Another Queen Anne Landmark!
Villa Costella
348 West Olympic Place
Villa Costella (formerly The Spanish Court Apartments) Built in 1929, Designed by Everett Beardsley
Photo Courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives
Here's another example of the Queen Anne Historical Society's efforts to preserve local history. The Landmarks Board and the City Council designated this marvelous apartment house a City of Seattle Landmark largely through the efforts of the society's Landmark Preservation Committee.
The Villa Costella was designated based on satisfaction of the following standards:
- It embodies the distinctive visible characteristics of the Spanish Eclectic architectural style.
- It as an outstanding work of its designer, Everett Beardsley.
- Because of its prominence, it is an easily identifiable visual feature of its neighborhood and contributes to the distinctive quality of that neighborhood.
Designation means that changes to the property must be approved by the city's Landmarks Board and that is marked with a red flag in city records so that any requests for a demolition permit get sent to the board as well. Local designation offers much more protection to the city's historic fabric than nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.
Queen Anne's Beginnings
After an exploration in December, 1852 of Smith's Cove and on to Salmon Bay, David T. & Louisa Boren Denny placed a claim on 320 acres in what is now lower Queen Anne, generally the area between today's Denny Way and Mercer St. from Elliott Bay to Lake Union. Married in January, 1853 in his brother Arthur's cabin, David built his new wife Louisa a one-room log cabin on the bluff overlooking Elliott Bay, near Denny Way and Western. Built of nearby trees without a single nail, Louisa planted Sweetbrier roses outside the front door. The roses were found still there growing wild in 1931, when they were uprooted for a new commercial building on the site.
Around 1860 the Dennys cleared an area near 2nd Ave. North and Republican Streets (now Seattle Center) for a farm, and built a new home, living in it until 1871, when they moved to a new home at Republican and Dexter.
In the spring of 1853, Thomas Mercer settled on a land donation claim just north of David & Louisa Denny, in an area roughly bounded by Lake Union on the east, Mercer St. on the south, 1st Avenue North on the west, and Highland Dr. on the north, while Dr. Henry Smith settled in 1853 in western Queen Anne in the area that came to be known as Smith's Cove, or Interbay.
The Queen Anne name is derived from the 1880's when Rev. Daniel Bagley, an early Seattle settler, asked folks jokingly if they were 'going out to Queen Anne Town?'--for by that time, many homes in the area were in the Queen Anne style. Several still exist today, more than 100 years old. Interestingly, the Reverend and his wife lived with their son Clarence, and his family, in this house located in Queen Anne.
Beginning in 1960 part of lower Queen Anne was reshaped into Century 21, the Seattle World's Fair, where you can still ride up in the Space Needle, Seattle's most recognized landmark.
We invite you to visit our site to see a glimpse of Queen Anne and its history. From our registered landmarks, the terrific views, to our cemetery--there are some great places and wonderful history to visit on Queen Anne Hill.
About the Society
The Society was formed in 1971 by the History Committee of the Queen Anne Community Council, and since that time has worked in many areas to advance its mission of preservation of the community's historic heritage. An independent non-profit organization, we maintain a community history archive and hold five meetings each year which feature programs emphasizing community and Washington history. Check out our Upcoming Events page for the latest happenings.
Click here for a thumbnail history of Queen Anne, courtesy of Historylink. Or click here  to view a short video on Queen Anne, courtesy of Historylink and the Seattle Channel.
(Advertisement 1923 Seattle Polk Directory)
|
