Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 1664 Federal AVE / Parcel ID 113000055 / Inv #

Historic Name: Booth, Lawrence, Residence Common Name: Style: Tudor Neighborhood: Capitol Hill Built By: Year Built: 1911   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places. In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). This house, which was noted in the city's 1979 historic resources survey, was designed in 1911 by architect Willis E. Dwyer, for Ransom M. Calkins. The contractor was Andrew A. Nelson. Calkins worked for the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Railway. The primary owner, however, was Lawrence Booth, who purchased the house in 1927; Booth founded Both & Briscoe, a pioneering title insurance firm. Later owners or tenants included John Allsop, a manager for Royal Mail Lines, and his wife Kate; R. Brandson Harris, director of the UW Alumni Association; and Robert Fouty, director of Medical Laboratory Associates. The house seems to be quite intact, although a number of improvements and maintenance changes have been made, such as a kitchen addition on the southeast corner, a rear deck and extensive landscape features, new railings, and some window replacements (in character). The garden room's original leaded glass was replaced with stained glass. This section of Federal Avenue is a tree-lined avenue with a fine collection of large homes, many designed by prominent architects for some of Seattle’s leading families. The street was well located for development, as it is only one block from the Broadway/10th Avenue streetcar line and abuts the open spaces of Volunteer Park and Lake View Cemetery to the east. Although the southern two blocks were platted s part of the 1883 Phinney’s Addition, little development occurred until the first decade of the 20th century, about the time that Volunteer Park was redesigned by the Olmsted Brothers. The landscape architecture firm continually encouraged the city to purchase the property on the west side of the park, so that it would extend all the way to the street; obviously, this was never done, allowing these houses to be built adjacent to the park.   Appearance This imposing 2-1/2 story house has two prominent gabled wings on a side-gabled main section. Cladding is wood shingles on the first floor, with stucco above and a porch of red brick. The stucco section so the second story and gable ends have half timbered detailing. The façade is generally symmetrical, with the entry in the center. The heavy oak door is flanked by 12-light sidelights. The entry portico has a flat roof supported by a pair of two columns sitting on brick piers. The roof of the portico is an open porch second story, with a solid railing topped by a wrought iron rail. French doors, flanked by two large multipaned windows open onto the porch. South of the portico is a square hanging bay with a large window, with similar large windows on the other side. The second story has two six-over-one windows on the west, and a single eight-over-one window on the east; each gable end has a pair of diamond-paned casements. The west side has sunroom with a porch above it. To the rear is a detached single garage with a steep gabled roof and simple half-timbered detailing, similar to that on the house. The landscaping is formal, with a newer concrete retaining wall.

Detail for 1664 Federal AVE / Parcel ID 113000055 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Brick, Shingle Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Gable Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: two & ½ Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Commerce Integrity Changes to Plan: Slight Changes to Windows: Slight Changes to Original Cladding: Intact Major Bibliographic References Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996. King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972. City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development, Microfilm Records.

Photo collection for 1664 Federal AVE / Parcel ID 113000055 / Inv #

Photo taken Nov 06, 2005