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Identify the architectural style of my house?

deprogramdeprogram
edited April 2010 in Seattle Real Estate
Greetings fellow bubble-heads. We closed on our first home last week. It's this lovely brick house, constructed just after WWII (1945, actually).

DSC_1195.JPG

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2100+ square feet for under 200k, and it's quite original and unmolested (i.e. it's also in somewhat rough condition), so I am very happy.

My question is: can anyone identify the architectural style? I'd love to know more about the property and be able to describe it more precisely, but it doesn't fit any of the categories I'm familiar with.

Thanks in advance :)

Comments

  • The_TimThe_Tim
    My wife says based on the two photos you provided, her guess is that it's mostly inspired by the Queen Anne Victorian style, maybe with a little of "cottage" mixed in.

    Queen Anne Victorian
    QueenAnne.jpg

    Cottage
    cotswold002edit.jpg
  • MarkorMarkor
    Try an image search on "brick tudor". Looks similar to me.
  • deejayohdeejayoh
    I would call it a brick tudor bungalow- but the date of construction throws me off. That style was most in vogue as a style of construction in the late 20's (at least in seattle). I've looked at a bunch of them and they all seem to have been built in 1928-1930

    most look more like these (note date of construction)
    http://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/4014-C ... ome/488746
    http://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/2421-N ... ome/306905

    In any case it is definitely an unusual style for 1945. Most WWII-era homes were very bare bones (short eaves, no style) due to material + manpower shortages.
  • The_TimThe_Tim
    deejayoh wrote:
    http://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/2421-N-75th-St-98103/home/306905
    Funny coincidence that you picked that house as a random example.

    That house has been chasing the market down since early 2008. I recognized it immediately as the one in the background and some of the walking shots from my April 2008 appearance on Evening Magazine.

    greenlake-brick.jpg

    How sad for them.
  • deejayohdeejayoh
    that is funny. you are right that it was totally random. I knew a few neighborhoods had a lot of tudors so just clicked a few redfin listings and came up with that one.

    I note that they are almost back to 2003 pricing. that has got to hurt

    Mar 30, 2010 Listed $499,950 -- NWMLS #47890
    Dec 08, 2008 Delisted -- -- Inactive NWMLS #4
    Oct 06, 2008 Price Changed -- -- Inactive NWMLS #4
    Sep 18, 2008 Listed -- -- Inactive NWMLS #4
    Sep 16, 2008 Delisted -- -- Inactive NWMLS #3
    Jul 01, 2008 Listed -- -- Inactive NWMLS #3
    Jul 01, 2008 Delisted -- -- Inactive NWMLS #2
    May 12, 2008 Price Changed -- -- Inactive NWMLS #2
    Mar 07, 2008 Listed -- -- Inactive NWMLS #2
    Dec 01, 2005 Sold (Public Records) $650,000 14.1%/yr Public Records
    Oct 25, 2005 Delisted * -- Inactive NWMLS #1
    Oct 20, 2005 Listed * -- Inactive NWMLS #1
    Sep 26, 2003 Sold (Public Records) $487,000 8.6%/yr Public Records
    Feb 10, 1995 Sold (Public Records) $238,800 -- Public Records
  • tomtomtomtom
    deejayoh wrote:
    I note that they are almost back to 2003 pricing. that has got to hurt
    Maybe not.

    At some point, they subdivided the lot and crammed two townhomes in the backyard. Those sold for about a half million apiece.
  • deejayohdeejayoh
    tomtom wrote:
    deejayoh wrote:
    I note that they are almost back to 2003 pricing. that has got to hurt
    Maybe not.

    At some point, they subdivided the lot and crammed two townhomes in the backyard. Those sold for about a half million apiece.

    Ah - good catch. So fresh they aren't even under construction in the satellite photos. I was wondering about the tiny lot size!
  • davidlosh@davidlosh.comdavidlosh@davidlosh.com
    I don't think so.
  • EconEEconE
    The Tim wrote:
    deejayoh wrote:
    http://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/2421-N-75th-St-98103/home/306905
    Funny coincidence that you picked that house as a random example.

    That house has been chasing the market down since early 2008. I recognized it immediately as the one in the background and some of the walking shots from my April 2008 appearance on Evening Magazine.

    greenlake-brick.jpg

    How sad for them.

    I actually went to an open house there a couple years ago.

    Let's just say I wouldn't even want to rent that thing in the event of an earthquake.
  • anforowiczanforowicz
    EconE wrote:
    Let's just say I wouldn't even want to rent that thing in the event of an earthquake.

    Why? Is it becase it is built out of bricks, instead of out of plywood/sticks (or whatever the modern building materials are called - non-native spearker here, sorry)? The house got built in 1931 and must have survived quite a few earthquakes. (I am assumming that you are talking about http://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/2421-N ... ome/306905)
  • BillEBillE
    Building materials that will bend or flex (like wood) are more likely to survive an earthquake than materials that don't bend or flex (like brick). The kind of ground the building sits on can play a big part in how well that building survives too. Solid ground=less moving and flexing. Unconsolidated ground=more moving and flexing.
  • The_TimThe_Tim
    The Tim wrote:
    That house has been chasing the market down since early 2008. I recognized it immediately as the one in the background and some of the walking shots from my April 2008 appearance on Evening Magazine.

    greenlake-brick.jpg
    Hey, did one of you go out and make an offer on that place this weekend? I notice that it's now listed as pending!
  • deprogramdeprogram
    davidlosh@davidlosh.com wrote:
    I don't think so.

    You don't think what?

    Thanks for the input everyone, I appreciate it. It's definitely the only house of it's kind in the neighborhood, which is mostly Craftsman and smaller cottages.

    I am well aware of the risks associated with brick in an earthquake. The (soaring, beautiful, dangerous) chimney is the largest concern to me, so some bracing is going to be in order. The foundation is reinforced concrete, with reinforced concrete bearing walls. It's in very good structural condition despite a lot of deferred maintenance by the immediately previous owner. Bear in mind that all interior load-bearing walls are either wood or concrete.

    Multi-story brick apartment buildings are another story. My friend lives in this place in Capitol Hill that I'm not sure I'd even want to spend the night in. All it needs is a good shove...
  • EconEEconE
    I think brick homes are beautiful. My fear of earthquakes just happens to trump my appreciation of brick homes. That's all.
  • wreckingbullwreckingbull
    Does anyone know if you can get earthquake insurance on a brick home in Seattle? I was able to get it on my old stick-built place, with a $20K deductible, but I seem to recall it was not easy and was a bit pricey.
  • deprogramdeprogram
    Well, I'm going to at least try. I'm not in Seattle (Pierce County) but we have a fault line running past us as well.

    At least we're out of the reach of lahar and tsunami. Yeesh.
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