December 22, 2017

1898 Capitol Hill house up for a landmark vote

Photo from SeattleDreamHomes.com [enlarge]

A deal for the property at 1632 15th Ave. is pending to a group interested in developing housing.

Seattle's Landmarks Preservation Board on Wednesday nominated the 1898 Queen Anne style P.J. Sullivan House on Capitol Hill as a city landmark.

The vote was 6-2 to nominate the site and exterior of the house at 1632 15th Ave. The board will consider designating it a landmark on Feb. 7 at a 3:30 p.m. meeting in the City Hall Boards & Commissions Room.

Such a designation could affect a deal to sell the house that would bring over $300,000 each to two charities — Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Homeward Pet Adoption Center in Woodinville — according to Ann Thorson, who is executor of the former owner's estate.

Thorson's aunt, Elaine Constance Thorson, owned the property until her death in 2010. Ann Thorson would also benefit from the sale: She would get 52 percent of the estate, which mainly consists of the house.

The sale is pending to a group that is interested in developing six to eight residential units on the property. Marlow Harris of Windermere Real Estate/Capitol Hill listed the property and said the deal is contingent on the house not being landmarked.

Thorson told the Capitol Hill Times the offer is $2.4 million.

Seattle architect Jim Castanes, who lives near the house, asked the board to landmark it. His firm Castanes Architects, submitted the landmark nomination application, which is at http://tiny.cc/3eb7oy under “Current Nominations.”

The house was designed by Josenhans & Allan and constructed for Patrick J. Sullivan, who operated Queen City Boiler Works and later had a career in real estate, according to the application.

Josenhans & Allan is credited with Seattle landmarks that include the Marion Building at 818 Second Ave., and Lewis, Clark and Parrington halls on the University of Washington campus.