| Historic Name: |
Catalina Apartments |
Common Name: |
Catalina apartments |
| Style: |
Spanish - Mediterranean |
Neighborhood: |
Capitol Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1929 |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places. |
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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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In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). |
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This distinctive Mediterranean-style building was designed in 1930 by architect William Whiteley for developer Henry E. Pettijohn, secretary-treasurer of the Boundary Silver Lead Company. The two worked together on several apartment buildings in this vicinity, including the Martha Lee at 427 Bellevue Avenue E. Whiteley is best known for the many buildings he designed for Frederick Anhalt, the best known Seattle apartment developer of the 1920. Many of these were in the Mediterranean Revival style seen here, which was less common than Tudor-influenced designs. This was constructed as an elegant building, with 24 2- and 3-room apartments with such features as oak floors, built-in radios, central refrigeration and sprinklers.
The Catalina is a good example of the many apartment buildings constructed in the 1920s, when Seattle experienced a major construction boom. The city's population had increased dramatically in previous decades, and prosperity encouraged developers to meet the pent-up demand for housing. Apartments, ranging from basic housing to luxury units, were a significant factor in meeting this need, and became a major element of the streetscape in many Seattle neighborhoods. West Capitol Hill, with its easy streetcar access to downtown, was particularly popular, and its streets were lined with small apartment buildings.
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| Appearance |
| The Catalina's building plan appears generally rectangular, but it has a slight T-shape with the façade extending five feet on each side of the main volume, which allows a light well between the apartments and the neighboring buildings. The front section is clad in bricks, painted gray, with red common brick on the remainder. The most notable feature is the ornate entry, with twisted columns flanking a recessed archway. The oak-and glass door features ornate grillwork, stained glass in a shield design and plain sidelights; the heraldic motif is repeated in another shield cartouche above the door, flanked by griffins, all in cast stone. The center bay also has arches on the second and third stories, each with a pair of arched stained glass windows. A red clay tile shed roof shelters the entry. Red tiles are also on the center part of of the roof. Windows are one-over-one double hung sash in groups of two and three. These replaced original 8-over-1 sash on the front façade only. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Stucco |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Eaves, Flat with Parapet |
Roof Material(s): |
Clay Tile, Other |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Multiple Family |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
three |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
Slight |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
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Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, ed. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.
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King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972.
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City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development, Microfilm Records.
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