| Historic Name: |
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Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Vernacular |
Neighborhood: |
Beacon Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1948 |
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| Significance |
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Built in 1948, this duplex was designed for Standard Homes, Inc. by Seattle architect, John Mattson. Standard Homes, Inc. had offices in the Vance Building. The building cost an estimated $14,000. Mr. Mattson also designed the duplex at 3918-3920, 3820-3822, and 3924-3926 Fourteenth Avenue South for Standard Homes in 1948. Donald Harper lived in 3930 by 1955 and 3932 was vacant. By 1961, Lawrence P. Riley lived in 3930 and John P. Ermatinger lived in 3932. By 1965, Ronald E. Lutz lived in 3930 and Thomas H. Kane lived in 3932. By 1968, Donald S. Brannon lived at 3930 and Robert J. Purdy lived at 3932.
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 1948, this horizontally-emphasized, Modern style, single-family dwelling stands on a rectangular lot. The building is oriented to Fourteenth Avenue South on a sloped site below street level. This single-story house with a full daylight basement features a rectangular plan, with small recessed front stoops to each unit. A poured concrete foundation supports the wood frame, shingle and brick veneer-clad superstructure. Asphalt composition roofing covers the side gable roof. Overhanging eaves and double gables on the building’s end walls define the roofline. Wood sash 1:1 windows and multiple-lite front corner windows provide day lighting. A few steps lead to the slightly recessed entrance stoops. Two internal brick chimneys service the building. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Shingle - Concrete/Asbestos, Brick - Common Bond |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Gable |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Multiple Family |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
one |
| Unit Theme(s): |
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| Integrity |
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Changes to Windows: |
Intact |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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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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