| Historic Name: |
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Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Vernacular |
Neighborhood: |
Beacon Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1904 |
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| Significance |
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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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Built in 1904, the residence was purchased by Marion L. Foss in 1926. From 1937 to ca 1938 Willard C. and Mary Herring resided in the building. By 1941, Marion L. Foss, building owner, occupied the house. By 1949, however J. W. Vestal resided in the building until ca 1953 when Anna Hertel moved into the residence. Mrs. Hertel remained in the house until 1966. As early as 1962, Mrs. Hertel rented a portion of the house as an apartment to Ivan Norris. In 1966, John M. Vukelich purchased the building. One unit contained Robert Blackburn and the other was vacant. By 1968, James D. Mitchell resided in the building, followed by George N. Henry ca 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.
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| Appearance |
| Built in 1904, this modest, Queen Anne-influenced, American Foursquare style, single-family dwelling stands on a rectangular lot. The building is oriented to Twelfth Avenue South on a flat site elevated 3’ above street level. This 1160 square foot, one-and-a-half story house with a half daylight basement features a nearly square plan, measuring 32’ by 35’, with a 6’ by 23’ recessed front porch. A poured concrete foundation supports the wood frame, clapboard-clad superstructure. Asphalt composition roofing covers the hip roof and prominent gable roofed dormers. The side dormers feature eave returns with a pedimented front dormer. Moderate eave overhangs with a defined fascia and boxed soffits characterize the roofline. Wood sash 1:1 windows with painted wood casings provide day lighting. A short, direct flight of concrete stairs leads to the front porch. Four Classically-inspired columns support the extended roofline and frieze. A low, solid railing extends beneath the columns. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Wood, Wood - Clapboard |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Hip, Pyramidal, Varied roof lines |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Single Family |
Plan: |
Square |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
one & ½ |
| Unit Theme(s): |
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| Integrity |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
Slight |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records.
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King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives.
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Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
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City of Seattle. Survey of City-Owned Historic Resources. Prepared by Cathy Wickwire, Seattle, 2001. Forms for Ravenna Park structures.
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Tobin, Caroline. (2004) "Beacon Hill Historic Context Statement."
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