Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 1000 E Garfield ST E / Parcel ID 3398800075 / Inv #

Historic Name: Prosser-Hammond House Common Name: Style: Tudor - Jacobethan Neighborhood: Capitol Hill Built By: Year Built: 1909   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 by David J. Myers in 1908-09 for William F. Prosser and his wife Flora. At the time, Prosser was the City of Seattle treasurer and had previously served as vice-president of Fidelity Trust Company. Prosser died in 1911, shortly after the house was completed. The current family has owned it since 1959. It is a rambling house, highly detailed inside and out. The 1937 assessor date notes such special features as four fireplaces, hardwood floors, oak woodwork and extensive tile in the six bathrooms (a very large number at the time). There has been some reconfiguration of rooms, especially in the kitchen; at some point a three-room apartment was formed. The main rooms and exterior seems to be intact, however. This stretch of Federal Avenue is a tree-lined avenue with a fine collection of large homes designed by major local architects for some of Seattle’s leading families; several of the homes are by Carl Gould, and his own family home is nearby. The street was well located for development, as it is only one block from the Broadway/10th Avenue streetcar line and the open space of Volunteer Park and Lakeview Cemetery is nearby. Although the southern two blocks were platted as part of the 1883 Phinney’s Addition, little development occurred until the first decade of the 20th century, about the time that Volunteer Park was redesigned by the Olmsted Brothers. The landscape architecture firm continually encouraged the city to purchase the property on the west side of the park, so that it would extend all the way to the street; obviously, this was never done. David Myers had come to Seattle from Glasgow in 1889 and worked for several local firms before leaving to study architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of technology. He returned in 1905 to work with John Graham, Sr., where he was the principal designer until 1910. He then opened his own practice, becoming well known for residential, civic and religious work, as well as his work on the Bogue Commission plan for a new civic center; he was also one the faculty of the University of Washington from 1917 to 1920. During this period he shared office space with jams Schack, and in 1920 they formed a partnership with engineer Arrigo Young. This became one of the city’s most prominent firms, designing the Seattle Civic Auditorium complex, the town of Longview and numerous residences and commercial buildings. In 1929 Myers left the firm (which remained in existence until the 1990s), and returned to private practice until his death in 1936.   Appearance This 2-1/2 story Tudor Revival house combines Jacobean and Elizabethan details. It has basically a side-gabled form, with two prominent front gabled dormers. Cladding is clinker brick below the first-story windows, with stucco and half timbering above. Between the two large dormers is a small gabled dormer; all three have a pair of 8-light casement windows. Below each large dormer, on both the first and second stories, is a group of three 8-over-1 windows. Below this center gable is the gabled entry, with an ornate glass and wood door, sidelights and pendants on the gable. The house is on a corner, so the east façade, with a secondary entry, is also highly detailed. There is a small gabled dormer in the roof and a large gabled bay to the north. The entry itself has a shallow arched hood and an ornate door and a stained glass window. At the front of the lot on the south side, southwest of the house, are three garages.

Detail for 1000 E Garfield ST E / Parcel ID 3398800075 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Brick, Stucco Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Gable Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition Building Type: Domestic - Single Family Plan: Irregular Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: two & ½ Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture Integrity Changes to Original Cladding: Intact Changes to Windows: Intact Changes to Plan: Intact Major Bibliographic References Woodbridge, Sally and Roger Montgomery. A Guide to Architecture in Washington State. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1980. Calvert, Frank. Homes and Gardens of the Pacific Coast. Vol. 1, Seattle. Beaux Arts Village: Beaux Arts Society Publishers, 1913. Historic Seattle Preservation and Development Authority. "Capitol Hill: An Inventory of Buildings and Urban Design Resources."

Photo collection for 1000 E Garfield ST E / Parcel ID 3398800075 / Inv #

Photo taken Nov 17, 2005 Photo taken Nov 17, 2005