Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 153 Highland DR / Parcel ID 545730-0970 / Inv #

Historic Name: Riddle-Irwin House Common Name: Riddle House Style: Queen Anne - Shingle Neighborhood: Queen Anne Built By: Year Built: 1899   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places. In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). This house was designed in 1899 for attorney Charles A. Riddle by Edwin W. Houghton, one of Seattle's prominent early architects. Houghton received his architectural training working with his family in England. He initially came to this country to farm in Texas, but moved to Pasadena, CA, in the late 1880s to open an architectural practice. By 1889 he had come to Seattle and begun working with Charles Saunders, who had recently arrived from Pasadena. He practiced independently after 1891, becoming known chiefly as a theater designer. His best known remaining work is the Moore Theater and Hotel, which is a Seattle landmark and is listed in the National Register. The Riddle house is considered the city's finest example of the Shingle style. It was featured in the book "Homes and Gardens of the Pacific Coast, 1913," which noted the well-lighted and sunny rooms. Although the house has been slightly altered over the years, its original character remains. The interior was remodeled in 1941 by architect Otis Hancock, with further interior changes in 1980. A restoration and a small addition were done by Hoshide Williams Architects in 2000. Charles and Louise Riddle lived here until his death in 1928. Shortly afterward, the house was purchased by Dr. Lilian Irwin, an obstetrician. Dr. Irwin had been a teacher in central Oregon when she decided to go to medical school. With her husband’s support, she graduated from Cooper Medical College (later Stanford University Medical School) in San Francisco in 1898. Her sister, Dr. Ada Collison, was a pediatrician who died in 1932. Dr. Irwin was one of the very few women in Seattle maintaining a private practice; she retired after fifty years of practice in 1949. In 1953 the house was purchased by Russell and Mona Noble.   Appearance This Shingle style house is distinguished by its rounded forms, smoothly covered with wood shingles, making the cladding an organic skin. The main volume is a side gable with a two-story rounded bay on the west elevation. The entry is near the center of the main (north) façade, beneath a rounded balcony with a simple balustrade. A one-over-one double-hung window with a Queen Anne style upper sash opens onto the balcony; a small gable is above the window. Adjacent to the entry on the east is a wide bay with rounded corners, a hipped roof and tall leaded glass windows with a delicate pattern; dimaond-paned windows are on the top floor. The east elevation has three leaded casement windows with shingled sides curving in; below is a secondary entry with a simple hood and Queen Anne-style windows. The west elevation has a striking two-story rounded bay, integrated into the roofline; the bay is predominantly glass with eight transomed windows on each story. The rear (south) of the house rises 3-1/2 stories. The roof sweeps down over a full-width porch with columns; most of the windows on this side are newer, to increase enjoyment of the view.

Detail for 153 Highland DR / Parcel ID 545730-0970 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Shingle Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Gable Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition-Shingle Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: Irregular Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: two & ½ Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Health/Medicine Integrity Changes to Plan: Slight Changes to Original Cladding: Slight Changes to Windows: Slight Major Bibliographic References City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records. Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996. Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, ed. Shaping Seattle Architecture, A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994. Calvert, Frank. Homes and Gardens of the Pacific Coast. Vol. 1, Seattle. Beaux Arts Village: Beaux Arts Society Publishers, 1913. "Lilian C. Irwin, M.D., Retires after 50 Years," Seattle Times, January 2, 1949.

Photo collection for 153 Highland DR / Parcel ID 545730-0970 / Inv #

Photo taken Aug 16, 2004 Photo taken Jul 06, 2004