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Overview

Seattle architect Daniel Streissguth planned and constructed this two-floor, duplex house in 1960 and 1961. Beginning in 1972, he and his wife Ann began cultivating neighboring land into a notable community garden, donated to the City of Seattle in 1996.

Building History

University of Washington (UW) Professor of Architecture Daniel Streissguth (1924-2020) began building this duplex residence while a bachelor in 1960-1961, and developed its grounds further after his marriage to a neighbor, Ann Roth Pytkowicz (1932-2023), a Professor in the UW's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences since 1968. The two married shortly after her arrival in 1968 and had one child, Benjamin A. Streissguth (born 1970).

An important component of the house was the adjoining one-acre land parcel, gradually developed by the Streissguths as a garden intended to be enjoyed by the immediate neighborhood. Tbe Streissguths acquired two neighboring, undeveloped lots to the south of the stairway marking East Blaine Street. (See Lily Hansen, Capitol Hill Seattle Blog.com, "Remembering Daniel Streissguth and looking back on the growth of Capitol Hill’s family-run hillside gardens," published 12/13/2020, accessed 05/27/2025.) The garden was laid out on a steep, 50-foot slope, with the nearly 300 stairs on East Blaine making parts of the expanse accessible. Trails snaked for about 1/3rd of a mile across the terrain. A 2025 Seattle Times article said of this garden: "Streissguth Gardens, now owned by the Parks Department, is smaller than it seems, just 1 acre of fairy-tale beauty. Its rambling footpaths twist among overarching flowering trees — cherries, magnolias — that droop with blossoms in spring. But the garden is designed to be in bloom all four seasons, offering new floral delights every couple of weeks.Truly a neighborhood endeavor, the various sections, paths and landmarks are named for garden volunteers, memorable leaf piles and even local raccoons. Changes are still a constant; one of their signature trees — a large willow — has recently come down. It lies across one of the footpaths, a picturesque, moss-covered fallen giant with tentacle-like branches and roots reaching upward, waiting for its caretakers to remove it or incorporate it into the ever-evolving Eden." (See Tantri Wija, Seattle Times Pacific Northwest Magazine, "Love has bloomed for two generations at this Capitol Hill garden," published 04/28/2025, accessed 05/27/2025.)

In the foreword to the Streissguth's 2008 book, In Love with a Hillside Garden, architect Douglas Kelbaugh succinctly summarized the garden's role: "“The garden is a nimble feat of landscape design, spatial packing, erosion control, acrobatic maintenance and neighborly relations.” (See Catherine O'Donnell, UW News.edu, "Streissguth garden is all in the family," published 10/15/2009, accessed 05/27/2025.)

The Streissguth donated the garden to the City of Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation in 1996.

Building Notes

Architect's own house. The Streissguth House occupied a 5,400-square-foot lot and had 4 bedrooms and 2-and-3/4 baths in 2025.

Alteration

In 2004, an elevator addition was made to the Streissguth House and alterations were made to an existing deck and carport. (See King County Department of Assessments.gov, "Parcel Data for Parcel #948870-0125," accessed 05/27/2025.)