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Summary for 3540 CHEASTY BLVD / Parcel ID 1426300526 / Inv #

Historic Name: Common Name:
Style: Arts & Crafts - Craftsman Neighborhood: North Rainier Valley
Built By: Year Built: 1925
 
Significance
Construction of this building began in February of 1925 and was completed by July of 1925 at a total cost of $2500. Building owner, Karl Goerzner, also owned 3536 and 3409 Cheasty Boulevard. In 1926, Mr. Goezner added a 12’ by 18’ garage. In 1942, owner B. B. Hall added a dormer. Cheasty Boulevard South is a parkway by formal definition with emphasis on the landscaping and a curvilinear undivided roadway that is woven into the natural park-like setting. The adjacent houses and residential buildings are secondary to the integrated concept of the parkway and have little to do with its design integrity. Residences flanking Cheasty Boulevard South to either side of Anthony Place South contribute to the understanding of the development of the down slope housing area between Cheasty Boulevard South and Martin Luther King Junior Way South as low to middle income working class residences. The general massing, heights, dates of construction, setbacks and architectural style variations define these properties as a collective entity. Properties west of the boulevard on the uphill side are comparatively recent in construction dates and character and represent an intrusion of newer properties into the parkway corridor. The City’s acquisition of undeveloped greenbelt surrounding the parkway contributes to maintaining its original character. The North Rainier Valley consists of a depression created by glaciation between the ridges of Beacon Hill and Mount Baker. The valley derives its name from Mount Rainier because of stunning views of the mountain. The area’s growth followed the early streetcar line, which was completed to Columbia City in 1890. The North Rainier Valley includes the area north of Columbia City and contained many early vegetable farms. Commercial development followed along the streetcar line, with housing built nearby. During the first decades of the 20th century, the area between Massachusetts and Atlantic Streets was home to Seattle’s largest Italian enclave, “Garlic Gulch.” Dugdale Ball Park opened on the corner of Rainier Avenue and McClellan Street in 1913, and was succeeded by Sick’s Stadium in 1938. World War II precipitated a surge in housing development, including the public housing project, Rainier Vista, in 1943. Following the war, the area attracted a mix of African-Americans, Asians, and Filipinos. Today this diverse, low-to-middle income neighborhood is unique within Seattle with its long narrow form focused on the Rainier Avenue transportation corridor.
 
Appearance
Intact but unremarkable large "craftsman." Double wide shed roof dormer across second story may be addition. Central entrance, sheltered by gable roof. Tripartite windows on first story 1:1 flanking larger central fixed.

Detail for 3540 CHEASTY BLVD / Parcel ID 1426300526 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory
Classication: Building District Status:
Cladding(s): Wood - Clapboard Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured
Roof Type(s): Gable Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition
Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: Rectangular
Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: one & ½
Unit Theme(s):
Integrity
Changes to Windows: Intact
Changes to Plan: Intact
Changes to Original Cladding: Intact
Major Bibliographic References
City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records.
King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives.
Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
City of Seattle. Survey of City-Owned Historic Resources. Prepared by Cathy Wickwire, Seattle, 2001. Forms for Ravenna Park structures.
Tobin, Caroline. (2004) "North Rainier Valley Historic Context Statement."

Photo collection for 3540 CHEASTY BLVD / Parcel ID 1426300526 / Inv #


Photo taken Sep 17, 2003
App v2.0.1.0