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Summary for 918 E JOHN ST E / Parcel ID 600250-1340 / Inv # 0

Historic Name: unknown Common Name: Broadway Locksmith
Style: American Foursquare Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Built By: Year Built: 1901
 
Significance

This small house, built in 1901, is an early example of the modest houses that were built in this are early in the century. The current use of this building as a locksmith illustrates the changes of the neighborhood.  

This was one of the first sections of Capitol Hill to develop.  It was platted by David T. Denny, the trustee for the estate of John Nagle, who filed the donation claim for the area.  In 1891 a streetcar line was extended from James Street, running north on Broadway to the city limits at E. Lynn Street, with direct service to downtown added on Pike Street in 1901.  Another major impetus to local development was the 1902 opening of Seattle (later Broadway) High School, the city’s first modern high school.  Students came from throughout Seattle and even from across Lake Washington to attend.  Broadway, already an important street, flourished with new businesses, especially those catering to students, such as sandwich shops. By 1910 the area was largely developed, with small commercial buildings, numerous apartment buildings and single family homes.  Further apartment and commercial development occurred in the 1920s, when the Broadway district boomed to become one of the city’s premier shopping venues. 
The Great Depression of the 1930s led to general stagnation, and the neighborhood changed significantly after World War II.  Broadway High School closed in 1946, replaced by Edison Technical School, a vocational training institution.  Many houses became rentals or were replaced with commercial or institutional uses.  The 1980s brought new development, as people returned to live in city neighborhoods. The Broadway district is now thriving with new stores and apartment buildings. 

 
Appearance
This small hip-roofed cottage sits on a corner lot at E. John Street and 10th Avenue E.  It is rectangular in plan with a recessed porch with three columns on the northeast corner. The house has clapboard cladding with wood belt courses above and below the window level.  It has been altered on the south side with prominent side entry with concrete steps and a fabric awning. Windows throughout the house have been replaced with newer fixed-pane sash.

Detail for 918 E JOHN ST E / Parcel ID 600250-1340 / Inv # 0

Status:
Classication: Building District Status:
Cladding(s): Wood - Clapboard Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured
Roof Type(s): Hip Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition
Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: Rectangular
Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: one
Unit Theme(s): Commerce
Integrity
Changes to Plan: Moderate
Changes to Windows: Extensive
Changes to Original Cladding: Slight
Major Bibliographic References
Williams, Jacqueline B. The Hill with a Future: Seattle's Capitol Hill 1900-1946. Seattle: CPK Ink, 2001.

Photo collection for 918 E JOHN ST E / Parcel ID 600250-1340 / Inv # 0


Photo taken Jul 11, 2010
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