| Historic Name: |
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Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Vernacular |
Neighborhood: |
Beacon Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1906 |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. |
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Built in 1906, this building was purchased by Edward R. Tremper in November of 1914. Mr. Tremper was vice president and general manager of Washington Title Insurance Co. and vice president of Seattle Trust Company. In 1919, a garage was constructed on the lot. Mrs. Wong Mar, widow of Jim Shing, resided in the house from 1936 to 1938. In 1938, the house was converted to a duplex. An internal stairway was walled up, plumbing added, the interior redecorated and the exterior re-clad in shakes. In 1941, Ernest Ching and Fong Yee Yung lived in the residence. In 1944, the building owner, N. Fahlgren, converted the existing duplex to an apartment building. Mr. Fahlgren lived at 1745 Twelfth Avenue South. Seattle architect, Ralf E. Decker, designed the changes. In 1948, Grace Choro purchased the building. From 1949 to ca 1953, the building was subdivided into three units before increasing to four units from 1957 through 1970.
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.
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| Appearance |
| Built in 1906, this substantial, American Foursquare-influenced, Vernacular style, single-family dwelling stands on a rectangular lot. The building is oriented to Twelfth Avenue South on a flat site at street level. This 1186 square foot, two-story house with a full daylight basement features a rectangular plan, measuring approximately 44’ by 25’, with a 3’ by 10’ front stoop. A poured concrete foundation supports the wood frame, shingle-clad superstructure. Asphalt composition roofing covers the hipped roof, two story projecting front cross gable and flanking hipped roof wall dormers. Broad eaves with decoratively cut exposed rafters recessed beneath the eaves define the roofline. The upper story projects slightly beyond the first story with a well-defined belt course and decorative framing ends along this transition. Vinyl sash 1:1 first story windows provide day lighting with triple 1:1 vinyl sash second story windows. The central upper story windows feature decorative multiple-lite transoms. Similar multiple-lite windows accent the front facade wall dormers. All windows feature painted wood casings. A short flight of stairs leads to the open front stoop. Boxed piers support a gabled stoop roof. A large open porch extends off the back facade. A prominent, centrally located, internal brick chimney services the building. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Shingle |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Gable, Hip, Varied roof lines |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Single Family |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
two |
| Unit Theme(s): |
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| Integrity |
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Changes to Windows: |
Moderate |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Unknown |
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Changes to Plan: |
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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City of Seattle. Survey of City-Owned Historic Resources. Prepared by Cathy Wickwire, Seattle, 2001. Forms for Ravenna Park structures.
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Tobin, Caroline. (2004) "Beacon Hill Historic Context Statement."
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