 20 June 1929 pp. 816-819
Martin, E. William. ‘Portfolio of Country Houses’. The Architectural Record vol. 70, November, 1931 pp. 315-361.
Martin, E. William. ‘Some differences between English and American architectural office practice’. The Builder 25 February 1921 pp. 256-257
Sharples, Joseph, Powers, Alan and Shippobottom, Michael. Charles Reilly & the Liverpool School of Architecture 1904-1933. Catalogue of an exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, 25 October 1996 - 2 February 1997. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1996 pp. 174-175 [Contains other references to Martin, unfortunately, this very informative catalogue is not indexed]
Who’s Who in Delaware: A Biographical Dictionary of Delaware’s Leading Men and Women. Edited by Seth Harmon. Philadelphia, Penn.: The National Biographical Society, 1932