Summary for 1660 S COLUMBIAN WAY S / Parcel ID 1624049193 / Inv # |
| Historic Name: |
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Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Modern |
Neighborhood: |
Beacon Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1950 |
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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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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 1950, the Veterans Administration hospital complex was designed by the Seattle architecture firm NBBJ. The main reinforced concrete frame building features a ground floor area of 36,322 square feet with a total floor area of 257,834 square feet. These Modern style buildings stand on an irregular lot. The main eight-story building is oriented to the South with smaller single story buildings flanking the central building. The site is sloped and above street level. A flat roof with parapets shelters the main building. Secondary buildings feature low-pitched gable and flat roofs. A regular fenestration pattern defines the main building’s visual character with multiple-pane windows providing day lighting for the secondary buildings. |
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Detail for 1660 S COLUMBIAN WAY S / Parcel ID 1624049193 / Inv # |
| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Ceramic tile, Concrete |
Foundation(s): |
Unknown |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
| Building Type: |
Health Care - Hospital |
Plan: |
Irregular |
| Structural System: |
Unknown |
No. of Stories: |
eight |
| Unit Theme(s): |
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| Integrity |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
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Changes to Plan: |
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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Photo collection for 1660 S COLUMBIAN WAY S / Parcel ID 1624049193 / Inv # |
Photo taken
Photo taken Dec 17, 2003
Photo taken Dec 17, 2003
Photo taken Dec 17, 2003
Photo taken Dec 17, 2003
Photo taken Dec 17, 2003
Photo taken Dec 17, 2003
Photo taken Dec 17, 2003
Photo taken Dec 17, 2003
Photo taken Dec 17, 2003
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