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.
According to the King County Assessor, this craftsman house was built in 1909. From 1910 until the early seventies, this house belonged to the Holtine family. Jno and Frederika Holtine (both from Sweden) lived in the house with their seven children. Jno work as a leader in a lumber mill and is eventually listed in a city directory as a carpenter. Frederika was a homemaker and she dies in 1920. Their children include Jean, Eleanor, Elizabeth, Arthur, Linda, Maude, and Josephine. Jno becomes John Holtine at some point and he raises the children in the house.
By 1930, Jean takes over ownership and becomes the head of the household with siblings Arthur, Eleanor (now Milbourn), Josephine, and her nephew John Milbourn living in the house. Josephine worked as a packer at a candy factory and John worked as a riveter in airplane manufacturing. In 1940, Jean, Josephine and John Milbourn continue to live in the house. Jean lives there until her death in 1966. Josephine lives in the house until her death in 1971.
Mary Maduzia has owned the house since 1989.
Sources:
Polk City Directories
King County Department of Assessments
Puget Sound Regional Archives
US Census 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940
Seattle Times (9/20/1966, 2/12/1971)
