In 1907, the Mount Baker neighborhood—200 acres and 70 blocks—was deliberately planned to flaunt the views provided by its ridgetop location. Before that, the area had been considered too far from downtown, but the introduction of the streetcar in the early 1890s spurred development in the next century, making the neighborhood ideal for setting up a home. Or, in this case, 1911 side-by-side twin homes on Cascadia Avenue, so-called for its stunning views.
Twin houses—homes that look like mirror images of each other—are sometimes built because it saves on materials costs, maximizes available land, or, in more recent examples, skirts zoning legalese (see local “skybridge” homes as an example of the latter). These particular twins are special because Roy P. Ballard, son of one of the founders of the Seattle Hardware Company, had them designed and built to be used as a pair from the start—one designated for his family, one intended for his sister, Jessie May Geary, and her family. Thus, both houses have the same architect, James Schack, the same builder, R. G. VanStone, and remain attached by a shared portico between them.
Standing on the sidewalk out front, the Roy P. Ballard house that went up for sale this spring is on the right. At first glance, the Spanish-Mediterranean influence is obvious: from the stucco-clad exterior to the arched windows, decorative planters, and clay tile roof. But on closer inspection, it is actually a Foursquare in form, making this an American classic outfitted in Spanish style, predating the romantic revival boom (including Tudor and Spanish) that would hit the city a decade later.
It presents as square and boxy to the curb; instead of a full-width porch across the front, there’s an entry porch trimmed in brick off to the side, with a smattering of wrought iron details in the lighting and awning. Inside, the preserved details, like mahogany wainscotting in the entry, Greek key trim at the stairwell, and custom interior doors with arched cutouts, speak to Ballard’s relatively high construction budget—$12,000 compared to the neighborhood requirement of $2,000-$5,000 per home.
The main floor plan is circular, with wide cased doors connecting the rooms, including the dining room, living room, and a rear parlor. A pass-through door with wood inlay leads to the sunny updated kitchen featuring period-appropriate cabinets, its own eating area, and a butler’s pantry with a super-functional desk inside.
Generous arched windows surround the first floor on all sides, with the arches continuing over the exterior doors that lead to a sunroom and patio; two places to take in the home’s views of Lake Washington and the Cascades beyond. Downstairs, there’s a workout studio, a rec room complete with a fireplace, pool table (which conveys), and access to the two-car garage. The upper two floors hold five bedrooms, a large family room, and no shortage of bathrooms (as sometimes happens in historic Foursquares).
The house being more than a hundred years in the making means there’s much to discover as you move through it, starting with the primary suite, where cheery aqua tile in the bathroom perfectly syncs with the room’s fireplace surround. In the sunroom, green art glass adorns the ceiling, while striking stone shows up on the kitchen counters. And, off an unassuming bedroom upstairs, an exterior deck with a hot tub adds yet another place to enjoy the views for which the street was named.
Listing Fast Facts
2844 Cascadia Ave S
Size: 6,460 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths
List Date: 4/7/2026
List Price: $4,495,000
Listing Agents: Mark Potvin and Jeffrey Stegelman, COMPASS
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