| Historic Name: |
Beck, William W. and Louise C., Estate |
Common Name: |
Candy Cane Lane Group |
| Style: |
Tudor |
Neighborhood: |
University |
| Built By: |
Beck Builders for early houses |
Year Built: |
1930 |
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| Significance |
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The Park Home Circle area, commonly known as Candy Cane Lane, was developed later than the surrounding neighborhood, in the late 1920s and early 1930s. It is in a unique location, between NE Ravenna Boulevard and Ravenna Park, east of 20th Avenue NE, and bordered by Ravenna Park on the east as well. The property was originally the estate of Reverend William W. Beck and his wife Louise C. Beck. The Becks arrived in Seattle in 1889 and purchased 300 acres in the Ravenna area, including the future park property. This land was adjacent to the Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern Railroad line. The Becks cleared the area for a town site and held 60 acres including the stream and ravine for protection as a park. The Becks built a house in the area in 1890 and established the Seattle Female College nearby, also in 1890. The Becks operated Ravenna Park as a private park, and eventually sold the property to the city in 1911. The large Beck House on the edge of the park at the corner of 21st Avenue NE and NE 58th Street was demolished to make way for the development. Architect Carl Gould prepared a neighborhood master plan for the area in 1922 for Broussais Beck, the son of William and Louise Beck. The property appears to have been divided in 1922 or 1923. The small park at Park Home Circle was deeded to the City of Seattle in 1923 by Louise C. and W.W. Beck. Mrs. Beck died in 1928, and was living at 2128 Park Road at that time. William W. Beck lived until 1944 in a house near Woodland Park.
The earliest houses in the area date from 1923, with most houses built by 1932. The two earliest houses, constructed in 1923, are 2100 and 2116 NE Ravenna Boulevard, built by Beck Builders. Both are in a Tudor Revival style, similar to most of the houses in this neighborhood. There are also several Colonial Revival and Georgian Revival style houses.
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| Appearance |
| The Park Home addition houses are remarkably similar in style and size, but do not have the monotonous character of a post-War suburb. There are a variety of Tudor style homes, including 2012 NE Ravenna Boulevard (1929), 2016 NE Ravenna Boulevard (1928), 2100 NE Ravenna Boulevard (1923), 5607 Park Road (1929), 2110 NE Park Road (1924), 2120 NE Park Road (1929), 2128 NE Park Road (1926), 2132 Park Road (1929), 2112 Ravenna Boulevard (1931), and 2106 Ravenna Boulevard (1932). Most houses are brick or brick and stucco. Several are entirely clad in stucco, including 2100 NE Ravenna Boulevard, which is one of the earliest and most imposing, and 2128 NE Park Road, which is where the Beck family lived in 1928.
A few houses are Colonial Revival or Georgian Revival in style, including 2102 and 2109 NE Park Road and 5626 Park Home Circle.
The street layout appears to follow Carl Gould's neighborhood plan, although the houses are not exact matches for those in his drawing. The unusual street layout, with the Park Home Circle, is in keeping with residential communities designed in the 1920s. The plan takes advantage of the desirable location adjacent to Ravenna Park although the houses do not front on the park but have their back yards along the alley next to the park. This alley was the former street car right-of-way.
Most of the houses are relatively intact, with some window and cladding changes. There are a few newer houses that are somewhat intrusive. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
District |
District Status: |
INV |
| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Stucco |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Gable |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Single Family |
Plan: |
Unknown |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
Various |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Community Planning/Development |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
Slight |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Slight |
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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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Booth, T. William and William H. Wilson. Carl F. Gould, A Life in Architecture and The Arts. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1995.
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Dorpat, Paul. "The Ravenna Neighborhood," Seattle Now & Then. Seattle: Tartu Publications, 1984.
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