| Historic Name: |
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Common Name: |
Westview Apartments |
| Style: |
Vernacular |
Neighborhood: |
Beacon Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1918 |
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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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Built in 1918, these apartments were purchased by Washington Mutual Savings Bank in March of 1935. The apartments are part of the same housing project with 2529, 2505 and 2500 14th Avenue South. Raymond A. Pritchard later purchased the buildings for $150,000. In September of 1947, Earl F. Ecklund bought the buildings for $175,000, followed by Joseph Caspineto in December of 1967 for $850,000. In 1954, the apartments featured eleven units. The apartments were remodeled in 1961.
Beacon Hill is a long north-south tending ridge located southeast of downtown Seattle and stands 350 feet at its highest point. The hill’s steep topography deterred substantial Euro-American settlement through the early 1880s. Then, development of the area was stimulated by the introduction of streetcar lines in the 1890s, its proximity to Seattle’s main industrial area to the west, and the regrading of the hill’s north end in the early 1900s.
Originally acquired by the City in 1898, Jefferson Park was integrated into Seattle’s Olmsted system of parks, and the Olmsted Brothers prepared a plan for the park in 1912. The first public golf course west of the Mississippi opened at Jefferson Park in 1915. Jefferson Park has exerted a profound positive influence on the development of the Beacon Hill neighborhood.
Because of its proximity to the International District, Japanese and Chinese families moved to Beacon Hill starting in the 1920s. World War I and II stimulated a surge in housing development associated with wartime industry. The construction of Interstate 5 in the 1960s and Interstate 90 in the 1980s sliced through the neighborhoods and contributed to Beacon Hill’s relative isolation. Today, Beacon Hill is an ethnically diverse working class community, which has a mixed Asian, Chicano, African American, and Caucasian population.
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| Appearance |
| Built in 1918, this group of vernacular style multiple-family apartment buildings occupies the rectangular 2500 block along Fourteenth Avenue South. The buildings stand on a flat site at street level. The three-story buildings range in size from 1400 to 5886 square feet with full basements. The buildings feature rectangular, L-shaped and U-shaped plans, ranging in measurement from approximately 28’ by 50’ to 100’ by 100’ by 32’, with small front stoops. Poured concrete foundations support the wood frame, brick- and stucco-clad superstructures. Asphalt composition roofing covers the hip roofs. Modest eave overhangs with boxed soffits and minimal trim define the roofline. Wood sash multiple-pane windows with painted wood casings provide day lighting. A direct flight of stairs leads to each front stoop. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Brick - Roman, Stucco |
Foundation(s): |
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| Roof Type(s): |
Hip |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Multiple Family |
Plan: |
Irregular |
| Structural System: |
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No. of Stories: |
three |
| Unit Theme(s): |
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| Integrity |
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Changes to Windows: |
Extensive |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Moderate |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records.
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King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives.
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Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
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City of Seattle. Survey of City-Owned Historic Resources. Prepared by Cathy Wickwire, Seattle, 2001. Forms for Ravenna Park structures.
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Tobin, Caroline. (2004) "Beacon Hill Historic Context Statement."
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