| Historic Name: |
Walker, Wesley, Residence |
Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Queen Anne - Shingle |
Neighborhood: |
Capitol Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1908 |
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| Significance |
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Little is known about the history of this quite intact cottage, a simple variant of the Queen Anne style that was popular at the end of the 19th century. It is very similar to others in the neighborhood, so they may have been built by a builder, using a pattern book design to construct houses on speculation, going on to build a second house after selling the first one. It was built in 1908; Wesley Walker purchased the house either at that time or a few years later. This area was one of the first parts of Capitol Hill to develop, encouraged by easy access and small lots suitable for affordable housing for working and middle class homeowners. Early streetcar service to this vicinity began with the Union Trunk Line in 1891, with improved service in 1901 with the Seattle Electric Company’s City Park Line providing direct service down Pike Street to downtown. To improve water service, the city built the Lincoln Reservoir near Denny Way and 11th Avenue East in 1901, adding a playground (now called Cal Anderson Park) in 1907. The 1902 opening of the city’s first high school, Broadway High School at Broadway and East Pine Street, engendered further development as well. Soon Broadway was a thriving commercial district, and more single family homes, apartment buildings, churches and other institutions followed.
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| Appearance |
| This house has a cross-gabled roof, with clapboard cladding, a wood water table, rustic siding on the foundation and a wide belt course beneath the eaves. The recessed entry porch is at the northwest corner, flanked by two turned columns that support a simple pediment. To the side is a three-sided bay with leaded glass in the upper section of the center window. pattern, often found in the Queen Anne style. The key feature is the front gable end, clad with shingles laid in several decorative patterns. The upper part projects out to be even with the eaves; it has a narrow vent sheltered by a triangular shingled element. Below this, in the recessed portion, is a pair of 1-over-1 double-hung windows that project out in a V shape; they are flanked by two round windows. A pent roof is at the bottom of the gable end. The side gable ends are similar but simpler, with two ordinary 1-over-1 windows. |
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