VintageSeattle.org

I recently had the pleasure of touring a home that just went on the market and you may recognize from the Classic Houses of Seattle book. This 1895 Victorian is located in the Eastlake area at 2819 Franklin Ave just blocks from the shores of Lake Union. There is so much to share with this particular property, so I’ve divided the feature up into two parts. Part two is posted right here — featuring the modern day views of the home. Where to begin? Let’s start with the history of the residence. The lot for this home was purchased in 1891 by Bidmead and Annie Wright, who wanted to build a grand mansion. However, after falling into financial difficulties, they sold the property to Charles Owings in 1898. Over the course of the next few years, Mr. Owings finished the house off with a kitchen, second floor bedroom, a back stairway, and partial basement. The home was then sold in 1906 to the Saylor Family who started the Canterbury Candy Co. in the home’s kitchen. In 1923, the property was purchased by Adson and Cora Robinson along with their four children. Mrs. Cora Robinson was an architect who practiced in the Seattle area and even designed the sun porch addition to the home’s kitchen (now part of the kitchen itself). It is also known that the Denny family (who owned a mansion just a block away) helped build the driveway on Hamlin Street. After living there until 1961, the Robinson’s sold the home to Ed Shanley who rented the home out. The property was purchased by a developer in 1977 who wanted to demolish the house and build a six-unit apartment — sad to say that some things never change. Luckily, the property was nominated for historic status by the community and sold for $70,000 to Anne Fisher and Lynn Howell (who run an interior design office in the house). The home was granted historic status by the City of Seattle in 1983. Here we are in 2007 with this historic home up for sale and poised for a new owner. Without a doubt, this home is a true Seattle treasure. I want to thank Anne Fisher for sharing the home’s rich history with me as well as Larry Wilcynski and Edward Krigsman of ek Real Estate Group for making this possible. Let’s have a look at some images of the home and its owners from years past. Again, be sure to check out Part 2 of this feature, where we analyze the home as it currently stands. Click on the thumbnails for higher-res images.

The Robinson home in 1928 with the neighbor’s garage on the left. The metal funnel on the chimney was used to control downdraft.	A view of the neighborhood in 1907. 2819 Franklin is in the middle of the photo with the ornate Denny Mansion just below it. I-5 now stands where the large trees were.
The home once again in 1928. Notice the lack of vegetation. This then-small tree now almost obscures the whole home from the street.	1930’s tax photo of the home. See the full form presented below.
The Robinson Family moved into this house because of its proximity to the University of Washington. Pictured are Dorothy, Cora, and Elizabeth Robinson.	Dorothy skipping rope in 1923. The family moved into the home when she was 8 years old.
Cora Robinson in front of the basement door of the house. This same door is still in use today.	Elizabeth Robinson relaxing in front of the home.
Tax document from 1932. The future life of the structure was listed as just 19 more years.	A rare snowfall blankets the home in 1980. You can see that some architectural elements are missing but were later reconstructed.
Lynn Howell in front of the property in 1990.	Anne Fisher on the front porch of the home, also in 1990. Anne ran her interior design company from the house.

RSS 2.0 Feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.