| Historic Name: |
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Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Vernacular |
Neighborhood: |
Beacon Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1902 |
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| Significance |
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Built in 1902, the residence was moved in September of 1920 from the building’s previous location to 1303 13th Avenue South and set on a concrete foundation. N. J. and Alice Nelson owned the building. In March of 1921, the second floor was finished at a cost of $500. Then in June of 1927 the Nelson’s constructed a garage. By 1937, Frank E. Christison owned the property. Polk directories listed Sato and Myne Kawaguchi as residents in the building from 1937 through 1941. The Kawaguchi’s previously resided at 824 Corwin Place South. Mr. Kawaguchi ran the Seattle Oyster and Fish Company. From 1949 through 1970, Shosaku Suyama resided in the house. By 1970, Teruko Tanaka also lived in the building.
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 1902, this broad, Arts & Crafts-influenced, single-family dwelling stands on a rectangular corner lot. The building is oriented to Thirteenth Avenue South with the sloped site on grade. This 1274 square foot, two-story house with a full daylight basement features a rectangular plan, measuring 26’ by 49’, with a 6’ by 11’ recessed front porch. A poured concrete foundation supports the wood frame, shingle-clad superstructure. Asphalt composition roofing covers the hip roof. Broad overhanging eaves with brackets on the shed roofed wall dormers define the roofline. Contemporary gutters obscure the rafter ends. Vinyl multiple-lite windows provide day lighting. A balcony projects off the building’s north side. A direct flight of stairs leads to the recessed main entrance. Battered piers on the outer corners of the porch support the second story. Contemporary metal chimneys service the building. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Shingle |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Hip |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Single Family |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
two |
| Unit Theme(s): |
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| Integrity |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Slight |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
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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