| Historic Name: |
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Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Arts & Crafts - Craftsman |
Neighborhood: |
Wallingford |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1915 |
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| Significance |
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This house was erected in 1914-15, towards the end of Seattle’s first north end building boom. It was built by O. A. Ebinghouse to a design prepared by the owner, R. A. Ellis, according to the building permit. Ellis listed his address as 712 N. 49th Street on the permit application.
The permit record indicates that S. J. Tilden built a small addition to the structure in 1918 for owner Charles Arensberg. Arensberg appears to have been associated with the construction of several other projects on Burke Avenue N. and may have been a contractor/developer. A garage was added to the site in 1920.
The building is significant as a modest but relatively intact example of the craftsman bungalow style featuring details that suggest Asian antecedents.
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| Appearance |
| This is a one story, clapboard and shingle clad frame residence on a concrete foundation over a full basement. The low slope of the roof, the wide bargeboards supported by triangular knee braces, the decorative cutouts in the bargeboards, the exposed framing at the undersides of the overhangs, the design of the porch, and the detailing of the windows are all elements associated with the typical craftsman bungalow.
The design of the west, street-facing elevation includes many elements that recall features of Japanese architecture. The flared peak at the gable end is the most obvious of these, although the strong horizontal bias of the attic window centered in the shingled gable, the layering of horizontal features strips in the gable façade and the decorative use of implied beam and purlin ends as components of the feature strips are more significant examples. The use of decorative devices that suggest the use of numerous, stacked beams and purlins in the structure of the roof indicates that the designer was familiar with the Japanese habit of using a system of beams and jack posts, rather than trussed structural elements, to support the roof.
The porch runs across the entire length of the west elevation and is protected by the extension of the main roof. Four built up wood piers support the gable end. The central structural bay formed by these piers is slightly larger than the bays to either side. In typical craftsman bungalow manner, large capped brick pedestals, extending from grade to slightly above porch rail height, support the piers. Similarly detailed brick sidewalls frame the entry stair. The porch railing consists of three heavy horizontal wood rails extending from pier to pier. The lack of any vertical components gives the railing system a strong horizontal bias that adds to the Japanese flavor of the overall design.
The entry door is shifted off axis to the north. At the northern end of the entry façade, a small horizontally oriented rectangular window is situated high in the wall. To the south of the entry, a group of three windows light the front room. The central unit is wider, but all three units appear to be double-hung units with a divided upper sash over a larger, undivided lower sash. The muntins in each upper sash divide the sash into three horizontal bands of approximately equal width. The middle band is further divided by two short vertical muntins that form a small rectangle at each end. The muntin pattern gives a strong Asian flavor and noticeable horizontal bias to the design of the windows. The pattern is repeated in slightly modified form in the front attic window and also found at some windows in the south elevation.
A chimney is situated near the west end of the south elevation, where it penetrates the overhang. Two small windows flank it in typical bungalow manner. A bay is tucked under the overhang at the middle of the south elevation. Three windows are ganged together in the south wall of the bay. The middle unit is an unusually wide double-hung window with sash and muntins configured in a scheme similar to that used at the front of the house. Two fixed stained glass windows flank the central unit. East of the bay, two small double-hung replacement windows are paired to illuminate what appears to be the kitchen.
The north elevation features three simple opening. Several feet separate two tall but relatively narrow double-hung windows at the west (front) end of the elevation. Each of these units features a small, undivided upper sash over a larger undivided lower sash. Another opening (possibly a door rather than a window) is located near the east (back) end of the facade.
The back (east end) of the house cannot be observed from the street and the nature of the addition discussed in the permit record cannot be determined.
The replacement of two windows east of the bay in the middle of the south elevation has already been noted. The entry stairs appear to have been rebuilt. No other significant modifications are apparent. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Shingle, Wood, Wood - Clapboard |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Gable |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition-Shingle |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Single Family |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
one |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Community Planning/Development |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
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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