Victorian Apartments facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Victorian Apartments
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Looking southeast
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 Location in Seattle WA Downtown
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| Location | 1234-1238 S. King St., Seattle, Washington |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1891 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian, Vernacular Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001864 |
| Added to NRHP | December 18, 1990 |
The Victorian Apartments, also known as the Victorian Row Apartments, is a special old building in Seattle, Washington. It is located at 1234-1238 S. King Street. This building is important because it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. This means it's recognized as a significant historical place in the United States.
Contents
History of the Victorian Apartments
Building a New Home in Seattle
The Victorian Apartments building was built in 1891. It stood at the corner of what was then 12th Street and Weller Street. The building was designed in a style called Late Victorian. It offered homes for families in a busy part of Seattle.
Seattle was growing very fast back then. Its population jumped from 10,000 people in the mid-1880s to 42,000 by 1890. More people meant a need for more places to live.
Moving a Whole Building
In 1907, a big project started in the Jackson Street area. Workers wanted to make the streets flatter. This would make it easier to get to the downtown area. Many buildings in the area were torn down.
But the Victorian Apartments building was saved! In 1908, it was carefully moved to its current spot. This was just outside the area where the streets were being flattened.
Becoming a Landmark
At first, the building didn't have a name. People started calling it the Victorian Apartments because of its unique design. In 1979, it became a special City of Seattle Landmark. It was officially named the Victorian Row Apartments.
On December 18, 1990, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is the only building of its kind from before 1900 in Seattle that still looks like it did when it was built.
What the Building Looks Like
Victorian Style Details
The Victorian Apartments building shows a simple version of the Late Victorian style. It was built to be nicer than some other apartments in the area. The building is shaped like a rectangle. It is about 60 feet wide and 113 feet long. It has two stories.
The front of the building, which faces west, is the most interesting part. It has six square windows that stick out from the wall. These windows go up both stories. There are also three porches that stick out. Each porch has a pointed roof called a gable roof. These roofs are covered with special shingles that look like fish scales. The porches also have fancy wooden decorations and turned posts.
Bringing the Building Back to Life
Saving a Historic Place
By the 1980s, the building was getting old and needed repairs. In 1990, a group called Historic Seattle stepped in. They work to save old buildings. With some help from government money, they fixed up the building.
They turned the building into 14 homes that people could afford. Today, Historic Seattle owns and runs the building. Another group, Bellwether Housing, helps manage it. This way, the historic Victorian Row Apartments can continue to provide homes for people.
