Seattle Historical Sites

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 Queen Anne house was built in 1906. Victor A. Mickelson and his wife Katy of Finland owned the house by 1910 and lived there with their children Lillian, Carl, and Victor E. Victor A. worked as a carpenter. By 1920, Katy had remarried Peter Nordenberg. Peter brought his son Fred Nordenberg to the house at that time. Peter Nordenberg worked as a ship wright and carpenter in a Seattle shipyard.

In 1936, Victor E Mickelson died tragically in an overturned car and the driver Arne Ulbricksen was convicted of reckless driving; at the time he lived in the house with his wife Alice. We know Peter and Katy lived in the house at least until her death in 1947. According to the King County Assessor, Kathryn Tervonen bought the house in 1949.

Through the 1950s, there were many occupants suggesting a rental property. H and Joyce Rolls lived in the house in 1953. D. and Margaret Clifford lived in the house in 1955. Clifton D. Parks a driver lived in the house in 1956. Orvell and Alma Hester lived in the house in 1959. By 1967 William Wellein and his wife, both in their 80's, lived in the house.  

Christine Claseman has owned the property since 1999.

Sources

Polk City Directories

King County Department of Assessments

Puget Sound Regional Archives

US Census 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940

This ca. 1906 Queen Anne house is one story and has a hip roof clad in asphalt shingles. The house is clad in horizontal board siding. A dormer and a small projecting gable are located on the front façade. The dormer has two adjacent one-over-one light windows and is clad in square wood shingle siding. The small gable has eave returns, a diamond-shaped window, and patterned wood shingles on the front-facing gable end. A bay window is located below the small gable. A front porch extends from the bay window to the far end of the front façade. The porch has a low roof with wide eaves that is supported by square columns with decorative brackets. A railing with square balusters extends across the front of the porch. The porch is accessed by stairs on the left side. The front door is centrally located and is accessed from the porch. Two one-over-one light windows are located to the left of the door. A partially below-grade garage door is located below the bay window on the front façade. A short, angled concrete driveway with vertical concrete retaining walls on both sides provides access to the garage.