| Historic Name: |
Norbom Residence |
Common Name: |
17 Fox Residence |
| Style: |
Colonial - Colonial Revival |
Neighborhood: |
Montlake |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1924 |
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| Significance |
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This two-and-half story residence has a second story addition and a single-story addition in the rear, but retains many original features of the Colonial Revival style. Built in 1924, it is associated with 1920s-era the development in the Montlake area and, despite its alterations, remains a contributing resource to the Montlake NRHP Historic District. The owners from at least 1928 through 1938 were Ralph H. Norbom, an appraiser (Anderson Buick Commission) and his wife, Hazel. Gus Kost, a routeman at Covey Laundry & Cleaning Service and his wife Helen owned it in 1948. Micheline Degenhardt, a student, lived here in 1958.
Montlake is generally described as extending from the Washington Park Arboretum west to Portage Bay/15th Avenue E., and from the Montlake Cut on the north to Interlaken Park. The area is a significant and cohesive collection of residential architecture typical of early 20th century Seattle and is eligible as a NRHP historic district under Criterion C. Construction occurred primarily between 1910 and 1940, with a variety of Craftsman and revival styles ranging from modest cottages and builder's houses to high-style architect-designed residences, impressive institutional buildings, and notable parks and natural features. There are few intrusions of newer buildings. In the early 1960s, construction of SR 520 and the unfinished R.H. Thomson Expressway bisected Montlake, but the neighborhood retains its basic integrity as a pre-World War II Seattle neighborhood.
Montlake was incorporated into the City of Seattle in 1891. Although the first plats (Union City 1st and 2nd additions) were filed by Harvey Pike in 1869-1871, development did not really begin until plats were filed by John Boyer (Interlaken, 1905) and H. S. Turner (1907). Montlake Park (north of SR 520) was platted in 1909 by the developers James Corner and Calvin and William Hagan. With the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition came a streetcar line on 24th Avenue E. and an impetus for development. In 1916, the Lake Washington Ship Canal was completed and the Montlake Bridge linked the neighborhood to the university area in 1925. A small commercial district grew along the car line.
The 1903 Olmsted Parks and Boulevards Plan of 1903 surrounded Montlake with parks. Montlake Boulevard (then call University Boulevard) connected Lake Washington Boulevard to the A-Y-P grounds. Washington Park, the eastern boundary, was acquired by the City in 1900 and developed as an arboretum in 1936-41. At the southern edge is steep, forested Interlaken Park and boulevard.
By 1915, the neighborhood had developed enough to require a temporary school building; the permanent structure opened in 1924.Soon afterwards came a playfield and shelter house (1933-36) and a library (1944, replaced 2006). Other noteworthy structures include the Seattle Yacht Club (1920), the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Center (1931), the Museum of History and Industry (1952) and St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church (1962).
Major Bibliographic References:
King County Tax Assessor Records, 1937-2014.
Becker, Paula. Seattle Neighborhoods: Montlake--Thumbnail History. HistoryLink File # 10170, accessed 12/2/2013.
Gould, James W. Montlake History. http://www.scn.org/neighbors/montlake/mcc_history.Jim_Gould.html
Smith, Eugene. Montlake: An Urban Eden, A History of the Montlake Community in Seattle. La Grande OR: Oak Street Press, 2004.
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| Appearance |
| This two-and-half story house has an irregular plan and a side-gable roof with returns and decorative rake molding; cladding is wood clapboard. A shallow projecting gabled bay on the right of the façade has a stucco chimney at the center, flanked by 6/1 paired casements .The entry on the left has an arched roof with returns supported by paired square posts. The door is wood panel with divided sidelights with wood panel below, and a similar style casement sash is to the right of the entry. A wood ramp with balustrade extends to the right, east side from the porch. Windows on the east elevation include 6/1 hung sashes and a Palladian window in the attic gable. The house sits slightly above street level with a CMU retaining wall, groundcover, small shrubs and a large conifer tree. The driveway on the east side leads to a detached flat-roof garage (1936) that is somewhat altered from its original form. |
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