Seattle Historical Sites Search Result - Department of Neighborhoods (DON)

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Historic Name:

Chas. Sinnett House

Common Name:

Style:

Colonial - Colonial Revival

Neighborhood:

Georgetown

Built By:

Year Built:

1904

Significance

Based on field work conducted in September 2014, this historic property retains its relationship to the streetscape, historic building form and a sufficient amount of exterior historic building fabric (design features, cladding and/or window sash/openings) to contribute to the distinct character of the Georgetown neighborhood.

This is a distinctive and well-preserved historic property that appears to possess architectural and/or historic significance. This property has been rehabilitated and exhibits no substantive changes/alterations to the exterior appearance/design character since it was identified in the 1997 HRI project.

(1997) This property is associated with the residential and commercial building boom in Georgetown which occurred between 1890 and 1916. Fueled by the construction of the Seattle Brewing and Malting Company’s new brewing facility after the turn of the century and the arrival of foreign immigrants, especially German and Italian, Georgetown came to rely more on its commercial and industrial bases rather than agricultural. With the increase of industry and business, Georgetown had grown in population from 1,913 in 1900 to approximately 7,000 by 1910 as families located themselves near its factories and other places of employment. The original owner/builder of this residence has not been identified. It is known to have been moved to this site from 6935 Duwamish Avenue (now Airport Way South) by then owner Charles (and Laverna) Sinnett. The Sinnetts may have resided in the house prior to the relocation. In 1945, a permit was issued to Dr. T.I. Moore to "occupy the existing residence as hospital." The enclosure of the porch may have then occured. This property may pre-date the construction date identified on assessor’s records and is worthy of additional research to determine a more accurate date of construction and original ownership.

Appearance

An altered, however for the most part intact, example of the Gambrel roof Colonial Revival subtype. The Colonial Revival style was a popular domestic and institutional architectural style during the late 19th C and through the 1920s. This unusual (Gambrel front) domestic exhibits particularly distinctive design features and historic building fabric, including: a prominent cross gable building form accentuated by the main gambrel roof form punctuated by gable dormers at each side elevation, a bay window at front and side elevations, and a combination of original tall, narrow double-hung and cottage type windows. The Colonial design is further distinguished by beveled glass window glazing, variegated cladding including narrow clapboard with corner boards(first floor), cedar shingles laid in diamond, scallop and square cut patterns (gable and gambrel ends) along with prominent gable end returns. The original 10’ x 11’ cut away entry porch has been enclosed. It originally included slender wooden columns (with small capitals) that rested on plinths. An ornate (original?) entry door and other portions of the original porch remain in place and are visible from the exterior of the current front entrance. Some windows have been altered and/or replaced with modern sash. A small one story shed structure and an orchard are situated on the site.