Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 5501 17TH AVE / Parcel ID 8615800375 / Inv # 0

Historic Name: Thomson House Common Name: Style: Colonial - Colonial Revival Neighborhood: University Built By: Year Built: 1913   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). Based on field work conducted in October 2014, this historic property retains its relationship to the streetscape, historic building form and a sufficient amount of exterior historic building fabric (design features, cladding and/or window sash/openings) to contribute to the distinct character of the University Park neighborhood. This Colonial Revival style house with a side gable entrance is a typical house style found in the University District and throughout the United States in the 1910s through the 1930s. This house was built by Distinctive Homes Company for David and Maude Thomson. The Distinctive Homes Company built other houses in the University District, including the house at 5011 18th Avenue E. David Thomson was a University of Washington professor of Latin and also held several administrative posts at the university. He served as dean of students for academic guidance and vice-dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He is listed in "Who's Who in America," in 1950-51. Later residents included Gerald Hybeck, George Lundberg (chairman of the University of Washington Sociology Department), and Daniel Neuman, an ethno-musicologist, who was dean of the School of Music. This house was included in the inventory as an example of the Colonial Revival style located on a prominent corner site along 17th Avenue NE (formerly University Boulevard).   Appearance This two-story side gable Colonial Revival design is a common house style of its time. It has a basically symmetrical rectangular plan and other typical features of Colonial Revival style houses. The entrance porch has a gable pediment with a central arch, and two square columns on either side. The house has double-hung wood windows, with multiple panes above. Many windows have shutters. There is a one-story porch on the east elevation. The attic level windows on the east and west elevations have been replaced as have the second floor windows on the east elevation. The house has an exterior chimney on the east elevation. The cladding, which was originally wood shingles, has been replaced with a wide clapboard siding that is a fairly good match for the original shingles. There is a detached garage that matches the house adjacent to the alley.

Detail for 5501 17TH AVE / Parcel ID 8615800375 / Inv # 0

Status: Yes - Hold Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Metal - Aluminum Siding Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Gable Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: two Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture Integrity Changes to Plan: Intact Changes to Windows: Slight Changes to Original Cladding: Extensive Major Bibliographic References City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records. King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives. Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.

Photo collection for 5501 17TH AVE / Parcel ID 8615800375 / Inv # 0

Photo taken Feb 23, 2002 Photo taken Feb 12, 2015 Photo taken Oct 01, 2014