| Historic Name: |
Morris Apartments |
Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Spanish - Mediterranean |
Neighborhood: |
Queen Anne |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1926 |
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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 is one of several small-scale apartment buildings constructed in residential sections of Queen Anne in the 1920s, before zoning prohibited such structures. The city's population had increased dramatically in previous decades, and prosperity encouraged developers to meet the pent-up demand for housing. Apartments, ranging from basic housing to luxury units, were a major factor in meeting this need, and became a significant element of the streetscape in many Seattle neighborhoods. This is a fine example of the design attention paid to many of these buildings, where detailing and materials were used to reduce the impact of large structures.
It fits into the neighborhood much like a large single-family home. This five-unit building was designed in 1926 by Everett Beardsley for Morris Williams, who lived next door at 2111 5th Avenue North. Mr. Williams owned the Jersey Butter Store at the Pike Place Market. This building is unusual both for the elegance of its European-inspired style and for its integration into the primarily residential area. During the course of the survey, new windows were installed on the north end of the façade, with white vinyl sash with false muntins replacing the original eight-light casements. This change significantly diminished altered the unique building's original character.
The architect, Everett J. Beardsley, was well known for his elegant Mediterranean Revival apartment designs. He came to Seattle in 1909 and designed many buildings, most much larger than this one, during the 1920s. Another Queen Anne example of his work is Villa Costella at 348 Olympic Way West.
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| Appearance |
| This Italian-influenced apartment building has stucco cladding and a side gable roof with red clay tile. The central entry bay, topped with a gable, projects about four feet and has sculptured sides. The arched entry with an oak door is topped by a cast ornament and a pair of eight-light casement windows in blind arches, with a cast stone balustrade. A group of three similar windows is on each side of the central bay. The first floor has two pairs of windows with a balustrade. Above the entry is a pair of 10-light French doors in blind arches; a balustrade runs at the base of the doors. French doors and balustrades also flank the entry on the first floor. The second floor has two groups of windows in blind arches. Windows on the north end of the façade are white vinyl sash with false muntins; the original eight-light casements remain on the south half. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Stucco |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Eaves |
Roof Material(s): |
Clay Tile |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Multiple Family |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
two |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
Moderate |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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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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Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, ed. Shaping Seattle Architecture, A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.
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