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Summary for 8904 Aurora AVE / Parcel ID 099300056 / Inv # AU002

Historic Name: White Stone Tavern Common Name: Traveler's II
Style: Roadside Neighborhood: Aurora-Licton
Built By: Year Built: 1933
 
Significance
This is one of the very few buildings remaining from the early days of Aurora Avenue North's period as the major highway through north King County. In the 1920s-30s Aurora became part of the nationwide highway development phenomenon, one section in the Pacific Highway from Canada to Mexico. The completion in 1932 of the bridge over the Lake Washington Ship Canal increased automobile traffic on Aurora led to the construction of numerous restaurants, motels, taverns and other places of entertainment. These not only served travelers, but were for those from throughout the county who could more easily travel some distance for entertainment, with their own cars and better roads. Another factor was that until the 1950s this area was in unincorporated King County, a few blocks north of the Seattle city limits at 85th Street, so taverns and dance halls could develop free from city regulations. The building is also significant for its construction, with the main façade clad entirely in river rock. While river rock is often seen in chimneys or other small portions of Craftsman-style houses, its use as a cladding material is rare in Seattle.
 
Appearance
This tavern looks like two attached bungalows with front-facing gable roofs. Each side has a center entry door, each flanked by a fixed pane window with a wide wood surround. The main façade is entirely clad in river rock, with clapboard on the other elevations. The building is in largely original condition, with slight modernization of the windows. A river rock arch to the south, through which cars could enter parking lot, is now gone. The rocks may have been painted white earlier, but now appear brighter because the mortar is also white.

Detail for 8904 Aurora AVE / Parcel ID 099300056 / Inv # AU002

Status: Yes - Inventory
Classication: Building District Status:
Cladding(s): Stone Foundation(s): Concrete - Block
Roof Type(s): Gable Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition
Building Type: Commercial/Trade - Restaurant Plan: Rectangular
Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: one
Unit Theme(s): Entertainment/Recreation, Transportation
Integrity
Changes to Plan: Slight
Changes to Windows: Slight
Changes to Original Cladding: Intact
Major Bibliographic References
King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives.
Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
Sheridan, Mimi and Carol Tobin. Licton Springs History, 2001.

Photo collection for 8904 Aurora AVE / Parcel ID 099300056 / Inv # AU002


Photo taken Nov 17, 2001
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