American royalty Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been here. Lipton Tea’s Sir Thomas Lipton has been here. Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Mount Everest, has been here. Well, “been here” might be underselling it, as the famous climber once owned this Tudor Revival home.    

Over the years, many important people have stepped through the grand entry, clad in Siberian oak and stained leaded glass windows. That’s all thanks to Julius and Grace Lang, who had the house built in 1910 by notable architecture firm Bebb and Mendel. Julius was a successful grocer who made a fortune during the Yukon Gold Rush, and he put some of that toward the Capitol Hill house, built at a cost of $15,250—more than triple what a typical home went for at the time. The building permit was granted for a whopping nine months, when most got just 90 days.

But it took time and money to create a house that had an opulence to match the stature of its founding family, well known for their philanthropy and community engagement. Throughout the home, the millwork is one of the stars, perhaps most evident in the foyer.

The most recent owners, who purchased the property in 2004 after it had fallen into some disrepair, took care to maintain the historic integrity while modernizing where necessary. For example, they kept single-pane windows to be true to the period in which it was built while installing systems to help the home be relatively energy-efficient, given its size. The house has been rewired, but the original fuse panels still hang on the wall, a nod to the past. Where needed, they sourced wood to match the original and brought in European artisans to do plaster work.

On the main floor, Venetian plastered ceilings add a touch of luxe, especially as a complement to the hand-painted frescoes in the dining room. This floor also includes a living room—the original fireplace has Grueby tiles—an updated kitchen with a light-filled informal space just off to the side, an intimate parlor/office, and a conservatory covered in mahogany paneling. (This was previously an open-air patio converted by the most recent owners.)

Take the grand staircase up to the next level—try not to get too distracted by the Tiffany glass windows along the way—and find the primary bedroom suite, which takes up the whole front of the house. There’s an enviable dressing room/walk-in closet situation, plus a bathroom that has a little something old (a claw-foot tub) and a little something new (heated hydronic towel racks).

Two other rooms on this floor, great candidates as offices, each have a private balcony. One of those features an eight-person hot tub with Lake Washington views.

On the top floor, there are three more bedrooms and two bathrooms, along with a family room. One of the bedrooms functions as a second primary suite. (Have fun letting the kids argue over that one.)

While the overall vibe is one of grandiosity, there are plenty of spaces throughout that feel cozy. This is true on every floor, but the basement is a prime example. Some of the standout features here include a media room, a century-old pool table, and a wine cellar that holds hundreds of bottles.  

The property encompasses 2.5 city lots, with the home centered on one lot, leaving much of the grounds as wide-open garden space. This type of landscaped sanctuary can be tough to find outside the burbs, but here, you’re less than a mile from Volunteer Park and the nearby cafes, restaurants, and nightlife Capitol Hill is known for. In the yard, an elevated (and drywalled) playhouse with its own little porch adds a note of whimsy.

Listing Fast Facts

1100 22nd Ave E
Size: 9,320 square feet, 6 bedrooms/6.5 baths
List Date: 1/10/23
List Price: $7,600,000
Listing Agents: Ted Bash and Deirdre Doyle, Windermere