Denny Hotel & Regrade. Photo courtesy Ronald Edge.
Denny Hotel & Regrade Pt. 2
October 27th, 2011 @ 12:16 am by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure |
Once again huge thanks to Ronald Edge for sharing these fantastic Denny Hotel and Regrade photos.
Denny Hotel & Regrade. Photo courtesy Ronald Edge.
Denny Hotel & Regrade. Photo courtesy Ronald Edge.
I’m always stunned to think of the number of houses and other structures in Seattle that did not end up where they started — that is to say, where they were built. Even this little cube of boards and beams in the first picture is a not insignificant weight, and yet here these guys are in an age before computers or hydraulics, with their sleeves rolled up, going at it, engineering elaborate combinations of forces and opposite forces. If you have enough timber…
There was also a lot of house-moving associated with the construction of I-5. My walk to John Marshall Junior High went past a lot of that construction, and watching hundreds of houses being jacked up and hauled away was real entertainment. Years ago I visited a bungalow behind Queen Anne High School which was a “freeway house” that was literally winched up a bluff to its present position.
The Washington Hotel continues to intrigue me…and this photo shows so many details. Note the open windows with the curtains flying; a warm breezy summer day? I’m sure the guests enjoyed being awakened by steam shovels first thing in the morning!!
There’s one of those freeway houses in my neighborhood.. in North Kirkland! Doing a record search it was once located on the east side of 6th Ave NE just south of Green Lake, which is now freeway. They must have floated it across the lake! Seems like quite an involved move.
Colin – I’m in north Kirkland, too, and I’d love to know more details about the house.
Tomorrow I’m going to a Basics of Historical Research workshop on Bellevue College’s campus and I’m super excited to learn how to do this!
Colin,
What a coincidence: I’ve been putting together a post for my blog about the freeway going through my (current) neighborhood and I even include a 1937 photo of some houses between 5th and 6th aves NE where the freeway is now. Your info is a great little bit of additional historic info for my post.
My uncle bought a bunch of Mercer Island houses that were Eminent Domain’d for the Lacey V. Murrow (I-90) bridge and barged them up to the east shore of Whidbey Island to make a resort. An easement issue arose, he lost the legal battle, and the houses rotted there on the beach that he created for them. I saw them c. 1980. They had newspapers from 1955 fluttering around in them and trees growing up through them. I imagine there is little left of them now.
Jana & Matt,
This house is located on the east side of 100th Ave just south of Simonds Road. It’s the mustard colored house with the brown trim. While I was doing property research on older houses in my area (just for the heck of it) I discovered the 1936 property photo for this particular house (built c. 1910) was at a Seattle address. A google map search showed me that it’s original location was now southbound I-5. There was also a property photo showing the house just after the move and under reconstruction in its new spot.
Sounds like an awesome project, Matt TJ. Can’t wait to read!
Thank you, Colin!
Colin, is this house at the end of the cul-de-sac 143rd Ct? with its back to 100th? So we don’t plug up Jess’ site here with banter, please email me at: matt at copywritermatt dot com or find me through the link in my name here. I want to reference this in my post. Thanks.