Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 2819 S HOLGATE ST S / Parcel ID 1498303700 / Inv #

Historic Name: Common Name: Style: Arts & Crafts Neighborhood: North Rainier Valley Built By: Year Built: 1921   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. Built in 1921, this building was occupied by Merrill Heald and Alice A. Kesler by 1940. John VanDieren lived in the house by 1943. By 1955 through 1968, George M. Nomaguchi lived in the building. Many Japanese came to Seattle as part of the second wave of Asian immigration to Washington State starting in the 1880s. The Japanese immigrants came to work on farms, in logging operations, and in canneries. In about 1920, Japanese-Americans began to move to areas like Beacon Hill from their initial settlement of Japantown. Beacon Hill was affordable and close to their core area on the southeast edge of downtown. Beacon Hill did not have restrictive covenants found in more exclusive neighborhoods like Mount Baker, which precluded Japanese-Americans and other minorities from purchasing homes in the area. The Japanese Language School (Kokugo Gakko) was located at 1414 South Weller Street just north of Beacon Hill and was a central cultural institution for Seattle’s Japanese community. The proximity of the language school to Beacon Hill was also a factor in attracting Japanese-Americans to the neighborhood. Only three Japanese families, including Frank Miyamoto’s family, lived on Beacon Hill around 1920. During the 1930s, there were quite a few Japanese businesses on Beacon Hill, including several Japanese grocery stores, such as Toyo Grocery at Fourteenth Avenue South and South Walker Street. Following the internment of the Japanese during World War II, many Japanese-Americans moved back to the Beacon Hill area. The Asian population and the number of Asian-owned businesses on the hill have continued to grow during the last fifty years. Today, there are more Asian Americans than any other single racial/ethnic group on Beacon Hill. The percentage of Japanese students at Beacon Hill Elementary increased from less than 1% in 1910 to 22.2% in 1964. Today the combined Asian percentage of students at Beacon Hill Elementary is 50.2%. The North Rainier Valley consists of a depression created by glaciation between the ridges of Beacon Hill and Mount Baker. The valley derives its name from Mount Rainier because of stunning views of the mountain. The area’s growth followed the early streetcar line, which was completed to Columbia City in 1890. The North Rainier Valley includes the area north of Columbia City and contained many early vegetable farms. Commercial development followed along the streetcar line, with housing built nearby. During the first decades of the 20th century, the area between Massachusetts and Atlantic Streets was home to Seattle’s largest Italian enclave, “Garlic Gulch.” Dugdale Ball Park opened on the corner of Rainier Avenue and McClellan Street in 1913, and was succeeded by Sick’s Stadium in 1938. World War II precipitated a surge in housing development, including the public housing project, Rainier Vista, in 1943. Following the war, the area attracted a mix of African-Americans, Asians, and Filipinos. Today this diverse, low-to-middle income neighborhood is unique within Seattle with its long narrow form focused on the Rainier Avenue transportation corridor.   Appearance

Detail for 2819 S HOLGATE ST S / Parcel ID 1498303700 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Hold Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Shingle Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Gable Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: one & ½ Unit Theme(s): Integrity Changes to Plan: Intact Changes to Windows: Intact Changes to Original Cladding: Intact Major Bibliographic References City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records. King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives. Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996. City of Seattle. Survey of City-Owned Historic Resources. Prepared by Cathy Wickwire, Seattle, 2001. Forms for Ravenna Park structures. Tobin, Caroline. (2004) "North Rainier Valley Historic Context Statement." Dubrow, Gail with Donna Graves. Sento at Sixth and Main: Preserving Landmarks of Japanese American Heritage. Seattle: Seattle Arts Commission, 2002. Miyamota, Shorato Frank. “Social Solidarity among the Japanese in Seattle.” University of Washington Publications in the Social Sciences, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 57-130, December 1939. Seattle: University of Washington, 1939.

Photo collection for 2819 S HOLGATE ST S / Parcel ID 1498303700 / Inv #

Photo taken Mar 08, 2004 Photo taken Mar 08, 2004 Photo taken Mar 08, 2004