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Summary for 1127 Olympic WAY / Parcel ID 616990-0166 / Inv #

Historic Name: Alexander Hamilton Apartments Common Name: Alexander Hamilton Apartments
Style: Spanish - Mediterranean Neighborhood: Queen Anne
Built By: Year Built: 1930
 
Significance
In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places.
In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance.
In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local).
The 1920s was a period of tremendous development in Seattle. The city's population has increased dramatically in previous decades, and prosperity encouraged developers to meet the pent-up demand for housing. Apartments, ranging from basic housing to luxury units, were a significant factor in meeting this need, and became a significant element of the streetscape in many Seattle neighborhoods. The Alexander Hamilton is a fine example of the design attention paid to many of these buildings, where detailing and materials were used to reduce the impact of large structures. This building was designed by architect William Whitely for owner Victor Sandberg in 1930. Whitely designed many of the buildings developed by Frederick Anhalt, one of the most important Seattle apartment developers during the 1920s, including the Franca Villa apartments just south of this one, which was also owned by Sandberg.
 
Appearance
This distinctive brick apartment building sits on a steep triangular lot on Olympic Way at the southwest edge of Queen Anne Hill. The front has 1-2 stories and a daylight basement, while it rises more than three stories in the rear. The front façade runs for 130 feet along Olympic Way, with extensive modulation and to avoid a long plain wall. Cladding is multicolored brick in shades of red and tan. The three angled entries are elaborate, with twisted terra cotta columns, an oak door and sidelights with leaded glass, paving tiles and a clay tile shed roof; above each entry is a large leaded glass window. Most windows on the main elevation are one-over-one double-hung sash. The south elevation has similar windows in pairs. The rear elevation has three projecting stucco bays topped by gabled parapets clad with red clay tile. Each bay has a three-part window on each floor, with one-over-one double-hung windows flanking a large center pane. Other windows are one-over-one, mostly in pairs. Below these is a tall stucco-clad garage level with one door and no windows.

Detail for 1127 Olympic WAY / Parcel ID 616990-0166 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory
Classication: Building District Status:
Cladding(s): Brick Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured
Roof Type(s): Flat Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition-Shingle
Building Type: Domestic - Multiple Family Plan: Triangular
Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: three
Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture
Integrity
Changes to Windows: Intact
Changes to Original Cladding: Intact
Changes to Plan: 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.
Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, ed. Shaping Seattle Architecture, A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.
Kreisman, Lawrence. Apartments by Anhalt. Seattle: Kreisman Exhibit Design, 1978.

Photo collection for 1127 Olympic WAY / Parcel ID 616990-0166 / Inv #


Photo taken Sep 03, 2004

Photo taken Sep 03, 2004
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