Classic Houses of Seattle

High Style to Vernacular, 1870–1950

Home owners, history and architecture buffs, and visitors to the Pacific Northwest will all find a treasure trove of information within these pages. With 300 photographs and illustrations, both historic and contemporary, this text provides a comprehensive overview of the city's major residential architectural styles, including Victorian, Craftsman, Tudor Revival, and Modern. The homes featured range from the showplaces of the wealthy to humble cottages and bungalows in residential neighborhoods. Beginning with a historical overview and continuing through descriptions of the 120 featured houses, organized by chronological era, this is the first-ever comprehensive guide to Seattle's historic homes. Checklists of houses by neighborhood and style make this useful for walking tours by residents and visitors alike. Anyone interested in preserving Seattle's architectural treasures will find this an essential resource. Classic Houses of Seattle is a vibrant portrait of the city's development, an important chapter in the story of American residential architecture.

See other books from The Classic Houses Series.

Media reviews of this book:

"A thorough guide to the architectural styles of Seattle's residential neighborhoods, a trove of histories of individual dwellings, and ... a welcome companion on your next stroll around town."

—Lawrence Cheek, Sunset, March 2007

"With useful lists of featured houses by style and neighborhood, this resource is both a portrait of the city and a guide to the history of residential architecture in the Northwest."

—Lawrence Kreisman, Seattle Times, March 26, 2006

"A treasure-trove of a book, packed with vintage photos of exteriors and interiors of Seattle houses, from the handsomest mansions to the humblest houseboats."

—Michael Upchurch, Seattle Times, December 9, 2005

"As much an homage to the city's past as it is a tour through its present. ... This book also functions as a resource for budding preservationists eager to save historic treasures in a city where they've often been cast aside."

—Old-House Journal, November/December 2007

"This is a book of coffee-table elegance, but for those who love old houses, it is dog-ear-doomed."

—Gordy Holt, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, July 15, 2006

Customer reviews of this book:

"Very interesting! I am interested in architectural history, and moving to Seattle."

—Marion A. from Wyckoff, New Jersey, April 17, 2007

"A real find — excellent! A wonderful reference for identifying architectural styles!"

—Robert M. from Bellingham, Washington, July 14, 2006

"An excellent addition to my real-estate-related books. Thanks!"

—Frank R. from Seattle, Washington, July 12, 2006

"Wonderful! I have always been amazed by Seattle and its superb architecture."

—Susan M. from Northridge, California, February 18, 2006

"My oh my! Wow! Excellent!"

—Daniel M. from Seattle, Washington, February 6, 2006

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An excerpt from this book:

Craftsman houses, sometimes referred to as "bungalows," are a familiar sight in the Pacific Northwest. The term "bungalow" is architecturally imprecise, since it doesn't actually refer to a style. It describes scale, and it is used to describe small, one- or one-and-a-half story houses, regardless of style. The word "bungalow" originated in India, and evolved from the Bengali word bangala, which described a one-story British colonial structure. During the 1870s, the term was used in Great Britain to describe rustic one-story houses, and for the last thirty or so years of the nineteenth century, it referred to rural weekend or summer homes ...

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