| Historic Name: |
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Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Arts & Crafts - Craftsman, Vernacular |
Neighborhood: |
Beacon Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1929 |
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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 1929, the building was purchased by Volbrath C. and Anna Witt in March of 1932. Mr. and Mrs. Witt lived in the residence from 1932 through 1941. Mr. Witt worked as a meat packer in 1936 and a freezerman for Frye and Company by 1937. W. B. Thompson purchased the property in November of 1944 for $6000 and resided in the building through 1959. Then in April of 1961, Yoshiko Hayashi purchased the building for $13,500 and resided in the building through 1970. Joseph W. McCutchen purchased the property in March of 1972 for $16,750.
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 1929, this compact, Arts & Crafts-influenced, single-family dwelling stands on a rectangular lot. The building is oriented to Sixteenth Avenue South on a steep site 5’ above street level. This 936 square foot, single-story house with a full daylight basement features a rectangular plan, measuring 36’ by 26’, with a 10’ by 3’ recessed front stoop. A poured concrete foundation supports the wood frame, brick veneer-clad superstructure. Asphalt composition roofing covers the front facing gable roof. Overhanging eaves and gables with exposed rafters and paired purlins define the roofline. Windows consist of 1:1 windows, with a grouping of three such windows on the front facade with jack arches above all. Two direct flights of stairs lead from the sidewalk to the front stoop. Decorative supports with exposed purlins carry the stoop’s gable roof. An integrated, below-grade garage and added exterior side facade brick chimney service the building. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Brick |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Gable |
Roof Material(s): |
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| Building Type: |
Domestic - Single Family |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
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No. of Stories: |
one |
| Unit Theme(s): |
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| Integrity |
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Changes to Plan: |
Slight |
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Changes to Windows: |
Intact |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
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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