| Historic Name: |
none |
Common Name: |
Gypsy |
| Style: |
Commercial |
Neighborhood: |
Central Area |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1925 |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. |
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This small brick store is one of the most intact of those that developed along East Madison Street in the 1920s. Madison Street is the only direct connection from downtown to Lake Washington, having been put through in 1865 by John McGilvra, who owned what is now Madison Park. After he built one of the city's first cable car lines, the shore became a popular place for outings, with a bandstand and promenade. In 1917, with construction of the Chittenden Locks in Ballard, the water level of the lake fell, leaving a broad beach behind. The park was turned over to the city Parks Department in 1922. Until the construction of the first Lake Washington floating bridge in the 1930s, this was the major gateway from the Eastside to Seattle; the ferry to Kirkland ran until the early 1950s. With the park and ferry terminal, a thriving business district developed during the 1920s. A smaller district developed farther to the west, where this store is. For most of its history it has housed a barber and a beauty shop.
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| Appearance |
| This small building is distinguished by its broad arched transoms. It is largely intact, although the original tile bulkhead has been stuccoed over and it is currently half-covered with vines. It has a gabled parapet with pilasters at the corner, piercing the cornice line. Cladding is brick, with stucco on the minor elevations, replacing the original clapboard. The two recessed entries adjoin each other in the center of the front (east) elevation. Each has its original wood-and-glass door. |
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