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Overview

The architectural firm of Thompson and Thompson designed this residence for James E. Galbraith, who, in 1905, served as the President and Manager of Galbraith, Bacon and Company, Incorporated, a wholesale dealer in hay, grain, plaster and concrete.

Building History

The father-and-son architectural firm of Thompson and Thompson has been credited with designing this 1904 Colonial Revival Style residence, executed for the well-to-do grain merchant, James E. Galbraith. Galbraith was a partner along with Cecil Henry Bacon, Sr., (1873-1949) in the Seattle wholesale grain firm of Galbraith, Bacon and Company. During the 1890s, they dealt in grain, hay, plaster and concrete, and owned a wharf at the end of Washington Street on Elliott Bay. In 1905 the Galbraith, Bacon and Company, Incorporated, had an office at Galbraith Dock at the foot of Madison Street, and Warehouses at Galbraith Dock and Wall Street Dock at the foot of Wall Street on the Elliott Bay shoreline. (See Polk Seattle Directory Co's Seattle City Directory, 1905, [p. 508].)

The Seattle Times published a building permit notice granted for the Galbraith House in 1904: "J.E. Galbraith, 1729 17th Ave., build 2 1/2-story frame residence, $19,000. Shannon & Middleton, contractors, Thompson & Thompson, architects." (See "Building Permits," Seattle Times, 05/02/1904, p. 7.) He was living in this house by 1905, according to Polk Seattle Directory Co's Seattle City Directory, 1905, (p. 508).

Building Notes

PCAD mistakenly attributed the design of the Galbraith House to August Tidemand (1848-1905). This was corrected on 01/17/2018.

PCAD id: 6377