| Historic Name: |
McCormick-Anderson House |
Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Queen Anne - Stick |
Neighborhood: |
Capitol Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1906 |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places. |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). |
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This notable house is one of Seattle’s best examples of the Stick style, a style popular in the 1860’s-90s; it was quite old-fashioned when this house was built in 1906. The steeply pitched gables and the decorative trusses are key characteristics of the style. The architect is not known, although it may have been constructed by a builder using a plan from a pattern book. The original owner may have been R. C. McCormick whose name is on a permit (#93415) for the garage added in 1910. It was purchased in 1938 by Niels and Rose Anderson, who remained here into the 1960s. It was then purchased by Richard J. Hoss, whose family owned it until 1988.
This adjoins the section of 14th East known as Millionaires' Row, an “Avenue of Mansions” built by many of Seattle's early business leaders built homes. The street had spectacular views, thanks to clearcutting, and it was a logical place to build grand houses. The Olmsted Plan recommended that 14th be a parkway, forming a grand entrance to Volunteer Park. However, the property owners were given control of the street between Prospect and Roy streets. A median strip in the center was planted, and it became a showplace, attracting busloads of tourists en route to the park. It was the main route for funeral processions going through the park to Lakeview Cemetery, north of the park. To deter the stream of traffic, an ornate gateway was built near this house, at Roy Street. But by 1924 traffic had become so bad that property owners petitioned the Park Department to take back control of the street. The gate and the median plantings were removed as a traffic hazard.
This is one of the original Capitol Hill plats of James A. Moore, who gave the area its name. In 1900 Moore, who had already developed other Seattle neighborhoods, purchased and began platting 160 acres, roughly between 11th and 20th avenues, from Roy Street north to Galer. Before selling lots for construction, he graded and paved the streets (eliminating the dust that plagued many sections), installed sidewalks, water mains and sewer lines, and planned for street lights and telephone poles. Lots went on sale in 1901, heavily promoted to attract local business leaders as residents. This was the first part of Seattle developed in this way. Moore did not build houses for sale, but sold improved lots to builders or to people who then hired a builder to construct a home to their own taste. Covenants required that homes cost at least $3,000 to build and be at least 24 feet from the sidewalk. The 800 lots sold quickly to company owners, managers, executives, bankers, doctors, and attorneys. The lots grew in value by 300% over the next 12 years.
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| Appearance |
| This is an unusually striking Stick-style house, with a strong vertical orientation and very prominent stickwork. It has a side gable form with two large dormers set into the roof; each dormer has a flared gabled roof and a king’s post truss. The façade is symmetrical, with the entry in the center. The recessed entry porch has a shallow gable roof supported by two square posts. The porch has wood steps and a plain wood balustrade and hand rail. The first floor has two large eight-over-one windows. The second-floor bays each have a pair of six-over-one windows with a window box below. In the center, above the porch roof, is a single six-over-one window that pierces the eaves and has a small shed roof. The gable ends on the side elevations have trusses similar to that on the front and similar multipaned windows. The east elevation has a hipped roof bay on the first floor. |
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