Seattle.gov Home Page
Link to Seattle Department of Neighborhoods home page

Seattle Historical Sites

New Search

Summary for 8319 21ST AVE / Parcel ID 602150-0270 / Inv # 0

Historic Name: Common Name:
Style: Modern Neighborhood: Crown Hill/Ballard
Built By: Year Built: 1951
 
Significance




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.













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.









This home was listed in an Open House in the Seattle Daily Times on July 18, 1965 on a 80x100 lot for $28,500, boasting a finished rec room and two-car garage. It says Minch (sp) built. (But Earl Mench died in 1948 and this house was built in 1951). It had been advertised at the same price in 1956, claiming “most interesting house in Loyal Heights.” Likewise in 1954 a For Sale by Owner (at $29,500) expresses willingness to trade for something smaller.





Since 1998 the home has been owned by Harald and Susan Haugen. Previous owners were Howard and Elma Nelson, who’d lived at 2849 NW 67th and then the Seaboard Building on Westlake Ave in 1960.







 
Appearance




PLAT: NELSON H E ADD



PLat Block: 2



Plat Lot: 12-13







Constructed in 1951, this single-family home has a slight L shape, is single story, is clad with Roman brick







with wood accents, and has a very slightly pitched front-gabled roof. There is a large attached two car







garage on the south side of the house. Although the house is largely obscured by foliage, clerestory windows are







evident beneath the gable peak and the entry is generally centered within the front façade. A brick interior chimney







rises above the roof line. This house appears to retain a high degree of integrity.

Detail for 8319 21ST AVE / Parcel ID 602150-0270 / Inv # 0

Status:
Classication: Building District Status:
Cladding(s): Brick, Wood Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured
Roof Type(s): Gable Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition-Rolled
Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: L-Shape
Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: one
Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture
Integrity
: Intact
Major Bibliographic References

Photo collection for 8319 21ST AVE / Parcel ID 602150-0270 / Inv # 0


Photo taken Feb 01, 2016

Photo taken Feb 01, 2016

Photo taken Jan 01, 1900
App v2.0.1.0