| Historic Name: |
Nichols Jr., Percival & Loyal, House |
Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Modern - International Style |
Neighborhood: |
Capitol Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1939 |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places. |
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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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In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). |
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This house is one of Seattle’s best residential examples of the International Modern style, which was seldom used locally for houses. It has been called a "picture perfect example of the International Style," except for the hipped roof. The clients for this innovative design were Percival Nichols, Jr., and his wife Loyal Treat Nichols. Nichols was the manager of his family’s business, La France Industries, manufacturers’ agents for upholstery firms. His wife was the daughter of Harry Whitney Treat, an entrepreneur and developer who, when she was born, named Loyal Heights north of Ballard for her. Later owners included Syd and Berta Thal, owners of Fox’s Gem Shop (1960s-70s).
It was designed in 1936 by Paul Thiry (1904-93), who introduced European Modernism to the Pacific Northwest in the 1930s. Thiry was born in Alaska and, in 1928, received his architecture degree from the University of Washington, where he was trained in traditional Beaux Arts architectural concepts. His early work was apartment buildings and small residences in the Colonial or French Norman styles. During the Depression a year-long trip around the world and meetings with important architects in Europe and Japan opened his eyes to other ideas. He designed his own house and a small number of others, including this one, in the Modernist style. His houses designed in partnership with Alban Shay used a softer regional variant, with sloped roofs and wood siding. During World War II, Thiry worked with other on wartime housing projects He also became active in planning issues, resigning from the Seattle Planning Commission in 1961 over plans for I-5. From 1957-62 he was principal architect for the Century 21 world’s fair, responsible for site planning and the design of the Coliseum (now KeyArena). Among his best known works are the Northeast Branch, Seattle Public Library (1953-54), The Washington State Library (1954-59 (Olympia), Mercer Island Presbyterian Church, 1960-63, and St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 1964-68. In these structures he was particularly noted for his innovative use of concrete.
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| Appearance |
| This striking house has a low pitch hipped-roof with narrow eaves and white stucco cladding. The main façade is rather stark, with double entry doors sheltered by a simple flat roof. The second story has a group of multipaned steel windows. Both corners have multipaned steel sash that extend almost the full height of the house, and wrap around the corners. A one-story wing at the east end has a tall stuccoed chimney. The rear of the house is not visible from the street, but the 1937 assessor’s photos show a glass-enclosed rounded bay projecting over the hillside, broad expanses of steel sash at the corners, and several pairs of casements and French doors. A one-story garage is at the west end. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Stucco |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Hip |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Single Family |
Plan: |
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| Structural System: |
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No. of Stories: |
two |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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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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Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
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Woodbridge, Sally and Roger Montgomery. A Guide to Architecture in Washington State. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1980.
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King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972.
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Swope, Caroline T. Classic Houses of Seattle: High Style to Vernacular 1870-1950. Portland OR: Timber Press, 2005.
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