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.
The house at 7720 30th NW was built in 1946. There is a side sewer permit in 1940 listing H. Harrison owner and R.A. Long contractor, but that may not be associated with this property. The 1946 side sewer permit list Karl Karlson owner and John Manninen (the primary builder of Mench houses in Ballard) contractor.
The Seattle Polk's Directory does not show a resident in the house until 1948. A fisherman Carl A. & Fern I. Haugland lived in the house 1948-54. A 1954 Seattle Times ad advertises the house for sale by owner "5 room Roman brick house, full basement with furnished apartment".
William J. & Cecelia G. Couglin lived here 1955-87. He was a conductor on the Great Northern Railway. Seattle Times articles reported on their sons: in 1958 Lt. John T. Couglin was graduated from Naval Postgraduate School and assigned to the Heavy Attack Mining Squadron at Oak Harbor; in 1961 Thomas Couglin was on the honor roll at Gonzaga University. In 1965 William, 70, retired after 51 years with Great Northern RR. The Seattle Times had a long article with photo of his family joining on his last trip.
The house has had only three owners in its 70 year history: (1948-54, 6 yrs) Carl & Fern Haugland, (1955-87, 32 yrs) William & Cecelia Couglin. The current owners, Gary M. & Joan E. McDonagh, purchased the house from Cecelia's estate in 1987 (29 yrs) for $80,000.
