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Archive for April, 2008

First Hill’s Historic Marlborough House Pt. 2

April 30th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Historic Buildings |

Thanks for checking back in for Part 2 of my Marlborough House tour — now 83 condos from Live Historic with move-in expected this summer. If you missed Part 1, check it out for exterior photos. Onward! This Gothic revival style building was constructed in 1927 and was even once home to a member of the British royal family. Designed by architect Bertram Dudley Stuart, it was one of Seattle’s first high-rise apartment buildings. If you haven’t ever seen this towering piece of history, you do need to head to First Hill and have a look. The arched windows, elaborate terra cotta, golden brick, formal entry, and sheer size are worth taking in and appreciating. Oh, and if you end up buying the 2000+ square foot penthouse with the 900 square foot terrace — please invite Vintage Seattle to the first party up there. Please? Thanks to Kate Miller and Pat Foley of Live Historic for the tour.


Stepping into the formal entry, you’ll find original marble floors and detailed millwork.	The front windows bear the original Marlborough insignia.

Living room of a first floor studio.	Dining area of said studio.

Many parts of the building are still undergoing major renovations.	These photos give a glimpse of the various updates made through the years.

The top floor penthouse will keep this original mantle.	This ducting collects from all lower floors.

Another mantle and textured walls going through renovations.	This penthouse steps out onto a 900 square foot terrace.

The terrace has some pretty amazing city views.	Once the scaffolding goes away this area will surely host some high class dinner parties.

Down in the boiler room you can find a stove that was once used to power the steam radiators throughout the building. The radiators still work.	This ground level kitchen is a work in progress.

Just inside the entry are these original mailboxes.	The building elevators.

Another kitchen area being gutted.	Each door has an original piece.

First Hill’s Historic Marlborough House Pt. 1

April 29th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Historic Buildings |

2 Comments »

A few months ago, while lamenting the loss of the Northcliffe Apartment Building, I spied construction equipment gathering around First Hill’s historic Marlborough House apartments. Come to find out, Live Historic purchased the property for a condo conversion. This was good news since my previous tours of the Queen’s Court and The Pittsburgh had revealed solid craftsmanship and sound preservation. Kate Miller and Pat Foley of Live Historic invited me out last week to walk through the current state of The Marlborough, which is now selling, and I jumped at the chance. Now for Part 1 of this feature I’ll concentrate on the condos for sale and the exterior while Part 2 has interior shots and building history. The Marlborough has now been converted into 83 condos (22 studio, 50 1BR, six 2BR, two 3BR, and two penthouses) ranging from 516 sq ft up to 2,184. You can expect to see pricing in the $225,000 to over 1 million — depending on square footage. Get a load of these exterior shots and look back tomorrow for interior shots and more on the building’s legacy. Click on the thumbnails for higher-res shots.


Vintage photograph of The Marlborough. Image courtesy Washington State Archives: Puget Sound Branch.	Similar framing today of the building. The ornate home on the right has become a parking lot.

“Marlborough House” etched in terra cotta above the main doorway.	The 1920′s Gothic revival building has many intricate architectural details.

Wide angle view of the building from across Boren.	Back of the building, with the original parking garage out of frame to the left.

Looking up at the side of this golden brick beauty.	Even the parking garage features these touches of terra cotta detail.

Trim around the front of the building.	Close-up of trim detail.

Back of the building, through the trees. Construction is expected to end in the summer.	Notice the difference in brick color due to the acid based power wash. Project managers think the brick had actually never been cleaned.

Green Lake Panorama-o-rama 1907

April 28th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure |

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What a pleasant weekend — at least in between rain showers it was. For those of you lucky enough to spend it tooling around Green Lake, I’m offering up the latest in our “Panorama-o-rama” series featuring said lake circa 1907. Look for my photos of the recently unveiled Marlborough later this week. Until then, here’s the lake. Click on the photo for higher resolution.

Green Lake, c1907. Copyright deposit; Pillsbury Picture Co.; January 7, 1907; DLC/PP-1907:43104. Image courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

Queen Anne High School Playfield 1914

April 25th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure |

8 Comments »

I was reading this UrbanAsh blog entry about 30 townhomes being proposed for the site of Queen Anne High School’s gym, and was reminded of a photo from my archives. After some digging, I found this 1914 photo showing the high school’s original playfield. If you locate QAHS on the map I had originally thought that this field might have stood to the south along 2nd/3rd and Highland. However, some VS readers in the comments think this area was too steep. The current theories are that the field was across Galer where Hay School now sits or to the east of the arrow toward 3rd/4th. Let us know in the comments if you have any more information.

Boys playing baseball on Queen Anne High School playfield, Seattle, ca. 1914. Museum of History & Industry Photograph Collection 1983.10.8918.2

Past Post: Modern Ideals

April 24th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Past Post |

5 Comments »

Anne Forestieri let me know about an upcoming lecture by Alan Hess on Googie architecture held on May 21 at the Swedish Club. Here are the details below and I’ve coupled two postcards of some modern Seattle buildings, Washington Plaza and the Norton Building. Thanks Anne, we’ll see you there.

A Second Look: Googie Architecture and the Modern Ideal
Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Docomomo WEWA presents a lecture on Googie architecture. The event will be held at 6:30 pm at the Swedish Cultural Center (1920 Dexter Ave. N., Seattle). California architecture critic Alan Hess will examine how Googie architecture successfully combined Modernism and popular culture and why it is important today. Docomomo WEWA thanks our co-sponsors for the event””360 Modern, Historic Seattle, Seattle MODERN, the Swedish Cultural Center, and the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. For tickets ($10 each) and information, visit Docomomo WEWA’s website at http://www.docomomo-wewa.org/events.php.

Front: Washington Plaza Hotel Seattle Washington. This 40-story circular toward — 96 feet in diameter — is Seattle’s newest hotel. Combined with the Benjamin Franklin Hotel, the entire complex provides a total of 715 guest rooms; an adjacent seven-story garage accommodates 415 cars. The unusual building and beautifully landscaped plaza give an entirely new concept to the downtown section of Seattle.

Front: The Norton Building. 1st and Columbia, Seattle, Wash. The new, unique 21-story office building has 200,000 square feet of office space and a 300 car parking garage. This building has the appearance of being built completely of glass and aluminum. It has complete air conditioning throughout and was built at a cost of $12 million. It has the finest elevators in the country and all elevator cars go directly to the parking area. On the top floor is the Harbor Club, a membership men’s club.

SLU’s 1114-1124 Republican Homes

April 23rd, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Historic Buildings |

3 Comments »

Jonathan Hanlon wrote in today inquiring about the four early 20th century homes on Republican St in South Lake Union. It just so happens that I’ve had my eye on these for quite some time, having been a SLU resident before. These four homes are nearly all that is left of the original Cascade Neighborhood early dwellings (there are a few others peppered around the area, but not consecutive). The Department Of Neighborhoods has a very in-depth writeup on the houses, two of which date to 1900 and the other two to 1905. One of the most striking things you’ll notice about theses homes is their sunken lots, having been victims of the Denny Regrade. The DON article also mentions that Troy Laundry workers were once housed here (see my Troy Laundry feature here — see how everything is fitting together?). Read Jonathan’s note below and my photos even lower. I promise we’ll give SLU a rest for at least a little while — it’s off to First Hill tomorrow morning for a tour of the Marlborough.

I have been enjoying your site for some time now. I especially like the reoccurring history of the house on E Jefferson. The articles and photos piqued my curiosity on a few old homes here in the Old Cascade neighborhood. There are two houses on Republican Street between Minor Ave E and Pontius Ave E between the new AMLI at 535 apartment building and an old brick apartment building. Just by looking at them, I would guess the houses have been there since at least the beginning of the 20th century, if not sooner. In front of one is a towering pine tree that I would guess was planted by Arthur Denny himself. I kid but it looks very impressive in size and stature. I am wondering if you would be able to do some history on them. It would definitely be an interesting read.

Jonathan Hanlon
Via E-Mail
4/22/08


1114-1124 Republican St homes in South Lake Union. Photographs by Jess Cliffe.	1114-1124 Republican St homes in South Lake Union.

1114-1124 Republican St homes in South Lake Union.	1114-1124 Republican St homes in South Lake Union.

1114-1124 Republican St homes in South Lake Union.	1114-1124 Republican St homes in South Lake Union.

1114-1124 Republican St homes in South Lake Union.	1114-1124 Republican St homes in South Lake Union.

1114-1124 Republican St homes in South Lake Union.	1114-1124 Republican St homes in South Lake Union.

1114-1124 Republican St homes in South Lake Union.	1114-1124 Republican St homes in South Lake Union.

Flour Your Consideration, Holly Flour

April 22nd, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Vintage Ads |

2 Comments »

As wheat and other grain prices surge upward, we can look back to a time when it wasn’t quite as pricey. Check out this early 1900′s ad for Holly Flour and the Mills of Lilly, Bogardus & Co. of Seattle. It makes me nostalgic for a time when speculators didn’t jerk our lives around so much. Give the image a click while you’re thinking of the old times.

“This is the Flour that makes the Bread that makes the Men of Alaska. Its Holly Flour that’s what it is. From the Mills of Lilly, Bogardus & Co., Seattle.” Early 1900′s advertisement.

George Carmack House Update

April 21st, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Historic Buildings |

7 Comments »

For those of you who’ve been following our features on the historic George Carmack House located at 1522 E Jefferson (see the original post here, first floor photos here, and 2nd and 3rd floor photos here), I’ve got an interesting update on it. You may remember that we were speculating in the comments about how recently someone might have lived there. I fired off an e-mail to Sabey’s Jim Harmon and he was kind enough to provide some information about the last owner of the home. Check his reply below — really interesting!

Irena Jewdoschenko lived there until her death in late 2005 or so. She has an interesting story. Word is that she was brought to the US by the Sisters of Providence as a domestic worker. Soon after she arrived, they no longer had need for her. I think it was that she was to work in the dormitory and cafeteria of the Nursing School on campus in a building located on the corner of Cherry & 18th (since torn down by the Sisters). The Nursing School had been sold or transferred to Seattle University (Seattle College back then) I think around 1950 or so. The Sisters felt badly for Irena and she stayed with them on campus living in the bell tower for several years. Eventually Irena moved out and bought the house at 1522 East Jefferson along with a number of other parcels. I got the sense that she was the proverbial millionaire next door. However, she was fairly incoherent, at least near the end. Our folks started planning on the garage that is under construction back in 2003 or 2004. They met with Irena and her attorney to see about an easement to pin our east wall into the hillside under her house through an easement (later this was approved by Irena’s estate after her death). Apparently Irena was fairly out of it in the meeting until she asked to see the plans. Our guys knew something was up when she asked for the sectional drawings (a buzz word in the biz). After asking, we came to find out that she was an engineer by trade and seemed fairly talented. She asked good, insightful questions. After the guys got through the technical stuff, she seemed to wander back to her distant self. Upon leaving, she asked if she could keep the drawings to review later. She seemed to be a savant!

For years, head of security for the campus, first as an employee for the Sisters of Providence, then after 2000, of Swedish Hospital, kept a close eye on Irena and made sure she was OK. He was one of the few people she would allow into her life. She lived in a house of squalor even more “rugged” than what you show. She was an interesting woman with an interesting life story.

Jim Harmon
Via E-Mail
3/31/08

Inside the George Carmack House, living room looking into the dining room. Photo by Jess Cliffe.

Player O The Week: Jerry Don Gleaton 1982

April 20th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Old Sport |

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Vintage Seattle Player O The Week Jerry Don Gleaton is back from the 1982 season showing us that it’s ok for major league ballplayers to go ahead and use that middle name. Jerry Don was only with the M’s from 1981-1982 and after retiring from playing in 1992 he went on to scout for the Detroit Tigers. He is currently coaching at Howard Payne University and still has the ‘stache.

Jerry Don Gleaton, Seattle Mariners, Pitcher, Topps, 1982.

Talkin’ Lake Washington Floating Bridge Blues

April 18th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure |

13 Comments »

Now that I’ve already complained about the 520 Bridge, I suppose it’s the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge’s turn (you may just call it the I-90 Bridge). Yesterday it took me an hour and a half to cross it on the way home from work. The trip is 16 miles — giving me an average rate of about 10.5 mph. Nice! Since I’m not bitter, let’s check out these vintage (undated) photos I dug up. The bridge was built in 1940, with the newer parallel span opening in 1989. Give these a click or three.

P-1190 Lake Washington Bridge — Seattle, Wn.

Lake Washington Floating Bridge — Seattle, Wn.

459 Lake Washington Pontoon Bridge — Seattle, Wash. The Only Concrete Pontoon Bridge in the World.

Profile: Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant

April 17th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Historic Buildings |

3 Comments »

Heading down Fairview Ave toward Lake Union you’ll find one of the city’s finest examples of industrial age architecture in the Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant (now Public Storage). It was designed by architect John Graham Sr and constructed in 1913. Model T’s were assembled at the plant for years and in 1932 operations moved to another location in the city. In 1998, the building was designated a City Of Seattle Landmark. The elegant simplicity of the building reminds me of what Sabey is trying to do with the new Ice House Building in Georgetown. I think that with just a few more details near the top of the building, they could be there. Is it driving anyone else nuts how close they are to a modern day classic building? Anyway, here are the photos.


The front of the Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant Complex along Fairview Ave.	The west face of the structure, built in 1913 and designed by architect John Graham Sr.

South face of the building with some old windows bricked in.	North face of the building.

Close-up showing brick still in great condition.	Close-up of North face.

The trim work on the building contrast the simplicity of the brick.	Looking up at brick and window detail.

Northwest edge of the building.	This photo is just here to show the female in the car. Nice feet!

Riding A Pimped Out Escalade In… ’62?!

April 16th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure |

6 Comments »

Now that’s urban progress! It’s not Seattle, but it’s a vintage 1962 photo showing Tacoma’s “escalades” — touted as the nation’s first publicly-owned moving sidewalks. According to this article, they led from Pacific Avenue up to Commerce and Broadway and were out of service by the early 1980′s. Every time you’re at Sea-Tac whisking by those poor chumps who decided not to take the “escalade,” thank Tacoma! Click on the image for more res.

“Escalades, the nation’s first publicly-owned moving sidewalks, typify the progress of bustling, beautiful Tacoma. The Escalades were part of a vast improvement program passed by voters in 1958, which won for Tacoma a National Public Relations Award for urban progress.” Seattle World’s Fair Official Program, 1962.

Past Post: Cherry Street 1908

April 15th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Past Post |

3 Comments »

Today’s Past Postcard has traveled 100 years to arrive at your desktop. In May of 1908 it was sent to Stow, Massachusetts showing a look down Cherry Street. Scope out the text and card.

A long time since I have sent you any postal. But I do get careless at times. I am well and having a fine trip around the world. Hope you are all well with best wishes.

Front: Cherry Street, Seattle, Washington.

Back: No. 5026 Publ. by Portland Post Card Co. Portland, Ore. and Seattle, Wash. (Made in Germany.) Postcard sent May 27, 1908.

Do You Know These Skiers?

April 14th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure |

3 Comments »

Julie Kerssen, archivist at the Seattle Municipal Archives, wrote in to let me know that they’ve just launched a Flickr site. If you love the Seattle Municipal Archives like I do, then you’ll want to check it out for the offbeat items they’re posting. Julie and her colleagues are also looking for some help in identifying the women in their Sails and Trails Club collection. Julie writes:

One of our Flickr sets is of the Sails & Trails Club. This club organized low-cost recreational outings for adult (mostly working) women in the 1930s and 1940s. We recently acquired a set of photos of club activities, but we don’t know who the women are or where they were. We’re hoping that by putting the photos “out there,” perhaps someone will recognize a mother or aunt and be able to tell us more about the photos. I’m not sure if this is appropriate for your blog or not, but if so, we’d really appreciate your help in getting the word out that the set is there and that we’re looking for help with identifications.
Sails and Trails Club Flickr Collection