The Mad Flats project set to wipe away a more than 100-year-old Victorian at 1523 E Madison went through its first round of the design review process last week. Wednesday afternoon, the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board will consider the nomination of that old Victorian as a protected Seattle landmark.
The board will consider the nomination at its meeting on Wednesday (August 21) starting at 3:30 PM in the Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Avenue, 40th Floor, Room 4060. The public is invited to attend and speak during the comment period. You can also provide your comments via email.
As we noted last week, it seems unlikely the old Victorian has a chance:
The building was constructed in c. 1893-1898 as a two-story single family residence. Original construction permit files were not available. The building appears to have been constructed as a vernacular style of the Victorian era, with some features such as a Queen Anne style window and patterned shingles, but no distinctive architectural elements identified with high-style architecture. The original house was also relatively small and most likely intended for a working class family. The earliest known owner and occupant of the house was Herbert R. Schmidt. Schmidt purchased the house in 1926 and resided there with his wife Antonia. Schmidt was a department manager for the Dagg-Derneden Co, shirt manufacturers located at 163 Jackson Street in Pioneer Square. Schmidt owned the house and resided there until at least 1966, at which time he was retired from his own Custom Shirt Shop.
The full nomination document submitted by the developer and the board’s standards for landmark designation are below.
Designation Standards
In order to be designated, the building, object, or site must be at least 25 years old and must meet at least one of the six criteria for designation outlined in the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance (SMC 25.12.350):a) It is the location of, or is associated in a significant way with, a historic event with a significant effect upon the community, City, state, or nation; or
b) It is associated in a significant way with the life of a person important in the history of the City, state, or nation; or
c) It is associated in a significant way with a significant aspect of the cultural, political, or economic heritage of the community, City, state or nation; or
d) It embodies the distinctive visible characteristics of an architectural style, or period, or a method of construction; or
e) It is an outstanding work of a designer or builder; or
f) Because of its prominence of spatial location, contrasts of siting, age, or scale, it is an easily identifiable visual feature of its neighborhood or the city and contributes to the distinctive quality or identity of such neighborhood or the City.
