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Summary for Building 755 / Parcel ID 1525039012 / Inv #

Historic Name: Civilian Employee Housing Common Name:
Style: Colonial - Colonial Revival Neighborhood: Magnolia
Built By: Year Built: 1908
 
Significance
Fort Lawton is located in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood, within the area that is now Discovery Park. Established as a U.S. Army post in 1898, the fort had been envisioned by local residents and businessmen as a major regimental post, with the hope that it would enhance the local economy and the city’s status in its ongoing competition with Tacoma to the south. Upon selection of the site, local landowners donated more than 700 acres for the fort. By 1900, construction of the first seven permanent, wood-frame buildings on the site was completed. While local aspirations for the fort were slow to be realized, initial construction continued through 1910, at which time there was an assembly of 25 buildings set around an oval-shaped parade ground. While Fort Lawton never became as large or influential as Seattle residents had anticipated, during World War II it was the second-largest port of embarkation on the West Coast. After the 1940s, the use of the fort declined again and many of the temporary and wartime buildings were removed. The Army stayed on until 1972, at which time it transferred ownership of a portion of Fort Lawton to the City of Seattle. A large portion of the post, including its historic core area, with 25 buildings and parade ground, was surplused by the Army and added to Discovery Park in the mid-1970s. The Fort Lawton Historic District was nominated to and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The City of Seattle designated Fort Lawton as a local historic district in 1988. The Fort Lawton Historic District is associated with the development and the history of the City of Seattle; and embodies the characteristics of military interpretations of American architectural styles of the 1890s and early 1900s, based on standard Quartermaster General building designs, as well as its planned site. The period of significance for the Fort Lawton Historic District extends from its inception in 1898 to 1945, based on the development of the post, with additional buildings and site features resulting from the Depression-era public works, and the fort's role in WWII. Building 755 is Fort Lawton's Civilian Employee Housing, constructed in 1908.
 
Appearance
Building 755 – Civilian Employee Housing (Completed February 26, 1908) This two-story building sits across from the stables, Buildings 916 and 917, and is set back from Utah Street with its primary façade facing south. A frame structure with basement on a brick foundation, the building measures 46'-6" by 32'. It is clad with painted, lapped cedar siding and the hipped roof and hipped dormers, originally slate-shingled, are now finished with composition shingles. An interior brick chimney is located toward the east end of the north side of the building. Exterior trim includes flat window and door trim, corner boards, a frieze band, and water table. The front porch has a flat roof supported by Tuscan columns. A concrete platform with pipe railing is located at the east end of the north (rear) side of the building. The original color scheme for the post building exteriors appears to have been a barn red with red-brown trim, which is shown on several hand-colored post card images. However, as photos dating from 1907 and later indicate, a consistent, two-tone lighter color palette soon replaced it as the customary combination. The 1981 HABS report indicated that the building interior consisted of a central hall plan, with most original spaces intact. The first floor ceiling was pressed metal. The second-floor bathroom had ceramic tile flooring and early fixtures. This building is vacant and has been mothballed since the late 1980s/early 1990s. Plexiglass has been attached over the windows on the primary south façade, while window openings on other facades have been infilled with wood panels finished to resemble the original sash. Vents in infill panels and interior exhaust fans allow for adequate air exchange. The glazed, paneled door and sidelights have also been covered with plywood panels. Some siding is coming loose.

Detail for Building 755 / Parcel ID 1525039012 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory
Classication: Building District Status: NR, LR
Cladding(s): Wood - Clapboard Foundation(s): Brick
Roof Type(s): Hip Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition-Shingle
Building Type: Defense - Military facility Plan: Rectangular
Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: two
Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Community Planning/Development, Military
Integrity
Major Bibliographic References
Lentz, Florence, et al. "Historic American Buildings Survey, Fort Lawton." U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service, Pacific Northwest Region, 1981.
Kavanaugh, Major Robert E. "Fort Lawton." National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, January 1978.
Mann, Millegan, Morse and Ramsey. "Fort Lawton Buildings: A Survey and Report, Prepared for City of Seattle Parks and Recreation." August 15, 1975.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Seattle District. "Context Study of the United States Quartermaster General Standardized Plans 1866-1942." Report prepared for U.S. Army Environmental Ctr, Envir. Compliance Division, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., Nov. 1997.

Photo collection for Building 755 / Parcel ID 1525039012 / Inv #


Photo taken Mar 15, 2007
App v2.0.1.0