Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 1439 E Ward ST E / Parcel ID 1337300295 / Inv #

Historic Name: Burns, Frank E., House Common Name: Style: Arts & Crafts, Tudor Neighborhood: Capitol Hill Built By: Year Built: 1909   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). The building was noted in the city's 1979 historic resources survey, and is notable for its style and imposing presence, its architect and its original owner. It was designed in 1909 by James Hansen Schack, and built by contractor Kieburtz, Smith & Rowntree. A native of the Schlesweg region of Germany, Schack arrived in Seattle in 1901 after receiving architectural training at various Chicago firms. He was a partner of Daniel Huntington from 1907-09, primarily designing apartments, commercial buildings and residences, as well as the First United Methodist Church in downtown Seattle. He is best known, however, for his later partnership with David Meyers and Arrigo Young, which began in 1920. The firm designed the Seattle Civic Auditorium complex, the town of Longview and numerous residences and commercial buildings. It remained in existence until the 1990s. The home’s original owner was Frank E. Burns, the general manager of both Puget Sound Navigation Company and the Inland Navigation Company. These companies owned and operated many of the vessels in the “mosquito fleet,” the lifeline of steamships that connected cities, towns and hamlets throughout northwest Washington. The home was later the long-time residence of Nicholas Jahn, a civil engineer and contractor, and his wife Veronie, from the 1920s through the 1940s. In the 1970s the house was owned by the Casey Family Program and probably operated as a group home. Later residents included Reverend Harold O. Perry, pastor of Capitol Hill United Methodist Church, and his wife Janice (1980s). This location was appropriate for a man of Burns' status, as it adjoins the section of 14th East known as Millionaires' Row, an “Avenue of Mansions” built by many of Seattle's early business leaders. At that time, the street had a spectacular view, thanks to clearcutting, and it was a logical place to build after the west slope and First Hill were developed.   Appearance This highly-detailed house combines elements of the Tudor and English Arts & Crafts styles, with massing reminiscent of the Queen Anne style. The main volume has a tall hipped wood-shake roof, with a prominent gabled section at the west end of the front (south) façade. The gable is balanced by an inset two-story turret at the opposite corner of the façade; between these features is a dormer with three one-over-one windows. A second dormer is on the north elevation, below a tall brick chimney. The first story is clad with clinker brick, with stucco on the second story and gabled, heavily ornamented with half-timbered detailing. The entry is in the center, within a deeply recessed porch topped by a wide arch. To the south of the entry porch is a hipped-roof bay, with a trio of leaded glass windows. Most other windows are one-over-one sash. On the east façade is a flat-roofed glassed-in sunroom on the first story; next to this is a large three-part window with leaded transoms. To the rear is a detached two-story garage.

Detail for 1439 E Ward ST E / Parcel ID 1337300295 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Brick - Clinker, Stucco Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Hip Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition-Shingle, Wood - Shake Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: Irregular Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: two & ½ Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Transportation Integrity Changes to Original Cladding: Intact Changes to Plan: Intact Changes to Windows: Intact Major Bibliographic References Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996. Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, ed. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994. King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972. City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development, Microfilm Records.

Photo collection for 1439 E Ward ST E / Parcel ID 1337300295 / Inv #

Photo taken Feb 12, 2006