| Historic Name: |
Heather Court |
Common Name: |
Heather Court |
| Style: |
Modern - Contemporary |
Neighborhood: |
Capitol Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1953 |
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| Significance |
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Heather Court is an example of a post-World War II apartment building that combines the traditional courtyard with Modernistic architectural elements. It was designed in 1953 by architect William Whiteley for S & S Building Investors. Whiteley had become well known in the 1920s as a designer of several buildings for developer Frederick Anhalt, often in the Spanish Revival style. Modern elements in Heather Court include the flat roof with deep flat eaves, a deck for each unit, and he prominent location of garages on the front façade. There are ten units, averaging 858 square feet.
The 1950s were a period of very strong growth for both single-family neighborhoods and apartments, both in Seattle and the surrounding suburbs. After stagnant growth in the Depression years of the 1930s, Seattle's population increased sharply due to World War II and post-war industrial activities. From approximately 368,000 in 1940 the population grew to 465,000 in 1950 and to 550,000 in 1960. This is one of the earlier examples of the apartment buildings constructed in the 1950s to house returning servicemen and their families. Following World War II, Seattle, like the rest of the country, faced a severe housing shortage. Construction of permanent family housing had slowed during the war years, and returning servicemen were eager to have their own homes and start families. Many who had visited the Pacific Northwest while in the military came here permanently. Material shortages and labor unrest, as well as the Korean War, delayed the housing boom, which got underway in the 1950s. Although the country's extensive suburban development is the best known housing development of the period, multifamily units were built in cities, often using federal funds for financing guarantees.
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| Appearance |
| Heather Court has an L-shaped plan, extending 109 feet along the south side and 66 feet along the rear. A partially enclosed landscaped courtyard is along the north side, located above the garages. The main feature on the front façade is the eight individual concrete garage doors; stairs to the building and courtyard are placed in the center of the garage block and at the south side. The building is two stories, of wood frame construction. The first floor is clad with multicolored flagstone in shades of red and tan, with vertical boards on the second story; the side and rear elevations are clad with brick. The roof is flat with very deep flat eaves. Windows are aluminum sliders. Each unit has a deck, enclosed with wood siding in a distinctive slanted form. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Hold |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Stone, Vertical - Board and Batten, Wood |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Eaves |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Multiple Family |
Plan: |
L-Shape |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
two |
| 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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