| Historic Name: |
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Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Tudor, Vernacular |
Neighborhood: |
Crown Hill/Ballard |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1929 |
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| Significance |
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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.
Originally two Whitman Addition plats, one on 12th Ave NW facing west and the other on 11th Ave NW
facing east, were divided into four plats facing south. The four, 1.5 story brick tudors at 1102, 1106,
1112 and 1116 NW 83rd St make up a historic cluster of homes.
1102 NW 83rd St (sometimes listed as 1104) was built in 1929 for owner J. Wagen. By 1934, Reverend C
M Ridenour, pastor at the Ballard Christian Church, was residing there.
Around 1937, Hans Peterson and Juliet Akse purchased the home. They had four children: Louise,
Ronald, Hans Julian Jr., and Patricia. Per the 1940 census Hans, as well as most of their immediate
neighbors, were fishermen. The Akse’s would live there for the next 50 years.
The house was presumably rented in 1948/49 to Arnold L and Eva Boyle, owners of Boyle’s Hobby
Center. The Akse’s returned by 1950.
In 1957, Hans Jr. started a small fire in his upstairs bedroom. He was playing “with matches then tried to
become a one-man fire department [doing] about $250 damage to his parent’s home.”
The eldest daughter, Louise, owned the home until 1988. Since then, great care has gone into
maintaining the character and integrity of the house. The brick has been repointed, the sewer lines
replaced, seismic retrofitting has been completed, a new roof installed, and the yard has been artfully
landscaped.
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.
Side Sewer Cards
Seattle Daily Times
Seattle City Directories 1934, 1938, 1940, 1943/44, 1948/49, 1955, 1964
King County Assessor’s Database
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| Appearance |
Constructed in 1929, this 1.5 story Tudor Revival-style single-family house has a square plan,
sits on a concrete foundation, is clad with red brick veneer and coursed wood accents, and features an
asphalt-clad side-gabled roof with clipped gables and returned eaves. The front façade includes a
projecting nesting gabled entry vestibule, and the front door is wood with a small opening. A triad of
leaded windows are to the left of the door vestibule, above a single-car attached garage. A gabled
dormer is on the second story of the front façade. An arched window is beneath the gable peak of the
front façade, and an exterior chimney is at the north façade. This house has been minimally altered and
retains most aspects of integrity.
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