| Historic Name: |
Bakenhus/ Hastie House |
Common Name: |
Bakenhus/Hastie House |
| Style: |
American Foursquare |
Neighborhood: |
Queen Anne |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1903 |
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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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The Bakenhus/Hastie House was constructed in 1903. Dietrich Bakenhus (ca 1856-ca 1913) emigrated from Germany in 1870. In 1892 while living in Chicago, Illinois he married 19 year old Johanna (ca 1873-1966), also a German immigrant. By 1901, the Bakenhus family moved to Seattle and Dietrich started working as a wagonmaker. Dietrich’s first job lasted just a year before he decided to take advantage of the booming economy and for the rest of the decade became a building speculator, buying property, building houses, and selling them.
In late January 1903 Bakenhaus hired building contractor John H. R. Baehr (b. ca 1859), to construct two residences next door to each other on Nob Hill Avenue. Fellow German Baehr crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1882 and 20 years later arrived in Seattle via Minnesota and Illinois. Baehr spent the rest of his career as a Seattle building contractor until the Depression forced his retirement. The January 27, 1903 building permit stated that contractor Baehr submitted the plans so he might be the building’s architect or he could have acquired building plans from a house catalog or plan book. Baehr completed the house within three months. In 1905, Bakenhaus deeded the house to butcher shop owner George King who owned it just a year.
Recent arrivals to Seattle, John and Wiletta Hastie acquired the house, moved in, and would remain there for about 35 years until the beginning of World War II. John Hastie (1863-1930) was a prominent Seattle building contractor. Born and raised by Scottish Gaelic parents, at the age of 23, Hastie emigrated from Ontario to the United States. By 1889, newlyweds Willette and John Hastie were living in Washington with their newborn child. Seven years later he formed a contracting partnership called Hastie and Dougan, which evolved into Sound Construction and Engineering Company. The firm constructed buildings throughout the west and in British Columbia including buildings at the University of Idaho, Clatsop County Court House at Astoria, Oregon, Flathead County Courthouse at Kalispell, Montana, and the Federal building at Los Angeles. In Washington, Hastie and company built buildings at Fort Worden, Washington Capitol Building in Olympia, dry dock at Bremerton Navy Yard, and two buildings landmarked by the city of Seattle, the Eagles Building and the Northern Life Tower. One of the pallbearers at Hastie’s 1930 funeral was Washington Governor Roland Hartley.
When the house was built, the easiest way to commute downtown was to walk two blocks to 2nd and Blaine and catch a streetcar line that ran west on Blaine and turned south down Queen Anne Avenue.
Later occupants. During the 1940s, Nathan and Ann G. Unger occupied the house. Nathan Unger first worked as a storekeeper for Lake Washington Shipyards and then worked for Boeing Aircraft Company. By 1954, Mrs. Julia Peters resided in the house. In 1961 Kenneth Kiesel acquired the house.
Due to the age, minimal alterations, and vernacular style, the Bakenhus/Hastie House appears to meet City of Seattle Landmark criteria.
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| Appearance |
| On January 27,1903 a Dietrich Bakenhus acquired a building permit (# 18496) to construct a 26' x 36' 2 story frame residence. The foursquare house has a hipped roof, three gable dormers, and four bay windows. The west elevation has a full width porch with tapered square posts supporting a hip roof with a gable roof extension over the central porch stairway. There is an south elevation exterior chimney that apparently was added after the house was constructed. The house is sited on a corner lot. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Wood - Clapboard |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| 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: |
two |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
Intact |
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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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Wolfe, Wellington C. Sketches of Washingtonians. Seattle, W. C. Wolfe & Co., 1906.
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Allen, Arthur H. (ed) Who's Who in Washington State. Seattle, Arthur H. Allen, Publisher, 1927.
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