Seattle.gov Home Page
Link to Seattle Department of Neighborhoods home page

Seattle Historical Sites

New Search

Summary for 734 16th AVE / Parcel ID / Inv #

Historic Name: unknown Common Name:
Style: American Foursquare Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Built By: Year Built: 1906
 
Significance
In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local).
This is a very good example of an American Foursquare, with the accent windows giving it a Moorish or Venetian flavor. It features leaded glass windows on the first floor and typical bracketed corner bays. Capitol Hill has the city's greatest concentration of American Foursquares--often called the Classic Box or Seattle Box, because of its local popularity. They were built primarily between 1905 and 1910. There are typically eight main rooms on two floors--living room, hall, dining room and kitchen downstairs and four bedrooms upstairs. Two reasons for the popularity of the form were that it provided a large amount of space for reasonable cost, and that it could easily be personalized for varying tastes and budgets. This block is within the original Capitol Hill of James A. Moore, who gave the area its name. In 1900 Moore, who had already developed other Seattle neighborhoods, purchased and began platting 160 acres, roughly between 11th and 20th avenues, from Roy Street north to Galer. Before selling lots for construction, he graded and paved the streets (eliminating the dust that plagued many sections), installed sidewalks, water mains and sewer lines, and planned for street lights and telephone poles. Lots went on sale in 1901, heavily promoted to attract local business leaders as residents. The response was immediate. The quality infrastructure, convenient transportation, schools and other amenities proved to be very popular and the area was largely developed, with sizable, attractive houses, within only a few years.
 
Appearance

Detail for 734 16th AVE / Parcel ID / Inv #

Status: Yes - Hold
Classication: Building District Status:
Cladding(s): Wood - Clapboard Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured
Roof Type(s): Hip Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition
Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: Rectangular
Structural System: No. of Stories:
Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture
Integrity
Changes to Windows: Intact
Changes to Original Cladding: Intact
Changes to Plan: Intact
Major Bibliographic References
Williams, Jacqueline B. The Hill with a Future: Seattle's Capitol Hill 1900-1946. Seattle: CPK Ink, 2001.

Photo collection for 734 16th AVE / Parcel ID / Inv #


Photo taken Dec 05, 2006
App v2.0.1.0