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Summary for 3402 WETMORE AVE / Parcel ID / Inv #

Historic Name: Common Name:
Style: Vernacular Neighborhood: North Rainier Valley
Built By: Year Built: 1901
 
Significance
Built in 1901, this building was occupied by John and Laura Bacceliere by 1922. The Bacceliere’s added a garage in 1922. Ca 1937, a tenant rented the building for $11 per month. During the late 1930s, ownership of the property underwent several changes, selling in July of 1938, in September of 1938, and again in September of 1939. The 1938 through 1940 Polk directories list James G. Kessack as the resident. In 1943, the building owner added a storage shed. S. J. and Nettie N. Curry lived in the building through ca 1964. In August of 1964, the Conner Development Company purchased the building. By 1965 through 1968, Stephen J. and Rosabell Curry occupied the building. The North Rainier Valley consists of a depression created by glaciation between the ridges of Beacon Hill and Mount Baker. The valley derives its name from Mount Rainier because of stunning views of the mountain. The area’s growth followed the early streetcar line, which was completed to Columbia City in 1890. The North Rainier Valley includes the area north of Columbia City and contained many early vegetable farms. Commercial development followed along the streetcar line, with housing built nearby. During the first decades of the 20th century, the area between Massachusetts and Atlantic Streets was home to Seattle’s largest Italian enclave, “Garlic Gulch.” Dugdale Ball Park opened on the corner of Rainier Avenue and McClellan Street in 1913, and was succeeded by Sick’s Stadium in 1938. World War II precipitated a surge in housing development, including the public housing project, Rainier Vista, in 1943. Following the war, the area attracted a mix of African-Americans, Asians, and Filipinos. Today this diverse, low-to-middle income neighborhood is unique within Seattle with its long narrow form focused on the Rainier Avenue transportation corridor.
 
Appearance

Detail for 3402 WETMORE AVE / Parcel ID / Inv #

Status: Yes - Hold
Classication: Building District Status:
Cladding(s): Wood - Clapboard Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured
Roof Type(s): Gable, Hip Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition
Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: L-Shape
Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: two
Unit Theme(s):
Integrity
Changes to Original Cladding: Intact
Changes to Plan: Intact
Changes to Windows: 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) "North Rainier Valley Historic Context Statement."

Photo collection for 3402 WETMORE AVE / Parcel ID / Inv #


Photo taken
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