Housing specialist Edward H. Wigham was born in Philadelphia and attended the University of Pennsylvania for three years, finishing his stint there in 1915. By 1924, if not before, Wigham was installed in the thriving firm of Mellor, Meigs & Howe, and there he remained for several years, contributing to the firm's designs for Cheltenham P.E. Church in 1924. After George Howe withdrew from the firm, its name changed to Mellor & Meigs; and Wigham continued with the remaining partners. By 1930 he had been made a formal member of the partnership, but around 1936 he himself withdrew and established his own, independent firm. In the 1940s he was much in demand for defense housing designs and by the Philadelphia Housing Authority, which commissioned him to develop site plans and designs for public housing. In these capacities he designed a 262 family Defense War Housing project in Newport, RI, and later provided designs for the Tasker, Bartram Village and Passayunk projects in Philadelphia (with Bartram Village he associated with Harry Sternfeld.) During the 1940s he also developed various associations, including Wigham & Van Alen (1937-1941) and Wigham & Tilden (1947-1952).

Wigham also retained his ties to the University of Pennsylvania. He served as an instructor in Architectural Construction in 1936/37 and as assistant professor of Architectural Construction beginning in 1937.

Written by Sandra L. Tatman.