Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 5412 21st AVE / Parcel ID 2218000400 / Inv # UD097

Historic Name: Wahl House Common Name: Style: Arts & Crafts - Craftsman Neighborhood: University Built By: Year Built: 1914   Significance This unusual Arts and Crafts style residence was built for the Wahl family in 1914. It has a whimsical, original character with its stucco and half timbering and bungalow form. This house was owned by the Wahl family for many years and Bertina Wahl lived here until the late 1930s. It was the home of noted Seattle artist Faye Jones and Robert Jones in the 1960s and 1970s. This house was included in the inventory because of its distinctive Arts & Crafts style and for its association with artist Faye Jones. It has been altered quite extensively, particularly on the east elevation.   Appearance This one-story house with a daylight basement has a Craftsman bungalow form and is clad with stucco and half-timbering. There is an entry porch on the north elevation with a brick base and massive square columns clad in clinker brick. The porch slope is almost flat in contrast to the steeper, but still relatively low-angled, main gable roof. The main gable roof has a bellcast curve. There are decorative brackets and wide eaves. The row of casement leaded-glass windows on the west elevation is distinctive and appears to be original. One window on the south elevation has been covered. Skylights have been added on the north side of the roof. Although the west elevation is unchanged, a deck and new windows have been added on the east elevation, probably in the 1960s. On the east elevation, there is a deck at the main level, and a daylight basement below (possibly an enclosed porch). There is a detached one-car garage buil in 1927. An accessory dwelling unit was added in the 1990s (possibly located in the garage). The tall fence and unusual entry gate on the driveway are new and show a Japanese influence. The fence makes it difficult to see the house from the street.

Detail for 5412 21st AVE / Parcel ID 2218000400 / Inv # UD097

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Stucco 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: one Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Arts Integrity Changes to Plan: Slight Changes to Windows: Slight Changes to Original Cladding: Intact 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 5412 21st AVE / Parcel ID 2218000400 / Inv # UD097

Photo taken May 03, 2002