| Historic Name: |
Riley Residence |
Common Name: |
23 Orton Residence |
| Style: |
Colonial - Colonial Revival |
Neighborhood: |
Montlake |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1919 |
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| Significance |
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This intact residence, showing the influence of the Colonial Revival style, is associated with 1920s-era development in the Montlake area and is a contributing resource to the Montlake NRHP Historic District. The earliest known owners, in 1928, were Ernest J. Riley,, a salesman at Henry Broderick Inc., and his wife, Alice. The home was owned by Carey A. Bebee, a salesman at Olson Fuel Company, and his wife, Marguerite in 1938. In 1948, Donald M. Williamson, an assistant manager at E. I. duPont deNemours & Company, and his wife Sallie were the owners. Edward Dennis, Deputy District Director, U.S. Immigration & Naturalization, and his wife Blanche owned it 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
Polk Directory of Seattle, 1938-1958.
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 1-1/2 story shingle-clad cottage sits on a large corner lot with lawn, small foundation plants and two large conifer trees. It has a clipped side-gable roof, shallow eaves and returns; a small crossing clipped gable projects slightly from the east side of the main façade. The recessed porch on the west side has brick cladding, wood balustrade and two groups of three square corner posts. The entry is an original 15-light French door. The window to the left of the porch has a group of 10/1 sash flanked by 4/1 sash in wood surround. Two single windows on the east end of the façade have 8/1 sash in original wood surround and a small arched 9-light window is in the gable above. Windows on side elevations are similar single, paired and grouped sash in original wood surrounds. |
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