| Historic Name: |
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Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Colonial, Italian - Italianate |
Neighborhood: |
Crown Hill/Ballard |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1923 |
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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.
This Italianate home built in 1923 was first owned by Seattle tailor & dry goods merchant Charles
Halverson. He had a department store in Ballard, and in fact there is or was a Charles Halverson
Building at NW Market and Ballard Ave NW. The home was listed as the address of his former wife
Julia when she died in 1974, although she may not have lived there for all that time.
The 1930 census shows J Halvorsen, divorced female age 45, a saleslady in dry goods, born in
MN, parents born in Sweden, owner & sole occupant, house worth
$10,000. However the 1940 census lists an Emily Halverson, a divorced female age 52 [sister of
Charles??], born in Norway, as owner and sole occupant, house worth $4500. That entry says that
Emily lived at that same address as of 4/1/35, and that she is the owner of a department store.
The house is currently owned by the Dale W Hoech Living Trust.
References--all include this address unless otherwise noted
--Side Sewer Card #2998, owner C Halvorson
--Seattle Times (ST) 6/18/24 p26 item--divorce requested by Charles Halverson, Ballard dry goods
merchant, from Mrs Julia A Halverson (no address)
--ST 8/16/25 p8 Charles Halverson, 5402 22nd Ave NW, made a member of Tailors' Guild
--ST 1/31/29 p13 newspaper ad refers to "Charles Halverson, [store] 5449 Ballard Avenue"
--1930 Federal Census
--ST items 10/27/38 p34, 11/10/38 p28, 1/30/39 p2, 2/1/39 p11, 6/11/39 p11--a fine against Mrs
Julia Halverson ("a widow" in one item) for her barking dog
--1940 Federal Census
--ST 9/9/62 p37 reference to purchase of the Charles Halverson bldg @ NW Market & Ballard
Ave NW, Halverson "now in California"
--ST 7/16/72 p60 and 7/23/72 p60, ads for house for sale, see snapshots 1 & 2
--ST 5/24/74 death notice for Julia A Halverson age 96 on May 19
--ST 4/24/77 p87 For Sale ad, see snapshot #3
--King County Assessor (see snapshot #4)--sales history: Date -- Seller --
Buyer -- Price -- Instrument -- Sale Reason
4/29/86 From Joseph A Hausmann, To Joseph A Hausmann, $0, Quit Claim Deed, Settlement
11/1/07 From John A Herrin, To John Arthur Herrin Revocable Living Trust, $0,
Quit Claim Deed, Trust
12/19/13 From Dale W Hoech Trustee of John A Herrin -RLT, To Dale W & Barbara A Hoech,
$0, Quit Claim Deed, Trust
12/19/13 From Dale W & Barbara A Hoech, To Dale W Hoech Living Trust, $0, Warranty Deed,
Trust
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.
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| Appearance |
PLAT: TREATS H W LOYAL HEIGHTS DIV # 2 W 123 FT OF N 2/3
PLat Block: 1
Plat Lot: 16
Constructed in 1923, this two-story single-family Italianate-style house is rectangular in plan, sits on a
concrete foundation, is clad with brick veneer, and has an asphalt-clad pyramidal roof with boxed eaves.
Set high off the street, this house includes a projecting hipped roof entry vestibule with brick piers and
concrete capped wing walls and pedestals. Fenestration includes a triad of double-hung wood sash
windows to the left of the entry vestibule and centered along the second story of the front façade.
There is an enclosed porch at the rear of the house, and a deck on the south end. A driveway and garage
that dates to 1923 are also on the property.
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