| Historic Name: |
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Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Vernacular |
Neighborhood: |
Beacon Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1948 |
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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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Built in 1948 as a two family dwelling, the residence forms part of the large development body comprised of 3820-3822, 3924-3926, and 3930-3932 Fourteenth Avenue South. Construction on this duplex began in March and was completed by October of the same year. Seattle architect, John Mattson, designed the residence for Standard Homes, Inc., which had offices in the Vance Building. The building cost an estimated $14,000. The next twenty years after construction saw a rapid turn over of tenants. Louis A. Thomas lived in the building in 1953. By 1955, Verna B. Recker occupied the house, followed by Pat Coluccio in 1957 and Robert Webb in 1959. The Polk directories list the building as vacant in 1962, before James W. Smathers moved into the building in 1968 and remained through 1970.
Beacon Hill is a long north-south tending ridge located southeast of downtown Seattle and stands 350 feet at its highest point. The hill’s steep topography deterred substantial Euro-American settlement through the early 1880s. Then, development of the area was stimulated by the introduction of streetcar lines in the 1890s, its proximity to Seattle’s main industrial area to the west, and the regrading of the hill’s north end in the early 1900s.
Originally acquired by the City in 1898, Jefferson Park was integrated into Seattle’s Olmsted system of parks, and the Olmsted Brothers prepared a plan for the park in 1912. The first public golf course west of the Mississippi opened at Jefferson Park in 1915. Jefferson Park has exerted a profound positive influence on the development of the Beacon Hill neighborhood.
Because of its proximity to the International District, Japanese and Chinese families moved to Beacon Hill starting in the 1920s. World War I and II stimulated a surge in housing development associated with wartime industry. The construction of Interstate 5 in the 1960s and Interstate 90 in the 1980s sliced through the neighborhoods and contributed to Beacon Hill’s relative isolation. Today, Beacon Hill is an ethnically diverse working class community, which has a mixed Asian, Chicano, African American, and Caucasian population.
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| Appearance |
| Built in 1948, this compact, Modern style, two-family dwelling stands on a rectangular lot. The building is oriented to Fourteenth Avenue South on a sloped site below street level. This 1344 square foot, single-story house with a full daylight basement features a rectangular plan, measuring 48’ by 28’, with small entrance stoops to each unit. A poured concrete foundation supports the wood frame, shingle and brick veneer-clad superstructure. Asphalt composition roofing covers the side gable roof. Flush gable ends and minimal eave overhangs define the roofline. Wood sash nine-lite and 2:2 horizontal lite windows provide day lighting. Windows on the front facade feature rowlock brick sills. Small open stoops lead to the interior. The projecting eaves shelter the stoop entrance. A central internal brick chimney services the building. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Brick - Common Bond |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Gable |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Multiple Family |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
one |
| Unit Theme(s): |
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| Integrity |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
Intact |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records.
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King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives.
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Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
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City of Seattle. Survey of City-Owned Historic Resources. Prepared by Cathy Wickwire, Seattle, 2001. Forms for Ravenna Park structures.
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Tobin, Caroline. (2004) "Beacon Hill Historic Context Statement."
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