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Overview

In about 1910, Louis K. Lear, President of the Louis K. Lear and Company, a real estate, loan and insurance company with offices in the Green Lake Bank Building, commissioned the architect Ellsworth P. Storey (1879-1960) to design this residence that was located at that time at 802 East 72nd Street. He and his wife, Ruth H. Cooper (born c. 1884-d. 07/03/1958), resided here originally. (See "Department of Health, Death Index, 1907-1960; 1965-2014 - Ruth C. - Lear - Frank B. Cooper - Et Al," Department of Health, Death Index, 1907-1960; 1965-2014, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives, http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov, accessed 09/18/2017.) They married on 06/01/1911, and this house was built to suit them. (See "King County Marriage Records, 1855-Present - Louis K Lear - Ruth H Cooper," King County Marriage Records, 1855-Present, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives, http://digitalarchives.wa.gov, accessed 09/18/2017.)

Building History

New York-born financier Louis K. Lear (born c. 1886-d. 05/01/1950), was the son of George Washington Lear (born c. 1841-d. 07/31/1928), the President of the Green Lake State Bank in 1918. He and his wife, Ruth, moved into this new house soon after the wed, and remained here until at least 1935. By this time, they had moved to a larger, $16,000 residence at 4307 55th Avenue NE in the new Laurelhurst neighborhood. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: T627_4376; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 40-75B, accessed 09/18/2017.)

Building Notes

This small, 1.5-story bungalow contained 1300 square feet on the main floor, 600 on the upper and 1,300 in the finished basement. It occupied a 5,200-square-foot (0.12-acre) site in 2017.

Alteration

Originally, the Lear House had a much more Wrightian, Praire Style-influenced appearance, with its low, bungaloid lines and dark brown fenestration trim and courses. This brown trim, reflecting Tudor, half-timber precedents, contrasted strongly with the rest of the shingled walls, painted in a light color. Its later more monochromatic repainting, robbed the house of its original, Prairie Style character.

PCAD id: 21472