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Summary for 4542 13th AVE / Parcel ID 3959400145 / Inv #

Historic Name: Common Name:
Style: Modern Neighborhood: Beacon Hill
Built By: Year Built: 1954
 
Significance
In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance.
Built in 1954, this building was owned by A. E. Haw and was first occupied in November of that year, although the Polk directory lists the house as under construction in 1955. Leonard Wieland lived in the building by 1957. By 1961 through 1968, August and Emma Larcher lived in the house. 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.
 
Appearance
Built in 1954, this compact, Ranch style, single-family dwelling stands on a rectangular lot. The building is oriented to Thirteenth Avenue South on a flat site above street level. This 1376 square foot, single-story house with a full basement features a rectangular plan, measuring approximately 48’ by 28’, with a front stoop. A poured concrete foundation supports the wood frame, wire cut brick-clad superstructure. Asphalt composition roofing covers the hip roof. Broad overhanging closed eaves with minimal trim define the roofline. Single-pane aluminum sash windows provide day lighting. A direct flight of stairs leads to the recessed front entrance. A brick chimney services the building. The front composition of the building consisting of paired picture windows, combined with the setback entrance, sets this building apart within the Beacon Hill neighborhood.

Detail for 4542 13th AVE / Parcel ID 3959400145 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory
Classication: Building District Status:
Cladding(s): Brick, Brick - Roman Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured
Roof Type(s): Pyramidal Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition
Building Type: Plan: Rectangular
Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: one
Unit Theme(s):
Integrity
Changes to Windows: Intact
Changes to Original Cladding: Intact
Changes to Plan: Intact
Major Bibliographic References
City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records.
King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives.
Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
City of Seattle. Survey of City-Owned Historic Resources. Prepared by Cathy Wickwire, Seattle, 2001. Forms for Ravenna Park structures.
Tobin, Caroline. (2004) "Beacon Hill Historic Context Statement."

Photo collection for 4542 13th AVE / Parcel ID 3959400145 / Inv #


Photo taken
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