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.
According to the online King County Assessor’s Report and the Property Record Card, this house was built in 1903. It is located in Graff’s Salmon Bay Addition to Ballard (1890), Block 26, Lots 1,2, & 3.
The house was built on Ferry [now 25th] St. at the corner of Sloop [now 70th], and the first entry in the 1904 Ballard City Directory shows Robert J. Meehan, a carpenter and perhaps the builder, living there. Robert Meehan bought lots 1 and 2 from Mary E. Burgess, and lot 3 from Julius Jasperson, a Danish real estate agent, in Nov. 1904 and sold all three lots to Julius Jasperson’s wife Susie in July 1905. The Jaspersons lived in the home in 1906 and 1907 [then as 243 Ferry Ave].
Julius Jasperson came to Ballard in 1899 and was in the real estate business. Jasperson was also Secretary for the Ballard Board of Library Trustees that obtained the Ballard Carnegie Library, and he fought against annexation to Seattle. He claimed that Seattle filled up the boarding houses to turn the vote in favor of annexation.
In 1914, John Schwender (1861–1920), a laborer for the electric railroad, and his wife Louisa (1872–1953) lived at 6755 25th Ave. NW. Several members of the family remained in the home through at least 1975 when Walter H. Schwender was listed there as retired.
In 1985, Mark Freedman and Jocelyn Brubeck owned and lived in the home.
In 1994, Thos. Neilsen owned and lived in the home, but also rented portions of the upper and lower house. Richard Clasen & Linda Leah, the current owners, as of May 2016, purchased the home in 1997 from James L. Guard, and continued renting apartments in the upper and lower levels of the home. There were two tenants listed in 2005 and six tenants in 2015.
