Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 1616 5th AVE / Parcel ID 168940-1250 / Inv #

Historic Name: Nelson, Findlay & Sigrid, House Common Name: Style: Colonial - Colonial Revival Neighborhood: Queen Anne Built By: Year Built: 1941   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places. In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). This simple house was designed by Elizabeth Ayer in 1941, shortly after the death of her mentor Edward Ivey in 1940. The simple side gable colonial shows the adaptation to more modern design with the addition of an attached garage projecting from the front of the house. It was built for Findlay Nelson, a chiropractor, and his wife Sigrid. Ayer graduated from the University of Washington in 1921, the fourth graduate and the first woman graduate, of the new architecture program. She soon went to work for Edwin J. Ivey, who was to become her mentor. In the 1920s she worked in New York City and traveled to Europe, keeping in frequent contact with Ivey. Upon her return to the firm, their designs continued to be traditional, but, by the late 1930s, her designs became freer and less formal. Following Ivey’s death in an automobile accident in 1940, she continued the practice with another employee of the firm, Rolland Lamping. They designed numerous homes, increasingly emphasizing function rather than stylistic elements and successfully adapting traditional models to modern functional needs. After practicing for fifty years, Ayer retired in 1970. She died in 1987, after a successful and prolific career that paved the way for future female architects.   Appearance This is a simple late Colonial Revival house, with a side gable form and three gabled dormers. Some modern influence is seen in the wide clapbaord cladding and the attached garage, which projects from the front of the house on the north side. The entry is at the center, largely hidden behind a fence and foliage. It is fairly elaborate, with a gabled pediment and multipaned sidelights flanking the door, which has a wide wood surround. Windows are multipaned, primarily 8/8 double-hung sash. The house is surrounded by a brick wall with an iron gate opening into a front courtyard.

Detail for 1616 5th AVE / Parcel ID 168940-1250 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Wood - Clapboard Foundation(s): Concrete - Block Roof Type(s): Gable Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition-Shingle Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: L-Shape Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: one & ½ Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture Integrity Changes to Plan: Intact Changes to Original Cladding: Intact Changes to Windows: Intact Major Bibliographic References King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives. Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996. Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, ed. Shaping Seattle Architecture, A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.

Photo collection for 1616 5th AVE / Parcel ID 168940-1250 / Inv #

Photo taken Sep 04, 2004