Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 317 W Highland DR W / Parcel ID 173280-0025 / Inv #

Historic Name: Moody, Robert, House Common Name: Style: French - French Eclectic 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). This house is significant for both its French Eclectic style, which is relatively unusual in Seattle, and its architects. The home's original owner was Robert Moody, secretary of Elmer & Moody, a manufacturer of doors, sashes and moldings. In the late 1930s it was owned by Roger Graaf, who owned Allen & Graaf Pattern Works, and his wife Marie. H. G. Stern, president of Refrigerative Supply Company, and his wife Frances moved in the 1940s; she remained here until the 1960s, when the home was purchased by Ronald and Clarisse McLaughlin, who lived here until the 1990s. This house was designed by the partnership of Bain and Pries, as was the house to the west at 321 W. Highland Drive. William Bain, Sr. (1896-1975) was one of the city's best-known and most prolific architects for much of the 20th Century. He came to Seattle in 1915, apprenticing with W. R. B. Willcox and Arthur Loveless before serving in the U. S. Army in World War I. In 1921 he received a degree in architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, which provided him with further training in the Beaux-Arts tradition that is apparent in this house. After further work with Willcox and Loveless, he opened his own practice in 1924, specializing in houses French and English Revival styles. From 1928 until 1932 he was in partnership with Lionel Pries; this house dates from that period. The partners designed a number of apartments and sorority houses, showing both Revival and Moderne influences. Following the partnership's dissolution, Bain continued with residential and apartment commissions, and added commercial and insitutional work. During World War II he was the state's camouflage director, responsible for camouflaging the Boeing aircraft plant. In 1943 he joined with three other people to form the company now known as NBBJ, one of the largest architectural firms in the world. He also continued with residential designs with another partner, Harrison Overturf. These designs combined traditional and modern idioms. Bain continued to work until his death in 1985. Lionel Pries was at the University of Pennsylvania at the same time as Bain, receiving a master's of architecture in 1921. He had previously studied at the University of California. Following graduation, he studied in Europe and later opened a private practice in San Francisco. He came to Seattle in 1928, entering into partnership with Bain. The buildings done in this period often combine eclectic Revival styles with touches of Modernism, as seen in this house. Following the partnership with Bain, Pries became a full-time teacher at the University of Washington School of Architecture, rising to full professor in 1948. He remained there until 1958, and is known for his brilliant teaching and lasting influence on his students.   Appearance The tall hipped roof, clad with slate, is the most distinctive feature of this French-influenced house. The main façade is symmetrical, with a front door topped by a split pediment and flanked by unfluted columns. An unusual detail is the six-light window and solid bottom panel in the center of the split pediment. The entryway has an oak door with arched panels and is flanked by two small wall dormers that pierce the eaves; each dormer has a pair of French doors and is ornamented with patterned brick. The first story has two pairs of three-light casement windows. The east elevation has two similar dormers and a center bay window. The west elevation has one dormer and a tall brick chimney. The formal landscaping is in keeping with the house, with two tall pruned yew trees flanking the entry and a low iron railing with brick stanchions.

Detail for 317 W Highland DR W / Parcel ID 173280-0025 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Brick Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Hip Roof Material(s): Slate Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: two Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture Integrity Changes to Original Cladding: Intact Changes to Windows: 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. Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, ed. Shaping Seattle Architecture, A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.

Photo collection for 317 W Highland DR W / Parcel ID 173280-0025 / Inv #

Photo taken Mar 14, 2003