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 craftsman house was built in 1907 with a pre-annexation of 307 E Baker Street. It's original owners appear to be Anna and Martin Farhey who lived in the house from 1907-1928. The house was designed to serve as a duplex and they seem to rent the other half of the house at different points throughout their ownership. Martin worked as a laborer and eventually as a gardener and was originally from Holland. Anna was born in Germany.
Other occupants included William A Duncan who lived in the house in 1910; William worked in real estate as a salesman at EB Cox Investment Company. Fred and Florence Sovala lived there in 1915; Fred worked as an iron worker at the time. John and Nellie Berrey lived in the house in 1916. From 1918-1919, two sisters, Christina and Regina Katzer, rented at the house; Regina worked as a forewoman at the Crescent Manufacturing Company, a spice and flavoring company, and Christina worked as a packer at an unknown company. In 1920, Hazel Martin who worked as a cashier rented space in the house. In 1921, Lawrence and Frances O'Bringer and Joseph and Frances Keiffer lived in the house; Joe worked as a furniture finisher. John and Ellen Lannan lived in the house in 1922; John served in the United States Army at the time.
Mary Verhey lived in the house from at least 1929 with her niece Vella Becker, and Mary married John Murphy in 1930. They lived there together until at least 1939. In 1934 Evelyn Johnson rented a room in the house and worked as a saleswoman. Marie Fifer lived in the house in 1940.
In 1954 Robert and Rose Holtman lived in the house. Margaret Fox lived there from 1956-1958 and married Gene Herbert; Fox worked as a stenographer and Herbert worked at Fox Shoe Repair. In 1959, Bruce and Vonda Lambert lived in the house; Bruce worked as an expeditor at Boeing. In 1960, Eugene and Gaylia Chicoine and Frank and Linda Day lived in the house. Eugune Chicoine worked for the United States Navy.
By 1992, Nazek Aboulhosen owned the house. Todd and Sarah Stine took over ownership in 1993 and remodeled the house from a duplex to a single family home in 2000. They sold the house that same year to John Scruggs and Sue Salget who have owned it until the present.
Sources
Polk City Directories
Seattle City Permits
King County Department of Assessments
Puget Sound Regional Archives
US Census 1910, 1920, and 1930
