Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 2106 13th AVE / Parcel ID 1498300770 / Inv #

Historic Name: Common Name: Style: Vernacular Neighborhood: Beacon Hill Built By: Year Built: 1902   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. Built in 1902, this building was purchased by John Rizzo in July of 1929. The Rizzo’s remodeled the building in 1930 soon after moving in, hiring contractor, A. H. Benson, to construct room partitions in the basement. Mr. Rizzo, Asinde, Joseph and Earnest resided in the residence through 1958. A neighborhood of Italian immigrants and their businesses developed in the North Rainier Valley and northeast Beacon Hill. Starting around 1900, Italian immigrants came to Seattle to work in coal mines and as construction laborers and farmers. The Italian immigrants may have settled in this area because of its inexpensive housing, convenient location near downtown, and potential for small farm plots in the North Rainier Valley. This neighborhood, which became known as “Garlic Gulch” or “Little Italy,” centered on South Atlantic Street and Rainier Avenue South. In 1915, about 200 families lived in a 90-square-block area along Rainier Avenue from Lane Street on the north to Mount Baker Park on the south. Many Italian-owned businesses were located in the area, including food imports, Borracchini’s Bakery, Oberto Sausage Company, produce stands, grocery stores, a nursery (Malmo’s), drug stores, and other shops. Our Lady of Mount Virgin Catholic Church at 1531 Bradner Place South, built in 1913, was the hub of the Italian community and operated a Catholic School that offered Italian lessons. Most of the remaining structures in the Italian neighborhood were razed during construction of I-90 in the 1970s and 1980s. 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 1902, this compact, vernacular style, single-family dwelling stands on a rectangular lot. The building is oriented to Thirteenth Avenue South on a flat site at street level. This 1120 square foot, single-story house with a full basement features a rectangular plan, measuring approximately 26’ by 44’, with an 8’ by 6’ recessed front stoop. A poured concrete foundation supports the wood frame, clapboard-clad superstructure. Asphalt composition roofing covers the hip roof. Modest closed eave and gable overhangs define the roofline. Wood sash multiple-pane windows with painted wood casings provide day lighting. Bay windows with pedimented gable roofs project from the front and side facades. A direct flight of stairs leads to the front stoop. A brick chimney services the building. A contemporary deck extends off the back facade. Basement windows are contemporary.

Detail for 2106 13th AVE / Parcel ID 1498300770 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Wood - Clapboard Foundation(s): Unknown Roof Type(s): Hip Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: one Unit Theme(s): Integrity Changes to Windows: Slight Changes to Original Cladding: 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." Nicandri, David L. Italians in Washington State: Emigration 1853-1924. Olympia, WA: Washington State American Revolution Commission, 1978. Roe, Nellie Virginia. “The Italian Immigrant in Seattle,” Master of Arts Thesis, University of Washington, 1915.

Photo collection for 2106 13th AVE / Parcel ID 1498300770 / Inv #

Photo taken Photo taken Oct 17, 2003 Photo taken Oct 17, 2003