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Summary for 1776 S COLUMBIAN WAY S / Parcel ID 3677900145 / Inv #

Historic Name: Common Name:
Style: Modern, Ranch Neighborhood: Beacon Hill
Built By: Year Built: 1964
 
Significance
Construction began on this building in 1958. It was first occupied in August of 1960. Construction was complete in 1964. By 1961 through 1968, George W. Rafanelli lived in the building. Beacon Hill is a long north-south tending ridge located southeast of downtown Seattle and stands 350 feet at its highest point. The hill’s steep topography deterred substantial Euro-American settlement through the early 1880s. Then, development of the area was stimulated by the introduction of streetcar lines in the 1890s, its proximity to Seattle’s main industrial area to the west, and the regrading of the hill’s north end in the early 1900s. Originally acquired by the City in 1898, Jefferson Park was integrated into Seattle’s Olmsted system of parks, and the Olmsted Brothers prepared a plan for the park in 1912. The first public golf course west of the Mississippi opened at Jefferson Park in 1915. Jefferson Park has exerted a profound positive influence on the development of the Beacon Hill neighborhood. Because of its proximity to the International District, Japanese and Chinese families moved to Beacon Hill starting in the 1920s. World War I and II stimulated a surge in housing development associated with wartime industry. The construction of Interstate 5 in the 1960s and Interstate 90 in the 1980s sliced through the neighborhoods and contributed to Beacon Hill’s relative isolation. Today, Beacon Hill is an ethnically diverse working class community, which has a mixed Asian, Chicano, African American, and Caucasian population.
 
Appearance
Built in 1964, this Ranch style single-family dwelling stands on a rectangular lot. The building is oriented to South Columbian Way on a flat site above street level. This 1525 square foot, single story house with a full basement features a rectangular plan, measuring approximately 49’ by 37’, with a small front stoop. A poured concrete foundation supports the wood frame, brick clad superstructure. Clay tile roofing covers the hip roof. Broad closed eave overhangs define the roofline. Multiple-pane windows provide day lighting. A direct flight of stairs flanked by metal railings leads to the front stoop. A brick chimney services the building.

Detail for 1776 S COLUMBIAN WAY S / Parcel ID 3677900145 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory
Classication: Building District Status:
Cladding(s): Brick - Common Bond Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured
Roof Type(s): Hip Roof Material(s): Clay Tile
Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: L-Shape
Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: one
Unit Theme(s):
Integrity
Changes to Original Cladding: Intact
Changes to Windows: Intact
Changes to Plan: Intact
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. Survey of City-Owned Historic Resources. Prepared by Cathy Wickwire, Seattle, 2001. Forms for Ravenna Park structures.
Tobin, Caroline. (2004) "Beacon Hill Historic Context Statement."

Photo collection for 1776 S COLUMBIAN WAY S / Parcel ID 3677900145 / Inv #


Photo taken Dec 11, 2003
App v2.0.1.0