Blackstone Apartments
| Blackstone Apartments | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Apartment |
| Architectural style | Classic Revival |
| Location | Capitol Hill |
| Address | 222 Summit Ave E |
| Town or city | Seattle, WA |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 47°37′13″N 122°19′30″W / 47.620386°N 122.325008°W |
| Completed | 1927 |
| Client | J.S. Long |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Wood Frame |
| Floor count | 4 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | J.S. Long |
| Main contractor | Long Building Company |
The Blackstone Apartments are located at 222 Summit Ave East in the
History
The Area
In the early 20th century, Capitol Hill was one of the wealthier areas of Seattle. It has since been transformed into a hip, urban area for young professionals; it is known as the gay village in Seattle. The Blackstone Apartments are one of the few pre-World War II complexes remaining in Capitol Hill; post-WWII apartments differed greatly in this area. These newer complexes looked consistent, but with their large windows and courtyards, privacy was lost; they no longer reflected the luxurious apartments which Capitol Hill had once been known for.[5] The Blackstone, however, which also had large windows, had been built with a raised first floor to prevent passersby from peering into the private lives lived inside the units.
1920s Seattle Architecture
The 1920s in Seattle saw a change in the style of popular architecture. Inspired by the newness of the country, Seattle architects had expressed freedom in their architectural creations.
The Vernacular
The early 20th century became a difficult time for architectural identification; no longer could a building be designated as vernacular architecture (folk culture) or as elite architecture (designed by an architect), but rather something in the middle.[9] To contribute to the confusion of identification, most commercial, industrial, and residential buildings in Seattle at this time were designed not by architects but by builders.[10] Because of this, these buildings are often considered to be the best representations of a new kind of architecture in Seattle: popular - vernacular - high-style.[11] The Blackstone Apartments, a residential building designed by a builder and built for the middle to upper class, is a great example of this popular – vernacular – high-style architecture of the pre-WWII era in Seattle.
Stock Market Crash
Immediately after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, some people believed that real estate would be a safer investment than stocks, and many people began to purchase apartment complexes; real estate saw a peak that year in prices, before they began falling as the Great Depression took hold in the country.[12] These investments were particularly popular the weeks preceding the crash in Seattle; only a few weeks after the crash, the Blackstone Apartments became "the largest deal of the kind," selling for $140,000 to John J. Freeley for Mrs. Ada Parfitt.[13] The next closest apartment sale in the Seattle area was for the Rosemont Apartments for $56,000.[14]
Architect/Owner
Not much is known about the complex's designer and original owner, J.S. Long. He was a designer for the Long Building Company, particularly of their
J. S. Long is Stanley Long, as Stanley's obituary on the HistoryLink article regarding him reads "...he leaves wife Blanche". The 1923 Seattle directory shows that J. S. was married to Blanche. There is no listing for a Stanley, and only J. S. is listed as owner in directories.
References
- ^ "Long to Erect Another Building." The Seattle Daily Times, April 24, 1927, Sunday Morning Edition: 2.
- ^ John Caldbrick, [1] "Long, Stanley (1883-1959)," Historylink.org
- ^ Thomas G. Fay, "Crash in Stocks Turns Investors to Apartments." The Seattle Daily Times, December 1, 1929, Sunday Morning Edition: 26. And Classified Ads, "Rental Reservations Now Being Made in the New Blackstone Apartments." The Seattle Daily Times, August 28, 1927, Sunday Morning Edition: 30.
- ^ Thomas G. Fay, "Crash in Stocks Turns Investors to Apartments." The Seattle Daily Times, December 1, 1929, Sunday Morning Edition: 26.
- ^ Victor Steinbrueck. Seattle Cityscape. (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1962), 73.
- ^ Victor Steinbrueck. A Guide to Seattle Architecture: 1850-1953. (New York: Reinhold Publishing Corporation, 1953), 18.
- ^ Jeffrey Karl Ochsner (editor) Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994), xxix.
- ^ Jeffrey Karl Ochsner (editor) Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994), xxix.
- ^ Alexa Berlow and Gail Dubrow. "Vernacular and Popular Architecture in Seattle" in Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994), 282.
- ^ Alexa Berlow and Gail Dubrow. "Vernacular and Popular Architecture in Seattle" in Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994), 284.
- ^ Alexa Berlow and Gail Dubrow. "Vernacular and Popular Architecture in Seattle" in Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994), 284.
- ^ Tom Nicholas and Anna Scherbina. "Real Estate Prices During the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression." (January 29, 2010), 2.
- ^ Thomas G. Fay. "Crash in Stocks Turns Investors to Apartments." The Seattle Daily Times, December 1, 1929, Sunday Morning Edition: 26.
- ^ Thomas G. Fay. "Crash in Stocks Turns Investors to Apartments." The Seattle Daily Times, December 1, 1929, Sunday Morning Edition: 26.
- ^ "A Story of Home-Making." The Craftsman, May 1916
- ^ "The "Ashmore", 424 Oliver Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota"