| Historic Name: |
Schmechel House #2 |
Common Name: |
|
| Style: |
Colonial - Georgian Revival |
Neighborhood: |
Capitol Hill |
| Built By: |
|
Year Built: |
1926 |
| |
| Significance |
|
In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). |
|
|
This Georgian Revival house is somewhat unusual for being clad with buff-colored brick with red brick accents, rather than the usual red brick body color. The prominent dormer adds a Craftsman touch. It was built in 1926 by Henry R. Schmechel, a builder who constructed a number of houses in these vicinity. It may well have been based on a pattern book design. Schmechel apparently built it as his own house, as he is listed in directories as living here, and still owned the house in 1937, ten years after its construction. It had numerous owners over the next decades.
This house, built in 1926, is part of the later period of development on Federal Avenue, at the north end where the homes were somewhat more modest middle-class residences. The tree-lined avenue has a fine collection of large homes, many designed by prominent architects for some of Seattle’s leading families. The street was well located for development, as it is only one block from the Broadway/10th Avenue streetcar line and abuts the open spaces of Volunteer Park and Lake View Cemetery to the east. Although the southern two blocks were platted s part of the 1883 Phinney’s Addition, little development occurred until the first decade of the 20th century, about the time that Volunteer Park was redesigned by the Olmsted Brothers. The landscape architecture firm continually encouraged the city to purchase the property on the west side of the park, so that it would extend all the way to the street; obviously, this was never done.
|
|
| |
| Appearance |
| This side-gabled house is clad with buff-colored brick with red brick outlining the second story window openings and the corners. The façade is generally symmetrical, except for the garage at the lower level on the east end. The walkway to the front door approaches from the west side, with a retaining wall; the top landing in front of the entry has a wrought iron railing with two buff brick piers supporting large planters. The recessed entry has a tall round arched opening and hood. Windows are predominantly 6-over-1 and 8-over-1 sash with leaded glass. Flanking the entry are two three-part windows with 10-over-1 sash. Above are two pairs windows flanking two 6-over-1 windows in the center. The west end has quarter round windows with a spider web design flanking the chimney. The front façade has a gabled dormer with returns with two windows. |
|
|
