Background
Hefty was born Heinrich Hefte in 1858 at Schwanden, in the Swiss canton of Glarus. His father was an architect and building contractor who taught his son the principles of architecture and construction.
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Career
Hefty continued his study of architecture at the Darmstadt Technical School, graduating in 1879. He later adopted the anglicised spelling of his name. Hefty began working in Portland as a building contractor, and he employed over twenty workers.
Beginning in 1884 he focused entirely on architecture, designing in a variety of styles and usually incorporating at least one tower in his designs.
Most of Hefty"s work is preserved only in photographs and engravings, although a few buildings remain. In 1904 Hefty designed the Eaton Hotel at Southwest 9th and Morrison.
One of his last projects was the Buckingham Hotel in 1911, also known as the Kingston Apartments, at the intersection of West Burnside, Southwest Morrison, and Southwest 20th Place. City Hall
One of Hefty"s designs that was never completed was Portland City Hall.
His design was massive, and its construction required a major amount of stone, iron, and brick over a two-year period at a cost of $500,000.
Hefty"s compensation for the project as approved by the city was $20,000. After the building"s foundation was completed, the city council stopped construction, citing cost overruns. The council awarded a new contract to architects Whidden & Lewis to design a less costly, more modest building.
Biographer H.K. Hines classified the change of architects as "political dodgery."
In 1915 Hefty died suddenly during a vacation in Switzerland.
At the time, his estate was valued at $70,000. Saint Helens Hall
Hotel Vendome
Washington Block
Coleman Flats
Buckingham Hotel
Eaton Building
Richard B. Knapp House.
