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Overview

This residence at 5269 17th Avenue NE had notable Mission Revival styling, making it relatively distinctive in the Seattle area. It occupied a corner lot on a grand boulevard, 17th Avenue NE, its median planted with horse chestnut trees that created a wide canopy of shade on both sides of the street. This boulevard was lined with large houses, some occupied by faculty members at the nearby University of Washington, others by students as shared housing.

In 2018, the boulevard was one of the grandest neighborhoods in Seattle, although the area was plagued by periodic criminal activity at night.

Building History

Charles and Anna Fletcher and their family lived at 5269 "University Boulevard" (now known as "17th Avenue NE") between at least 1914 and 1919. A son, Private Charles N. Fletcher died in combat during World War I, one of 396 King and Kitsap County men killed in the conflict. (See "369 Seattle Service Men on Honor Roll," Seattle Sunday Times, 11/02/1919, p. 35.)

A decade later the Conkling family dwelled at this address. A note in the Seattle Daily Times of 09/19/1929 said: "Mrs. Idelle M. Conkling and her daughter, Josephine, have returned after an absence of twelve months, six of which were spent in European travel, four in Florida and two in eastern cities. They returned by motor and are at the Hotel Gowman until their home at 5269 17th Ave. N.E. is ready." (See "Personal Mention," Seattle Daily Times, 09/19/1929 p. 21.)

By 1938, Mrs. M.D. Chapman lived at this address. (See "Goodwill Industries," Seattle Sunday Times, 01/02/1938, section 3, p. 8 [p. 37].)

Building Notes

In the early 20th century, the Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm planned a series of parkways to connect the major parks of Seattle. Between at least 1909 and 1919, 17h Avenue NE, was known also as "University Boulevard." It served as a link in a majestic, continuous parkway that connected Green Lake, down Ravenna Boulevard, south through the Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition grounds (and the rest of the University of Washington campus), to the boulevard through Washington Park (later the UW Arboretum) and south to Lake Washington Boulevard. Lake Washington Boulevard, in turn, linked up with Seward Park. A western branch led up to Mount Baker Boulevard to Jefferson Boulevard and Jefferson Park.

According to the King County Assessor, the house at 5269 17th Avenue NE, contained approximately 3,000 net square feet of space, including 260 square feet of finished basement space. In gross square footage, the house had about 3,890 square feet. It occupied a 5,076-square-foot (0.12-acre) lot. As configured in 2018, it had seven bedrooms and three baths, and was owned by Marilyn J. Giess. A stylistically-consistent, detached, one-car garage stood on the property's northwestern corner.

According to the assessor, the house and land had a value of approximately $1,166,000 in 2018, up from $689,000 in 2011.