Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 4506 17TH AVE / Parcel ID 8823902605 / Inv # 0

Historic Name: Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity Common Name: Style: Tudor - Jacobethan Neighborhood: University Built By: Year Built: 1925   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). The Sigma Alpha Epsilon house has been described as Tudor Gothic and has brick cladding and a parapeted gable. The 1968 north addition was designed by architects Walker & McGough. One feature that makes the addition more successful than some other Greek Row examples is the fact that it is set back from the original structure. Some additional changes were made to the building in 1994, including new access ramps, a new roof dormer, and new doors and windows on the north elevation. The architect for the 1994 changes was Gordon Fleener. Seattle architects Stuart & Wheatley also designed the Chi Psi Fraternity. Bertram Dudley Stuart and Arthur Wheatley, the original architects, worked in partnership from 1925-1930. Bertram Dudley Stuart was born in London in 1885 and came to Seattle in 1918. Other buildings designed by Stuart and Wheatley include Exeter House Apartments, Bergonian Hotel (now Mayflower Hotel), and Marlborough Apartments. Stuart died in 1977. The SAE house occupies a prominent location on 17th Avenue NE, the heart of Seattle's Greek Row. With the Phi Gamma Delta house across the street, it forms a fitting gateway between Greek Row and the University of Washington campus.   Appearance This prominent fraternity house has light-colored brick cladding and a parapeted gable roof. There is cast stone at the entryway surrounding the heavy wooden door. The fraternity crest is prominently displayed above the door. The south elevation features interesting details including arched windows, leaded glass, stained glass insets, and an impressive door displaying S.A.E. and the lion's head. Two cast stone lions flank the entrance on 17th Avenue NE. Most of the windows have been replaced, and the new windows on the west elevation are a reasonable match for the originals. (The new windows on the east elevation are not appropriate.) The wrought iron on the south deck is likely new. The building features cast stone details around the windows. The north porch has been integrated into the new addition. There is a prominent exterior chimney on the south elevation. The 1968 wing reflects the design of the original building's two story bay. The addition blends in relatively well with the original building. The SAE house is attractively sited at the prominent corner of 17th Avenue NE and NE 45th Street, across the street from the main entrance to the University of Washington campus.

Detail for 4506 17TH AVE / Parcel ID 8823902605 / Inv # 0

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Brick, Stone Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Hip Roof Material(s): Slate Building Type: Domestic - Institutional Housing Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Masonry - Unreinforced No. of Stories: three Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Social Movements & Organizations Integrity Changes to Plan: Moderate Changes to Windows: Extensive Changes to Original Cladding: Intact Major Bibliographic References City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records. King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives. Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, ed. Shaping Seattle Architecture, A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994. Johnston, Norman, "Where the Greeks Came Marching In: Their 'Row' at the University of Washington." Unpublished manuscript for Columbia Magazine. Forthcoming 2002. Divoky, Andrea. Notes on University of Washington Fraternities and Sororities, compiled in 1997 and updated in 2002.

Photo collection for 4506 17TH AVE / Parcel ID 8823902605 / Inv # 0

Photo taken Jan 25, 2002 Photo taken Jan 25, 2002 Photo taken Oct 01, 2014 Photo taken Oct 01, 2014