Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 845 Bellevue PL / Parcel ID 067600-0070 / Inv #

Historic Name: Roundcliffe, The Common Name: Roundcliffe, The Style: Tudor Neighborhood: Capitol Hill Built By: Year Built: 1925   Significance This building was constructed in 1925 by Edgar J. Rounds, a partner in a prominent local contracting firm, Rounds-Clist. Rounds died within a few years of the building's completion. The building's name, The Roundcliffe, reflects both his own name and its location near the edge of Capitol Hill, over what is now I-5. The building was of high quality, with distinctive terra cotta and an unusual v-shape to match the site. It has 32 apartments (originally 31), most with 4 to 5 rooms, originally featuring maple or oak floors, fire sprinklers, telephones and central refrigeration. There appears to be a courtyard at the rear, not visible from the street. The architects, B. Dudley Stuart and Arthur Wheatley, were responsible for several of the most prominent apartment buildings of this era, including the Bergonian (now the Mayflower Hotel), Exeter House, Marlborough Apartments and Biltmore Apartments. Their practice also included residences and a number of fraternity and sorority houses. Stuart (1885-1977) was born in London and came to Seattle from Vancouver in 1918. He worked in partnership with Arthur Wheatley from 1925-1939, the heyday of Seattle apartment development. He later worked in partnership with Robert L. Durham, until retiring at the age of 86.   Appearance This building occupies a hillside corner site, with the grade descending along each wing, which enhances the prominence of the very ornate corner entry. Cladding is multicolored brick in shades of tan and red, with a cast stone foundation and belt courses. The entry bay features three stories of terra cotta ornament with fir trees (rather unusual), shields and geometric motifs beneath a Tudor arch. Windows on the second and third floors above the entry are six-over-six-leaded glass. The recessed entryway is arched, with black marble flooring and lighter marble walls; the door is of dark oak. The gabled parapet has terra cotta medallions on the gabled parapet; the metal coping has recently been replaced. Windows are newer dark aluminum sliders, replacing the original multipaned sash. A one-story attached garage structure, of reinforced concrete, is at the rear.

Detail for 845 Bellevue PL / Parcel ID 067600-0070 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Brick Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Flat with Parapet Roof Material(s): Unknown Building Type: Domestic - Multiple Family Plan: Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: three Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture Integrity Changes to Original Cladding: Intact Changes to Plan: Intact Changes to Windows: Moderate Major Bibliographic References Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996. Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, ed. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994. King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972. City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development, Microfilm Records.

Photo collection for 845 Bellevue PL / Parcel ID 067600-0070 / Inv #

Photo taken Mar 31, 2006