| Historic Name: |
El Dora Apartments |
Common Name: |
Lauren Renee Apartments |
| Style: |
Queen Anne |
Neighborhood: |
Capitol Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1914 |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. |
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This building is notable for its expression of the Queen Anne style in its use of varied materials and its complex form with both square and polygonal bays. The building combines an ashlar stone foundation and quoins with brick and shingle cladding. Its history is unclear, as it may have first been a single family home (1899, permit 1336), with a story added below (1906, permit 41372). However, by 1914 (permit 131606) it became an apartment building, designed by architect John Creutzer for owner August Johnson. Later changes included a garage (1950) and a fire escape (1953). At one time there was a commercial use on the first floor--a dressmaker and later a beauty shop. This part of western Capitol Hill was very popular for multifamily development because its proximity and easy streetcar access to downtown.
Architect John Creutzer arrived in Seattle in 1906 after practicing in Minneapolis and Spokane. He worked for contractor Alexander Pearson and architect-contractor Henderson Ryan. Creutzer designed the Swedish Tabernacle (1906) and the Medical-Dental Building (1927, with A. H. Albertson). He died in 1924.
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| Appearance |
| This large corner building has a shallow L-shaped plan with three stories on the east elevation and four on the south, due to the sloping site. It is of wood frame construction with a foundation of ashlar cut granite, which extends up to form quoins on the lower stories, clad with dark red brick. The upper stories, clad with wood shingles, project over the lower stories because of the large number of two-and three-story hanging bays. The front façade (east) has thee polygonal bays, with two polygonal and one square bay on the south and another square bay on the rear. The flat roof extends in deep eaves over three main elevations. One of the two entries is on the south side, with a canvas awning extending over the sidewalk. The other one is on the east façade, in the shallow ell (one bay wide) has granite steps and a small stoop with granite columns. Both entries have white subway tile. The building has newer metal windows, in groups of three in the bays or singly between bays. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Shingle, Stone - Ashlar/cut |
Foundation(s): |
Stone |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Parapet |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Multiple Family |
Plan: |
L-Shape |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
four |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Windows: |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
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Changes to Plan: |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
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King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972.
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City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development, Microfilm Records.
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