Seattle Historical Sites

This 3-story brick-clad apartment building was constructed in 1929, according to the 1937 King County Assessor property card, in the Uptown neighborhood. The building is known as The Charmaine. Builder Chris Sandland constructed the building and sold it soon after completion to C.J. Stephanus for $85,000. The building when it opened contained 15 apartment units. Sandland collaborated with architecture firm Stuart & Wheatley.

Bertram Dudley Stuart (1885–1977) was born in London, England, and practiced architecture in Edmonton, Alberta, and then Vancouver, British Columbia, before moving to Seattle in 1915. He married Edith May Hatton of Seattle ca. 1910 (their engagement announcement ran in the Seattle Times in summer 1909). While in Vancouver, B.C., he practiced with Howard E. White (Stuart & White, 1912–13). He partnered with Arthur Wheatley as Stuart & Wheatley between 1923 and 1930. Together, they designed Biltmore Apartments (1923–24), Highland Apartments (1924), Bergonian Hotel (1926), Sterling Court Apartments (1926), Exeter House Apartments (1927), and Marianne Apartments (1929), all in Seattle. Stuart then partnered with Holmes and Lister Jones, as Stuart, Holmes & Jones (1940–42), then Paul Hayden Kirk and Robert Durham as Stuart, Kirk & Durham (1942–45). Kirk branched off on his own and the partners reformed as Stuart & Durham (1945–54), designing the Queen Anne Vista Apartments (1949). Stuart started his own practice after 1954 and designed the Washington Mutual Savings Bank in Federal Way (1968–69). Stuart retired at the age of 86 as a result of failing eyesight. He passed away in 1977, survived by his wife Edith, son, B. Dudley Stuart, Jr., and daughter, Gladwyn (Stuart) Morrison.

Constructed in 1929, this apartment building is located midblock on the west side of Fourth Avenue W between W Roy and W Mercer streets. The building fronts Fourth Avenue W. The 3-story building has a rectangular plan and stands on a poured concrete foundation. The building has a flat roof with a parapet. Brick clads the building and cast stone pieces decorate it. The building’s main (east) elevation is divided into three bays. The center bay is projected one brick length out from the north and south bays. The main entrance is centered within the center bay and is accessed via brick stairs which lead to a brick stoop. The entrance is located between the first and second floors and is surrounded by a cast stone surround with fluted pilasters and large lintel with Art Deco ornamentation. A cast stone beltcourse with Art Deco motifs in relief runs above the third floor windows. The window above the entrance is offset from the other windows, indicating the possible location of the building’s stairwell.  The building’s original windows have been replaced with vinyl sash windows.

The buildings retains good integrity, with the exception of its windows and is a typical example of an apartment building from its period of construction.