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Building History

After about two years of planning, the Washington Congregational Christian Conference discarded plans by the Seattle architectural firm of Durham, Anderson and Freed to build a new 12-story, $4,000,000 highrise at 1012 University, and instead bought the existing Baldwin Apartments at 900 University for use as its Horizon House retirement facility. The Seattle Times reported on 07/06/1961: "A few weeks ago, the Washington Congregational Christian Conference took over the Baldwin Apartments at 900 University Street, renamed it Horizon House and is now converting it to a retirement home." (See Bob Tegner, "Sunset Years: Thousands of Oldsters Need Better Housing," Seattle Times, 07/06/1961, p. 3.)

During the 1960s, a controversy developed within King County and on the Seattle City Council over whether or not Horizon House and other "luxurious private retirement homes" should pay real-estate taxes. In 1963, King County took the retirement facilities Wesley Gardens, Wesley Terrace, Bayview Manor, Parkshore, Horizon House, Norse Home and Judson Park to King County Superior Court to force them to pay real-estate taxes. A Seattle Times article stated: "The county contends the homes do not qualify as homes for the aged, in that a 'donation' ranging from $7,000 to $30,000, amounts to a purchase by tenants." (See "Retirement Homes' Tax Ruling Delayed," Seattle Times, 10/10/1963, p. 19 and Alice Staples, "This Week in Real Estate: Drop Exemption? Sponsors Argue That Homes for the Aged Are Nonprofit," Seattle Times, 11/12/1965, p. 24.) In 11/1965, Superior Court Judge Eugene A. Wright ruled that these retirement homes were charitable institutions exempt from property tax obligations, but this did not stop the debate.

The Seattle Times mentioned this lingering dispute in an article of 12/14/1967: "Mrs. Harlan H. Edwards, councilwoman, who resides in Horizon House, a retirement home on First Hill, took sharp exception to comments made by council President Floyd C. Miller about non-payment of real-estate taxes by luxurious retirement homes.' Miller pointed out, during a Council Finance Committee session, that the Seattle Housing Authority has agreed to pay $18,735 in lieu of taxes on three retirement homes planned for low-income, elderly persons. Mrs. Edwars replied that new state legislation would be needed to make any such payments possible. 'I know that and those retirement homes have opposed such laws,' Miller retorted. Mrs. Edwards said that 60 per cent of the residents of Horizon House, which is sponsored by the Congregational Church, have incomes sufficiently low to qualify them for admission to Jefferson Terrace, a Seattle Housing Authority project for low-income elderly persons." (See "Council Puts Stamp on 5 Plans," Seattle Times, 12/14/1967, 6th Section, p. 71.)

Over time, Horizon House attracted a number of educated and accomplished people, some of whom donated art work to the facility, giving it a notable collection. This art collection, in later years, provided an appearance of refinement to visitors.

PCAD id: 24416