| Historic Name: |
Single Officers' Quarters |
Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Colonial - Cape Cod |
Neighborhood: |
Magnolia |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1904 |
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| Significance |
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Fort Lawton is located in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood, within the area that is now Discovery Park. Established as a U.S. Army post in 1898, the fort had been envisioned by local residents and businessmen as a major regimental post, with the hope that it would enhance the local economy and the city’s status in its ongoing competition with Tacoma to the south. Upon selection of the site, local landowners donated more than 700 acres for the fort. By 1900, construction of the first seven permanent, wood-frame buildings on the site was completed.
While local aspirations for the fort were slow to be realized, initial construction continued through 1910, at which time there was an assembly of 25 buildings set around an oval-shaped parade ground. While Fort Lawton never became as large or influential as Seattle residents had anticipated, during World War II it was the second-largest port of embarkation on the West Coast. After the 1940s, the use of the fort declined again and many of the temporary and wartime buildings were removed. The Army stayed on until 1972, at which time it transferred ownership of a portion of Fort Lawton to the City of Seattle.
A large portion of the post, including its historic core area, with 25 buildings and parade ground, was surplused by the Army and added to Discovery Park in the mid-1970s. The Fort Lawton Historic District was nominated to and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The City of Seattle designated Fort Lawton as a local historic district in 1988.
The Fort Lawton Historic District is associated with the development and the history of the City of Seattle; and embodies the characteristics of military interpretations of American architectural styles of the 1890s and early 1900s, based on standard Quartermaster General building designs, as well as its planned site. The period of significance for the Fort Lawton Historic District extends from its inception in 1898 to 1945, based on the development of the post, with additional buildings and site features resulting from the Depression-era public works, and the fort's role in WWII.
Building 670 is the only single-family residence that remains on Officers' Row. It is located near the center of the row, immediately north of the fenced FAA area. It was identical in plan to a residence that was removed in 1956 to allow for construction of the radar antennae.
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| Appearance |
| Officers' Row is an arrangement of seven houses located along Washington Avenue, a curved street at the top of the bluff east of and overlooking the parade ground. The siting of officers' quarters above the parade ground was typical of military installations of the period, representative of the hierarchy and command structure of the institution. Located at the highest elevation of the original fort, the houses also have expansive views looking west toward the Olympic Mountains.
The buildings are situated on the east side of the street, each with the primary façade facing west. Oklahoma Avenue runs behind the houses, providing additional parking and access to garages. Constructed from standard quartermaster general plans, the houses on Officers' Row exhibit military interpretations of the architectural style of the period (turn of the 20th century), with Colonial Revival influence. Open vistas between the buildings allow views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. Concrete walks and steps lead up to the front entries. In front of the dwellings there are mature American Sycamore trees that line Washington Avenue, and a mature grove of conifers and single remaining historic light standard are located southwest of Building No. 676. A mature American Sycamore tree is also located within the fenced area near the center of Officers' Row, the former Air Defense and Nike Structures of 1959 and 1960.
This area of the District incorporates some open spaces, particularly in the northern portion of Officers' Row and also to the east of Oklahoma Avenue, the semi-private access street. California Avenue is a north-south street that delineates the eastern edge of the open space. A remaining row of mature Lombardy Poplar trees along California Avenue and Iowa Way, which bounds the south end of Officers' Row, further defines the area. Other mature trees are located in the open yard areas between and behind the buildings. The original color scheme for the post building exteriors appears to have been a barn red with red-brown trim, which is shown on several hand-colored post card images. However, as photos dating from 1907 and later indicate, a consistent, two-tone lighter color palette soon replaced it as the customary combination.
Building 670 – Single Officer's Quarters
(Completed May 31, 1904)
The building is two-and-a-half stories, of frame construction on a sandstone and brick foundation. Walls are clad with lapped cedar siding. The cross-gabled roof, originally slate-shingled, is finished with composition shingles. Three corbelled chimneys serve three fireplaces. The main mass of the house measures 34' by 32', with a rear wing of 24' by 22'.
The full-width front porch and a side porch are detailed with Tuscan columns, delicately turned balusters, and dentils above the frieze band. Concrete steps with cast iron railings lead to the front porch and the main entry, which consists of a pair of glazed wood doors. A back porch has been partially enclosed. Fenestration consists of two-over-two, double-hung wood sash windows, with Palladian and arched windows at the attic story. Exterior trim includes wide window trim, corner boards, a frieze band capped by a row of dentils, and cornice returns at the gable ends.
The house contains a living room, dining room, library, kitchen, and bathroom at the first floor. Front and back stairs access the second floor, which has four bedrooms and two bathrooms, and the attic story, which has three additional bedrooms and a bathroom. The 2006 conditions report notes maple flooring at the first floor and oak flooring upstairs. The living room, dining room, and library each have a fireplace. Doors from the second-floor hall have glazed transoms. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
NR, LR |
| Cladding(s): |
Wood - Clapboard |
Foundation(s): |
Brick, Stone |
| Roof Type(s): |
Gable |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition-Shingle |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Single Family |
Plan: |
Irregular |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
two & ½ |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Community Planning/Development, Military |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Interior: |
Slight |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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Lentz, Florence, et al. "Historic American Buildings Survey, Fort Lawton." U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service, Pacific Northwest Region, 1981.
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Kavanaugh, Major Robert E. "Fort Lawton." National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, January 1978.
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Mann, Millegan, Morse and Ramsey. "Fort Lawton Buildings: A Survey and Report, Prepared for City of Seattle Parks and Recreation." August 15, 1975.
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Seattle District. "Context Study of the United States Quartermaster General Standardized Plans 1866-1942." Report prepared for U.S. Army Environmental Ctr, Envir. Compliance Division, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., Nov. 1997.
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Upchurch Architects, Inc. and SLA Studio Land. "Navy Historic Housing Classifications of the Montana Circle, Washington Ave N & Washington Ave S Homes in Fort Lawton." Prepared for Pacific NW Communities, LLC, Nov. 1, 2006.
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