Built in 1915 in the craftsman style, the main building at 1929 10th Avenue West was originally a single-family dwelling.
A good quality craftsman, it features solid braces to the roof overhang and continuous, 28-foot old growth floor joists. Typically of the style, it is slightly reminiscent of a German hunting lodge, but with random classical features, such as the columns and braces on the front porch. The influence is subtle, but the period's love of Japanese woodcrafting can also be seen in the shingle skirt flipped up like a temple roof where the upper-story meets the lower. In the 1984 redesign, the heavy lattice in the gates and between the columns attempts to underline this Japanese influence. Japanese maples planted in the front court strengthen the impression.
Street front, 1929.
Once a Dairy Farm. The two buildings next to the main house, the Barn to the west and the next-door house to the south were once a dairy farm. The much-remodelled and expanded farmhouse next door was built about 1892 and the Barn, which once contained cows and hay, was built about 1895. These were two of the first buildings on the west side of Queen Anne Hill. In the second decade of the 20th century, the farm family built next door what is now the main house at 1929 for their children.
Conversion to Apartments. In the 1950s, the main house was split into two apartments. There was a common door, and an open stairway up and sliding pocket doors into the 1st floor apartment. In front, a little lawn rolled down to the sidewalk. The Barn was, at that time, a shambles. Sometime in the '20s, the barn had had a wall knocked out, a heavy floor laid, and was used as a garage. By the 1950s, it was used for storage and as a workshop.
Today 1929 is a 3-plex, with two units in the front building, the Upper and Lower apartments, and one at the back of the property, the Barn. Owned by one family since 1983, renovation of the main house began on the Upper Apartment a month after purchase. It had been remodeled substantially a bit before that point, and its design was a nice amalgam of old and new. Its fixtures were replaced, some custom counters added, a walk-in closet added to the bedroom and the attic loft wholly finished. A real find on Queen Anne, the Upper features a huge, unimpeded view of Elliott Bay, Magnolia and the Olympics from two floors!
Back of the house, showing the
Lower's new stone-clad deck.
Starting in 1985, work began to renovate the Lower Apartment. Unlike the upper unit, the lower survived almost complete in its original style. The design decision was made to fully renovate the Lower Apartment to bring it up to modern standards, but to take all pains to make it appear as though nothing had been done. Today, the Lower Apartment is well matched in style to that of the main house, yet is comfortable and economical. Outside, the front yard was leveled and made a fenced, outdoor area for the Upper Apartment, while in back, a private area was created for the Lower Apartment.
Ongoing Work. 1929 10th Avenue West has been kept fresh and modern to this day -- in fact, its currently in the final phase of an update that includes a one-of-a-kind exterior paint design by master painter Phil Sprang. On the top story, each shingle is hand-painted -- four coats for each! As a young man, Phil pioneered the "San Francisco style" in house painting, and one of his creations can be found on the cover of Painted Ladies, which documents its finest examples. The Lower Unit has a new, redesigned outdoor area featuring a new, solid, stone-surfaced deck with a framed view to the west and surrounded by greenery and planting areas. 1929 10th Avenue West continues to be tremendously comfortable and energy efficient for its vintage, and very popular with its tenants.
