Forgotten Capitol Hill Mansion Pt. 1
May 11th, 2009 @ 12:36 am by Cliffe | Sorted Historic Buildings
A Vintage Seattle Blog reader sent me a hot tip 2 weeks ago about a historic (and forgotten) 1926 North Capitol Hill Mediterranean Revival mansion he was about to start restoring. The 4 bed, 4 bath, 7000 square foot residence had been abandoned for the past 20 years. I was told that it was amazingly intact, with all fixtures, quite a bit of cosmetic damage, and that I had to see it. So that’s just what I did. Came away with so many good photos from this hidden gem that I’ve had to split it into 2 parts. Click back tomorrow for more. It’s hard to believe that this home has been sitting around abandoned for so long — right in the middle of Capitol Hill. Huge thanks to the house’s new owner for giving Vintage Seattle a tour and restoring this baby to its former glory. Click here to view Part 2 photos.
 |
 |
| 1930’s tax record. | 1930’s tax photo. |
 |
 |
| The mansion as it appears today. | The staircase as you enter the home. |
 |
 |
| Alternate angle, staircase and front door. | Close-up of intricate millwork. |
 |
 |
| Front entry light fixture. | Just off the entry, main living room. |
 |
 |
| Reading/sun room off living room. | Just about everything in this scene is original to the home. |
 |
 |
| 1920’s era light fixture. | Window detail. |
 |
 |
| Built-in bookcase and molding. | Paint peeling from wall. |
May 11th, 2009 @ 6:18 am
Why was the home abandoned for so long? I’m truly surprised that no one tried to buy it earlier what with the housing boom and all.
May 11th, 2009 @ 6:41 am
I saw this place listed last year, it was very close to a “known slide area” and had drainage and mold problems. The price was right though!
May 11th, 2009 @ 8:25 am
I always wonder about amazing-looking old houses that clearly have had no one living in them for many years. What’s the story behind it? You can check out some information on the King County Tax Parcel website, but it doesn’t give the personal story. There’s an old Victorian house in total disrepair in Cap Hill on 16th Ave. E. in between E. John and E. Harrison that I walk by every day on my way to work. I can’t believe it hasn’t been restored yet, as it is on a large lot and in a primo neighborhood. Much like this mansion featured here, I bet there is some incredible original interior fixtures inside. So sad.
May 11th, 2009 @ 8:59 am
What a fantastically ornate house! I’d be interested in hearing the back-story as well if you’re able to provide us with some. I always wonder how something such as this becomes abandoned for so long!
May 11th, 2009 @ 10:06 am
What a simply incredible house. SOO glad they are restoring what looks like a fantastic property. Love the windows, the trim work, the radiators. everything.
Fingers crossed in a couple of years you will be able to go back and see it after the restoration - or better still, you get some work in progress shots.
May 11th, 2009 @ 11:15 am
strange how the tax assessors said the building would only last 50 more years.
May 11th, 2009 @ 2:02 pm
@Colin,
I had the same-era photo (1933) shot of my first house - a little 1912 craftsman cottage in Wallingford - and the accompanying tax sheet at that time said it should last 11 more years, which means that it should have been gone by the end of Wolrd War II. We bought it in 1999, a whopping 55 years after its expiration date. It’s still being loved and lived in by our successors and has better bones than many of the apartment buildings that were put up the year we moved in.
May 12th, 2009 @ 11:50 am
Norma Desmond would be proud! It’s like some silent film star’s living quarters decades after the silent film era has passed. What a beautiful home.
May 13th, 2009 @ 6:18 am
I live across from that old Victorian on 16th between Thomas & Harrison. Four years ago it might have been salvageable but now it is just too far gone. People think it’s abandoned and it is a magnet for goths, but it is occupied and I wonder how long it will be before it is condemned, torn down, and a cookie cutter townhouse is built in its place. So sad.
May 14th, 2009 @ 10:51 am
It’s my understanding that the home on 16th (i think it’s 339?) was originally sited on Queen Anne and was moved here at some point. I could have my facts wrong but someone who has lived in my building for a looooong time seemed to know all about the place.
May 14th, 2009 @ 1:35 pm
This house would be truly great, if there wasn’t such extensive water and mold damage (not to mention the slide potential and where it’s built on the back of the lot).
$1.7 million (which is what they were asking) was too much.
I’m glad someone’s going to fix it up, and I’m glad that someone isn’t me, because I think this is gonna be like that Tom Hanks “Money Pit” movie.