Photo: Courtesy Rob Ketcherside
William D. Hofius Residence, 1902
First Hill
Architect: Spalding and Umbrecht
This First Hill mansion is actually a simple Four Square box in plan, but with an elaborate Venetian Gothic portico grafted onto it. Originally built for a local steel- and heavy-equipment entrepreneur, it now serves as the Roman Catholic archbishop’s residence.
Photo: Courtesy Rob Ketcherside
William D. Hofius Residence, 1902
First Hill
Architect: Spalding and Umbrecht
This First Hill mansion is actually a simple Four Square box in plan, but with an elaborate Venetian Gothic portico grafted onto it. Originally built for a local steel- and heavy-equipment entrepreneur, it now serves as the Roman Catholic archbishop’s residence.
Photo: Courtesy Joe Mabel
Eliza Ferry Leary Residence, 1905
Capitol Hill
Architect: Alfred Bodley
This mansion, now used as the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia headquarters, borrows eclectically from grand English country estates and for good measure shows off a bit of the Tudor-imitation half-timbering so popular in early-twentieth-century Seattle. The house was commissioned by John Leary, a lawyer, businessman, and Seattle mayor, but Leary died while it was under construction. His widow, Eliza Ferry Leary, completed it and lived in it until 1935.
Photo: Courtesy Joe Mabel
Eliza Ferry Leary Residence, 1905
Capitol Hill
Architect: Alfred Bodley
This mansion, now used as the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia headquarters, borrows eclectically from grand English country estates and for good measure shows off a bit of the Tudor-imitation half-timbering so popular in early-twentieth-century Seattle. The house was commissioned by John Leary, a lawyer, businessman, and Seattle mayor, but Leary died while it was under construction. His widow, Eliza Ferry Leary, completed it and lived in it until 1935.
Photo: Courtesy Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
Satterlee Residence, 1906
West Seattle
Designated a landmark by the city Landmarks Preservation Board in 1981, the Satterlee House is the only surviving original “Seattle Box” in West Seattle. Its profuse ornamentation, such as the gracefully curved brackets supporting the corner window extrusions, establish a clicking visual rhythm that qualifies it as one of the most distinctive houses of its time.
Photo: Courtesy Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
Satterlee Residence, 1906
West Seattle
Designated a landmark by the city Landmarks Preservation Board in 1981, the Satterlee House is the only surviving original “Seattle Box” in West Seattle. Its profuse ornamentation, such as the gracefully curved brackets supporting the corner window extrusions, establish a clicking visual rhythm that qualifies it as one of the most distinctive houses of its time.
Photo: Courtesy Lawrence W. Cheek
Edgar H. Bucklin Residence, 1908
Capitol Hill
Architect: Frederick Sexton
This Capitol Hill house is basically Colonial Revival, but its grab bag of historical details—a Renaissance Palladian window, a forest of classical columns with Greek Ionic capitals, an unusual wraparound porch, and a swag-and-wreath garland circling the second story like a belt—show how delightfully impure American architecture always has been.
Photo: Courtesy Lawrence W. Cheek
Edgar H. Bucklin Residence, 1908
Capitol Hill
Architect: Frederick Sexton
This Capitol Hill house is basically Colonial Revival, but its grab bag of historical details—a Renaissance Palladian window, a forest of classical columns with Greek Ionic capitals, an unusual wraparound porch, and a swag-and-wreath garland circling the second story like a belt—show how delightfully impure American architecture always has been.
Photo credit: Joe Mabel
Handschy/Kistler Residence, 1909
Queen Anne
Architects: Andrew Willatzen and Barry Byrne
The architects apprenticed under Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park, Illinois, where the Prairie School emerged in radical opposition to the late Victorian and eclectic revival styles dominant at the time. This house’s restrained decoration and long, horizontal profile under enormous sheltering eaves give it a Prairie flavor. It’s difficult to believe it’s more than a century old even now; it would have looked stunningly modern in its Queen Anne neighborhood in 1909.
Photo credit: Joe Mabel
Handschy/Kistler Residence, 1909
Queen Anne
Architects: Andrew Willatzen and Barry Byrne
The architects apprenticed under Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park, Illinois, where the Prairie School emerged in radical opposition to the late Victorian and eclectic revival styles dominant at the time. This house’s restrained decoration and long, horizontal profile under enormous sheltering eaves give it a Prairie flavor. It’s difficult to believe it’s more than a century old even now; it would have looked stunningly modern in its Queen Anne neighborhood in 1909.
Photo: Courtesy Lawrence W. Cheek
Oak Manor, 1929
Capitol Hill
Developer: Frederick Anhalt
Frederick Anhalt was a salesman and developer with no architectural training, but the Capitol Hill apartment buildings his company built in the late 1920s are rightly cherished for their picturesque character and high-quality, individualistic detailing. The smallest of Anhalt’s buildings is also his best, the Norman Revival–style Oak Manor. The six units enjoy such details as inlaid mahogany entry doors and forged brass keyhole lids. In a rare tribute to a developer, the Seattle AIA in 1993 recognized Anhalt as an honorary member.
Photo: Courtesy Lawrence W. Cheek
Oak Manor, 1929
Capitol Hill
Developer: Frederick Anhalt
Frederick Anhalt was a salesman and developer with no architectural training, but the Capitol Hill apartment buildings his company built in the late 1920s are rightly cherished for their picturesque character and high-quality, individualistic detailing. The smallest of Anhalt’s buildings is also his best, the Norman Revival–style Oak Manor. The six units enjoy such details as inlaid mahogany entry doors and forged brass keyhole lids. In a rare tribute to a developer, the Seattle AIA in 1993 recognized Anhalt as an honorary member.
Photo: By Francis Zera
Brandes Residence, 1952
Sammamish
Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
Ray Brandes, a Seattle building contractor, wrote to Wright in 1951 asking for a design for “a simple unaffected servant-less life.” Wright responded with this, another variation on his middle-class “Usonian” house concept. Although only 1,600 square feet, the house still feels remarkably spacious, light filled, and connected to the outdoors.
Photo: By Francis Zera
Brandes Residence, 1952
Sammamish
Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
Ray Brandes, a Seattle building contractor, wrote to Wright in 1951 asking for a design for “a simple unaffected servant-less life.” Wright responded with this, another variation on his middle-class “Usonian” house concept. Although only 1,600 square feet, the house still feels remarkably spacious, light filled, and connected to the outdoors.
Photo: Courtesy Lawrence W. Cheek
Milton Stricker Residence, 1968
Mount Baker
Milton Stricker, Architect
Architecture buffs who stumble across this Colman Park–area residence may think they’ve discovered an unknown Frank Lloyd Wright, but no: Stricker apprenticed with Wright in 1951, then established a practice in Seattle. The best of his houses, certainly including this one, blend Wright’s geometric drama and sympathetic responses to site with a self-effacing serenity that sometimes eluded his teacher. Stricker died in 2008.
Photo: Courtesy Lawrence W. Cheek
Milton Stricker Residence, 1968
Mount Baker
Milton Stricker, Architect
Architecture buffs who stumble across this Colman Park–area residence may think they’ve discovered an unknown Frank Lloyd Wright, but no: Stricker apprenticed with Wright in 1951, then established a practice in Seattle. The best of his houses, certainly including this one, blend Wright’s geometric drama and sympathetic responses to site with a self-effacing serenity that sometimes eluded his teacher. Stricker died in 2008.
Victor Steinbrueck Residence, 1952
First Hill
Architect: Victor Steinbrueck
This modest house on First Hill won a Seattle AIA Honor Award, the local organization’s highest honor, in 1952—especially remarkable since the architect’s son, Peter Steinbrueck, recalls that it was designed to “an extremely low budget.” The inspiration was clearly the International Style of Mies van der Rohe, minus the expensive materials and detailing that van der Rohe’s clients could afford.
Victor Steinbrueck Residence, 1952
First Hill
Architect: Victor Steinbrueck
This modest house on First Hill won a Seattle AIA Honor Award, the local organization’s highest honor, in 1952—especially remarkable since the architect’s son, Peter Steinbrueck, recalls that it was designed to “an extremely low budget.” The inspiration was clearly the International Style of Mies van der Rohe, minus the expensive materials and detailing that van der Rohe’s clients could afford.
Photo: Courtesy Yonatan Kelib
Bill and Melinda Gates Residence
Medina
Architect: Cutler Anderson Architects and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects
The Gateses’ celebrated yet secluded compound is surely the apotheosis of the Northwest Contemporary style, employing stone, timber, and earth-covered structures to achieve a remarkable unity with its Lake Washington shore site. A description and some detail photos of the project, identified only as “Residential Compound,” are on Bohlin Cywinski Jackson ’s website.
Photo: Courtesy Yonatan Kelib
Bill and Melinda Gates Residence
Medina
Architect: Cutler Anderson Architects and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects
The Gateses’ celebrated yet secluded compound is surely the apotheosis of the Northwest Contemporary style, employing stone, timber, and earth-covered structures to achieve a remarkable unity with its Lake Washington shore site. A description and some detail photos of the project, identified only as “Residential Compound,” are on Bohlin Cywinski Jackson ’s website.
Seattle Met invited a panel of experts to nominate the 10 greatest houses of Seattle. While there was much agreement, there were plenty of diverging opinions as well. Here are 10 more fine homes that almost made the cut.
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