| Historic Name: |
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Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Queen Anne - Cottage |
Neighborhood: |
Beacon Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1905 |
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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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Constructed in 1905, this building was owned by Forney J. Dobson by 1937, according to tax records. Mr. Dobson worked as a salesman. By 1941, Dominic Costello resided in the building. From 1949 through 1970, Lawrence R. Downey occupied 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.
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| Appearance |
| Built in 1905, this compact, Queen Anne Cottage style, single-family dwelling stands on a rectangular lot. The building is oriented towards and overlooks Sturgus Avenue South and the site is elevated approximately 20’ above street level. This 1025 square foot, one-and-a-half story house with a partial basement features a nearly T-shaped plan, measuring approximately 20’ by 48’, with 6’ by 14’ and 5’ by 9’ porches flanking either side of the leg portion of the T. A concrete block foundation supports the wood frame, shiplap-clad superstructure. A vertical tongue-and-groove apron wraps the foundation. Corner boards define the building corners. Asphalt composition roofing covers the gable front and wing roof. Decorative wood shingles cover the gable ends above the shiplap siding. Modest eave and gable overhangs with fascia boards define the roofline. Prominent painted wood casings surround the first and half story windows. Some wood sash windows remain with contemporary vinyl in other openings. A direct flight of wood stairs leads up to the enclosed porch entrance. Boxed wood columns support the porch roof with a closed railing between the columns. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Vertical - Boards, Wood - Shiplap |
Foundation(s): |
Unknown |
| Roof Type(s): |
Gable |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Single Family |
Plan: |
T-Shape |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
one & ½ |
| Unit Theme(s): |
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| Integrity |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Slight |
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Changes to Windows: |
Moderate |
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Changes to Plan: |
Slight |
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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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