Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 1613 4TH AVE / Parcel ID 0809000520 / Inv # 0

Historic Name: Kensley House Common Name: Kensley House Style: Queen Anne Neighborhood: Queen Anne Built By: Year Built: 1891   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. The Kensley House was constructed about 1891. Alfred Kensley (b. ca 1864) born in England, arrived in Seattle just after the 1889 Seattle fire to work as a butcher. 1891 was a year full of major events for 27 year old Alfred. He married 18 year old Illinois born Gertrude, hired a carpenter to build a house on the southeast side of Queen Anne Hill, and opened his own butcher shop near downtown. The house was built in the midst of Seattle's first major building boom that lasted from about 1887 to 1891. It was an easy commute from the house to Kelsley's meat market at the corner of Front (1st Ave) and Union streets. Kensley walked one block to 5th Ave N to catch the east Queen Anne streetcar that ran downtown and dropped him off a block from his shop. For the next forty years Kensley owned, managed, and worked in butcher shops including Queen City Provision Co, Denver Market, and A & K butcher shop. The Kensleys rented out one of their rooms to boarders. In 1900 they rented to 19 year old Eugene Rayner who was attending school and in 1910 they rented to Kensley’s cousin, Grover Winn (b. ca 1886), who worked for the U.S. Forestry Department. Alfred Kensley retired in the early 1930s and lived there with his wife until his death about 1940. Widow Gertrude continued to live in their Queen Anne home until the mid 1950s, having resided there for over 65 years. Later owners. In 1956 the Kensleys gave the house to Seattle Pacific College, who held it four years before they sold the house to Marshall and Jane E. Hulbert. The 1975 Historic Seattle Survey of the Queen Anne neighborhood listed the residence as Significant to the Community. The 1979 Seattle Historic Resources Survey inventoried the building. Few intact residences exist from prior to 1899. The residence appears to meet City of Seattle Landmark criteria due to the age of the structure (over 100 years old) and minimal alterations. Variant addresses: The 1895-1896 Seattle Polk Directory listed the house at 311 Lakeview; from 1897 to 1898 the address changed to 311 4th Avenue N; from 1899 until about 1910 the address became 1611 4th Avenue N.   Appearance The two story Queen Anne style Kensley House was constructed about 1891. It has a gable and hip roof. The gable ends have fish scale shingles. First floor of east elevation has a three sided bay window and porch with turned posts supporting a gable porch roof. A one story rear addition, that existed prior to 1905, may have been enlarged prior to 1917.

Detail for 1613 4TH AVE / Parcel ID 0809000520 / Inv # 0

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Shingle, Wood - Clapboard Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Varied roof lines Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: Irregular 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: Moderate Major Bibliographic References City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records. King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives. Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996. City of Seattle. Seattle Inventory Field Form. 1979. Sanborn Map Company. Insurance Maps of Seattle, Washington. (New York, Sanborn Map Company, 1904-1905) 4 volumes. Sanborn Map Company. Insurance Maps of Seattle, Washington. (New York, Sanborn Map Company, 1916-1919) volumes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6. Sanborn Map Company. Insurance Maps of Seattle, Washington. (New York, Sanborn Map Company, 1949-1950 update) 11 volumes. Historic Seattle Preservation and Development Authority. “Queen Anne: An Inventory of Buildings and Urban Design Resources.” Seattle: Historic Seattle, 1975.

Photo collection for 1613 4TH AVE / Parcel ID 0809000520 / Inv # 0

Photo taken Dec 23, 2004