Seattle.gov Home Page
Link to Seattle Department of Neighborhoods home page

Seattle Historical Sites

New Search

Summary for 1019 Sturgus AVE / Parcel ID 6401700020 / Inv #

Historic Name: Common Name:
Style: Arts & Crafts - Craftsman Neighborhood: Beacon Hill
Built By: Year Built: 1909
 
Significance
Built in 1909, this building had a dormer added shortly thereafter. In 1937, Antonia, widow of Mike, as well as Kath, a stenographer with the U. S. Forest Service, and Rudolph V., a chipper with Western Steel Casting Company, lived in the building. Polk directories list Mary Wukelick as the resident from ca 1938 through 1941. Alan W. and Mattie Chong resided in the building from ca 1949 through 1970. 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.
 
Appearance
Built in 1909, this Craftsman-influenced, Arts & Crafts style, single-family dwelling stands on a trapezoidal shaped lot set between Sturgus Avenue South and an alley. The building is oriented to Sturgus Avenue South and the sloped site is elevated approximately 18’ above street level. This 1040 square foot, single-story house features a rectangular plan, measuring approximately 26’ by 40’, with an 8’ by 40’ front porch. A poured concrete foundation supports the wood frame, clapboard-clad superstructure. Asphalt composition roofing covers the pyramidal hip roof. Overhanging eaves with flared, slightly upturned ends define the roofline. Windows feature painted wood casings. The secluded and elevated location prohibited closer inspection of windows. A single brick interior chimney services the building. Contemporary exterior gutters and downspouts provide drainage. Contemporary steps and railing lead to the porch.

Detail for 1019 Sturgus AVE / Parcel ID 6401700020 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory
Classication: Building District Status:
Cladding(s): Wood - Clapboard Foundation(s): Unknown
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: one
Unit Theme(s):
Integrity
Changes to Original Cladding: Slight
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.
City of Seattle. Survey of City-Owned Historic Resources. Prepared by Cathy Wickwire, Seattle, 2001. Forms for Ravenna Park structures.
Tobin, Caroline. (2004) "Beacon Hill Historic Context Statement."

Photo collection for 1019 Sturgus AVE / Parcel ID 6401700020 / Inv #


Photo taken Sep 11, 2003
App v2.0.1.0