Seattle Historical Sites

This house is significant due to its architectural style, intactness, and its occupancy history. The occupants’ professional association with businesses in the Rainier Valley reflects the valley’s historical role as a transportation and commercial corridor uniting the residential neighborhoods in South Seattle.

This single-family residence is located in the Rainier Beach neighborhood at the southern end of Rainier Valley. It was constructed in 1906. The Polk directories list Harold L Kenkman as the primary resident from 1935 through 1969. Harold was the baker and manager at his family’s business, the American Cake Company on Rainier Avenue. Beginning in 1948, Mrs. M. M. Pitcard, a music teacher, also resided in the house.

Substantial residential and commercial development in South Seattle and the Rainier Valley occurred when a transportation corridor connecting the Rainier Valley to downtown and Seattle’s industrial district was constructed along Rainier Avenue during the late nineteenth century. Development in the valley was facilitated by logging during the 1880s, the operation of the Rainier Valley Electric Railway in the 1890s, and the Jackson and Dearborn Street re-grades in the 1900s. Milling was the primary commercial industry during the last part of the nineteenth century although some agricultural activity existed. As residential development increased, Rainier Avenue gradually became the principal commercial corridor connecting the residential neighborhoods of South Seattle to downtown, the International District, and Seattle’s industrial districts. World War II brought additional building growth related to the wartime industry, as well as the influx of defense workers to nearby Boeing and the Duwamish shipyards. 

The Rainier Valley remains a crucial corridor uniting the neighborhoods of South Seattle and connecting them to downtown, Seattle’s industrial districts, and the International District.