Residential Ballard is generally described as extending from the 8th Avenue NW to the east and the bluff to the west, and from NW 85th Street on the north to NW 65th Street to the south. The area primarily contains single family houses, but also includes a collection of mutli-family dwellings, commercial buildings, schools, churches, and other buildings. Most of the historic buildings in Ballard are modest cottages and builder's houses, and were not architect-designed. Building styles include, but are not limited to, Victorian (primarily Queen Anne), vernacular, Craftsman, American Foursquare, Colonial Revival (including variations), Tudor Revival, Minimal Traditional, and Ranch. The historic building fabric of Ballard is threatened by a rapid pace of development.
The City of Ballard was incorporated in 1890. It was the first community to incorporate after Washington achieved statehood in 1889. Although population increased rapidly, north Ballard was still relatively rural. In 1907, primarily due to lack of adequate water for its population of 15,000, Ballard citizens voted to be annexed to Seattle to ensure a good water supply for the area.
After annexation Ballard’s street names were changed to conform to Seattle’s: Ship Street turned into 65th Street, Main Street became 15th Avenue. During the Great Depression and World War II, construction in Ballard nearly ground to a halt, with the exception of some houses built by Earl F. Mench. However, following World War II, fueled by the G.I. bill and the rise of the automobile, Ballard boomed again, and new housing followed. In recent years, the demand for new housing has spurred a tremendous amount of change in Ballard, with old, modest houses being replaced by large box houses and multi-family units. These changes threaten to alter the character and feeling of this historic neighborhood.
HISTORICAL SUMMARY
According to the online King County Assessor’s Report and the Property Record Card, this house was
built in 1900 or 1904, respectively. It is located in the Sanders Addition to Gilman Park & Salmon Bay
(1888), Block 4, Lot 4.
The house was built on North St. [now 64th] between 6th [now 28th] and 7th [now 30th], and the first known
residents were Stanley C. Boom (1845–1911), a teacher from New York and member of St. John’s Lodge
No. 9, Free and Accepted Masons, and his wife Hester P. They bought the property in 1904 from Dexter
Horton & Co., and first appear in the 1906 and 1907 Ballard City Directories. The address at that time
was 635 North. They continue to live in the home until about 1910, and Stanley died at Newcastle in
1911.
The Booms sold the property to William H. Purdy, a salesman for S. A. Woods Machine Co. and foreman,
and his wife Grace/Gracie G. by 1911. They lived in the home briefly and sold it to Lizzie A. Cole in 1913.
Interestingly, the sale to Cole included Lot 23, which was directly behind Lot 4, extending the property
from 64th St. to 63rd St.
Lizzie/Elizabeth Anne (Baker) Cole (1862–1949), and her husband James A. Cole (1855–1934), a cook,
lived in the home from 1913 through 1934, the year James died. Lizzie continued living in the home until
her death in 1949. The two were married in Wisconsin in 1890, moved to Montana, and soon after came
to Seattle in the 1890s. Following Lizzie’s death, the property changed hands several times with at least
seven different owners and occupants by 1977.
Thomas L. and Ellen K. Bliesath bought the property from Robert E. and Patricia A. Quackenbush in 1977.
In 1981, they advertised the home for sale several times, and described it as a Ballard Charmer and an
immaculate starter home with Victorian flair, including room enough for guests or baby, two bedrooms,
wall to wall carpet, sunny kitchen, fireplace, five appliances, and a fenced yard. And all that on “Good
Terms”. In 1985, the home was finally sold to Robin S. and Jana L. Balliet (from 1985–1999).
Subsequent owners include: Jana L. Balliet (from 1999–2009); Elizabeth Rogers Blinks (from 2009–2011);
and Cara P. Machacek, the current owner, as of May 2016 (from 2011).
References:
Ballard Historical Society Classic Home Tour guides.
Crowley, Walt. Seattle Neighborhoods: Ballard--Thumbnail History. HistoryLink File # 983, accessed 6/1/16.
King County Tax Assessor Records, 1937-2014.
McAlester, Virginia Savage.
A Field Guide to American Houses (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Alfred A> Knopf Press, 2013.
Oschsner, Jeffrey Karl
Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle, WA: University of
Washington Press, 1994.
Passport to Ballard: The Centennial Story. Seattle, WA: Ballard News Tribune, 1988.
Sources Historical Summary:
Cole’s Seattle Directories. 2005 - 2015.
Polk’s Seattle City Directories. 1900 – 1994.
King County Department of Assessments (2016). http://gismaps.kingcounty.gov/parcelviewer2,
accessed 5/31/2016.
King County Plat Maps, King County Recorder's Office. http://146.129.54.93:8193/localization/menu.asp
accessed 5/31/2016.
BALLARD HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2016
Mapping Historic Ballard: Shingletown to Tomorrow
King County Property Record Card. Washington State Archives. Puget Sound Regional Branch.
King County Recorder’s Office (2016). http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/records-licensing/recorders-
office.aspx accessed 5/31/2016.
Sanborn Map Company (Sanborn)
1905 Seattle, Washington 1904-1905. Sanborn Map Company, Seattle, Washington. Electronic
document, http://www.spl.org, accessed May 31, 2016.
1917 Seattle, Washington 1917. Sanborn Map Company, Seattle, Washington. Electronic
document, http://www.spl.org, accessed May 31, 2016.
The Seattle Daily Times
Ballard Open 2-4, November 22, 1981, pg. 75.
Coles Celebrating Golden Anniversary, March 12, 1930, pg. 3.
Funerals. James A. Cole, November 4, 1934, pg. 12.
Homes General, March 16, 1967, pg. 47.
Homes General, December 21, 1967, pg. 46.
Homes General, August 15, 1981, pg. 55.
Homes General, November 8, 1981, pg. 60.
Mrs. James A. Cole obituary, March 12, 1949, pg. 4.
Washington Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes. Electronic document via Ancestry Library Edition,
http://www.spl.org, accessed 5/2016.
United States Federal Census. 1880–1940. Electronic document via HeritageQuest Online,
http://www.spl.org, accessed 5/2016.
Washington, County Land Records, 1850-1954. King County Deed and Mortgage Indexes.
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1762885?collectionNameFilter=false, accessed 5/31/2016.
