Preservation in Progress

Historic Seattle’s Blog

Pioneer Houses

Historic Seattle’s Role:

In 1975, two of the city’s oldest houses were threatened with demolition. They were small, carpenter-built, vertical plank, wooden houses, typical of the late 1800s. (For more information on vertical plank construction, download Of Small Means: Vertical Plank Dwellings around Puget Sound and King County, a report by Katheryn Krafft.) The houses sat on land in the International District that was coveted by the management of an adjacent bank. The bank offered to donate the houses and help cover the cost of moving the structures if Historic Seattle could manage their relocation. After a search for an appropriate site in their original neighborhood was unsuccessful, Historic Seattle moved the houses to the newly created Ballard Avenue Landmark District in 1976, where they were compatible with early Ballard dwellings. After relocation, the exteriors were restored and the interiors remodeled for adaptive reuse as professional offices.

Current and Future Uses:

The property was sold with a preservation easement requiring the owner to maintain the exterior appearance of the houses. The houses are now brought to life by San Fermo, an Italian trattoria.

 

Satterlee House

Historic Seattle’s Role:

A Seattle Landmark designated in 1981, the Satterlee House represents West Seattle’s last remaining original turn of the 20th century “Seattle classic box” homes with expansive front lawn. In 2000, Historic Seattle was granted a preservation easement for the “purpose of preserving historic, architectural, aesthetic, visual, spatial and scenic values of the property in perpetuity including without limitation the current exterior appearance, materials and structure of the building, improvements to the building and site on which it is located and the view of the property from the street.”

Current and Future Uses:

The Satterlee House remains a single family residence.

 

Photo: Julianne Johnson for Historic Seattle

Stimson-Green Mansion

Historic Seattle’s Role:

Completed in 1901, this English Tudor-style mansion designed by Spokane architect Kirtland Cutter was built for lumberman and real estate developer C.D. Stimson. Historic Seattle purchased Stimson-Green Mansion from the Joshua and Missy Green estate on July 14, 1975, saving the home from an unpredictable future in a neighborhood quickly redeveloping with large institutional buildings and high-rise apartments. After stabilizing the condition of the building, Historic Seattle sold the property in December 1977 with a protective easement. The facade easement protects the main house, carriage house, and grounds from demolition and inappropriate alteration. The interior easement protects the inside of the house by limiting remodeling to the upper floors only.

The Stimson-Green mansion was designated a Seattle Landmark in 1977. The property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Current and Future Uses:

On September 1, 2001, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation became the newest owner of the Stimson-Green Mansion through a generous gift from Priscilla Bullitt Collins. In gifting the property to the Trust, she left a legacy of continued good stewardship of the property and gave the state-wide preservation organization a permanent headquarters.

 

Photo: Crystal Rojas Mora for the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation

Ward House

Historic Seattle’s Role:

The 1882 house, built for building contractor George Ward, is one of Seattle’s oldest extant buildings. Originally situated at 1025 Pike Street and then rotated so that the front faced Boren Avenue (1427 Boren Avenue), the deteriorated building was slated for demolition. In 1986, Historic Seattle facilitated the relocation of the house to its present site (520 E. Denny Way) and its conversion into professional offices. Historic Seattle holds a preservation easement on the property.

The Ward House was designated a Seattle Landmark in 1976 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Current and Future Uses:

The property is privately owned and continues to function as professional offices. Historic Seattle maintains the easement.

 

Photo: Jennifer Tucker