The Greenwood-Phinney Historical Society is trying to find the oldest house in the neighborhood, but they need your help. You could even win a prize!
We do have houses built before 1906. Perhaps we still have a few houses that were built before 1900? Hint: if you find a construction date of 1900 in King County Tax Records keep digging! The house might actually be older than that. Building permits will give you a more accurate construction date.
Houses must be within the Phinney-Greenwood neighborhood (50th to 105th Streets, Aurora to 8th Avenue NW) but contest entrants need not live within the neighborhood. The house does not need to be yours! You can enter any house that you feel might be the oldest! More than one entry per person is acceptable.
If you find a likely contestant, take a photo and send copies of your documents identifying the construction date of the house to: GPHS Oldest House Contest, c/o Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103.
The winning entry will be determined by oldest construction or building permit date of all entries received. Entries must be received by Jan. 15, 2010. The winner receives a copy of “Seattle’s Greenwood-Phinney Neighborhood” signed by author Ted Pedersen and breakfast for two at Mae’s Phinney Ridge Café.
Here’s some info from the Historical Society to get you started:
Where can I find a photo of my older home?
Puget Sound Regional Archives has a collection of King County property record cards beginning in 1937 and kept current to 1972. These cards generally contain tax assessments, a photograph from 1937, approximate construction date, building use, small sketch of the footprint of the building, and some floor plan diagrams. For more information, call the archives at 425-564-3940. Email: archives@bcc.ctc.edu. To access this information you will need the tax identification number of the house or the legal description.
How can I find out the previous owners and the remodeling history of my Seattle house?
Contact the Department of Planning and Development for their Building Permit History files. Most of this information is available on microfiche. The office is at 710 Second Avenue, Seattle WA 98104. 206-684-8850.
Where can I find the tax records for my home?
King County Tax Records are on-line for all homes currently standing. Dates older than 1900 are not always accurate due to the millennium computer glitch. If your home has a tax record date of 1900, but may be older, you will want to research further. A building permit may be a better gauge of your home’s construction date. King County Parcel Viewer is where you’ll want to go on the internet.
What about more information about previous owners?
The Polk Directories would be a great start. Take a look at the archival Polk Directories at the downtown Seattle library reference section. These will tell you the names of who lived at your home in years past.
What about even more information about previous owners?
Stay at the downtown library and look up Census information! Now that you have the names you can learn the number of family members living in the house and also what the head of household did for a living.
10 responses so far ↓
1 Neighbor // Nov 17, 2009 at 1:09 pm
In the headline, the apostrophe in front of “hood” should face the other way.
2 heh // Nov 17, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Is breakfast at Mae’s really a prize?
3 christy // Nov 17, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Tax records often date your house OLDER than it is. I have neighbors (including next door with an identical house to mine) whose tax records say 1900; our street didn’t even exist in 1900. You should double check with Sanborn fire maps to see if your house is there during a certain year. Those are available through the library’s website-you can find the link under local history maps here:
http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=collection_db_list&dbPage=9#Maps%20(Local%20History)
4 Shiny // Nov 17, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Let’s play a game of spot the incorrect apostrophe!
1) “““’““““““““““““““““““ ( 5 pts)
2) “““““““““““““““““““’““ (10 pts)
3) “““““““““““’““““““““““ (15 pts)
4) “““““““““““““““““““’““ (20 pts)
5) “““““`’“““““““““““““““` (25 pts)
Highest score wins: Breakfast for two at Mae’s.
Lowest score wins: Breakfast for four at Mae’s.
5 SM // Nov 18, 2009 at 9:16 am
I’ve been told my house dates back to the 1890′s, but haven’t been able to find anything beyond the tax records that state 1920. It’s one of the original farm houses just north of 85th (87th & inbetween 6th & 8th) and is actually backwards because it was built long before the street (87th) existed. Anyone have any ideas where to start looking? I’ve tried a few times in the past with no luck, perhaps because it’s North of 85th in which once was unincorporated king county? I don’t know, but would love to find some history!
6 Greg Lange // Nov 18, 2009 at 9:33 am
I always recommend that construction dates listed in the King County Assessor’s property records be confirmed, especially for buildings constructed prior to 1930. Apparently the Assessor estimated the construction dates on some buildings. To give you a sense of their accuracy, I researched over 60 houses in Fremont constructed prior to 1910 and found that approximately one third of the construction dates listed in the Assessors records are accurate, one third are off by 1-2 years and one third are over 3 years off. A handful of construction dates provided in the Assessors records are as much as 15-20 years off.
Another issue is that when Y2K happened the on line Assessor’s property records (parcel viewer) converted all the 1899 and earlier construction dates to 1900.
When I am researching a building constructed in Seattle I attempt to verify the construction date using at least two sources. The main resources I use are the following:
Building Permits located at the City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development Microfilm Library desk located in the Seattle Municipal Tower, 20th floor.
Seattle Baist Real Estate Atlas editions issued in 1905, 1908, 1912. The maps show building footprints. Located at the Seattle Public Library, Downtown Branch and University of Washington Library, Special Collections.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps issued in 1884, 1888, 1893, 1904/05, 1917, 1929. Much more detailed building footprints than the Baist maps. Located on microfilm at Seattle Public Library, Downtown Branch and UW Library, Newspapers and Microforms.
King County Assessor Assessment Rolls range from 1891-1941. Approximately every fifth year was saved and are held at the Puget Sound Regional Archives. They are organized by legal description and will provide the property owner and assessed valuation of any buildings and other improvements on the property. These records help establish construction dates within a five year period.
RL Polk & Company Seattle Directories (1889-1996) were issued annually (almost). Once I establish the earliest Assessment Roll that includes an assessment of improvements for a specific property, I look up that owner to establish the earliest date he/she occupied the residence (if owner occupied).
Let me know if you have any further questions.
Greg Lange
Puget Sound Regional Archives
Bellevue, WA
(425) 564-3942
PS The online version of the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps can only be accessed at the library.
7 SM // Nov 18, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Thanks for the tips Greg! Now if I can just create some extra time in the day to research this…hmm
8 christy // Nov 18, 2009 at 5:33 pm
You actually can see the Sanborn maps online, as long as you have a library card.
9 anotherneighbor // Nov 20, 2009 at 2:32 am
Thanks for the tips Greg!
10 Neighbor // Feb 8, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Thanks, Greg. Interesting contest. I am sure people will find great stories about this neighborhood while “digging.”
By the way, the first comment is not me; it is someone impersonating me!
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