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 address along with 6740 was originally the site of a Victorian style farmhouse built in 1903.
It was demolished in 1960 and replaced by a “contemporary” residence. In 1954 the property owner is listed as Ray L. Hinkleman but in 1953 this ad was in the Seattle Daily Times:
GOLD GOLD
If you invest $5000 with me you I will pay you 18% and house you for free for 14 years….after that I’ll pay you 42% the rest of your life and keep on housing you. I am a property Ray Hinkleman knows all about and endorses as gilt edged. Call him.
Hinkleman was a Ballard realtor with offices on 15th NW. The side sewer card lists owner as Jens A. Fiddan. His address in the city directory is 6743 20th NW which would have backed the site of the property. He’s listed as a constructor worker and later a Ballard Masonic member (Seattle Daily Times). He may have been the builder. Whether he occupied the house as well is unknown.
The King County Parcel Viewer shows that in 2002 Donald C. and Evelyn L. Dunn sold this property to Tamara L. Williams. In June 2015 the property sold to present owners Lisa Hayes and David Vladyka. Since Donald C. and Evelyn Dunn are shown as Ballard residents (at 2833 NW 72nd) as late as 1959 it’s possible they owned the 1961 home until 2002. He was a foreman at the Hostess Cake Kitchen which was in operation in Seattle until 2012.
