The development of the 26 homes at Fort Lawton is a
fascinating story of history, a unique living opportunity and restoration.
These homes, which were built between 1899 and 1935, have been closed to the
public for decades, despite their location in the center of Seattle’s Discovery
Park.
They are similar to the military housing of San Francisco’s Presidio.
Buyers will have the
unique opportunity to live in the middle of a large park (think Central Park)
that has miles of trails and beach front. This is a unique and rare opportunity
to own an historic home in a very special location. Owners of these homes will
be participants in the revitalization and preservation of this important
historic Seattle neighborhood. All of the homes are on the National Register of
Historic Places.
The houses were built in the Colonial Revival Style. They
range from two bedroom homes to six bedroom estates. They feature high
ceilings, thick moldings and refinished hardwood floors, as well
as tiled
fireplaces, oversized windows, and wraparound porches. The exteriors of these
homes preserve their historic colors, styles, and architectural details (as
required of all historic structures).
The interiors have
been renovated to incorporate the amenities and luxuries expected in a distinctive
contemporary home. The homes range in size from 4,017 to 6,600 square feet. A
new two-car garage has been added behind each home. All of the homes offer
spectacular vistas of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and the acres of
protected parkland surrounding them. The homes are located in two “enclaves” –
Officers Row and Montana Circle.
The developer has done an outstanding job of preserving the
historical nature of the buildings and grounds. For example, the original
double hung windows were fully restored. They give the homes great character.
Owners will be restricted from installing different windows or from making any
other significant changes to the exterior facades. At first, I thought this was
a negative, and then
realized that single-pane windows
are a small sacrifice to make for the unique opportunity to live in one of
these homes in such a unique environment.
In 1897, local citizens and governments donated 703 acres of
land to the U.S. Army for a new artillery battery to defend Seattle and the
south Puget Sound from naval attack. The base was to be called Fort Lawton. It
was named for Major General Henry Ware Lawton (1843-1899. Lawton was a veteran
of the American Civil War, the Indian Wars, and Spanish-American War
campaigns). He was killed in action in the Philippines.
The fort opened on February 9, 1900 on a site that was
redesigned for infantry use in 1902. In 1910, landscape architect John C.
Olmstead prepared a design to include housing for officers and enlisted men.
During the Great Depression, the Army offered to sell Fort Lawton back to the
city of Seattle for the price of just one dollar. The city declined due to
maintenance concerns.
World War II changed the use of the installation again.
During the war 20,000 troops or more were stationed at the Fort at a time. More
than 1 million troops passed through Fort Lawton both before and after the war.
It was the second-largest port of embarkation for U. S. forces and material to
the Pacific Theater during the war. The facility was also used as a
prisoner-of-war camp.
The Korean Conflict brought another flurry of activity to
Fort Lawton as troops moved to and from Korea. In the late 1950s Nike
anti-aircraft missiles and Air Force radars were in use at the Fort. In 1968,
the post was rejected for proposed defense upgrades. A few years later (1972)
the Army
transferred 534 acres back to the city, which was dedicated as
Discovery Park in 1973.
In 2005, the fort was
included in the Base Realignment and Closure list for that year. Fort Lawton
officially closed on September 14, 2011. The remainder of the fort property
(except the military cemetery) was transferred to the City of Seattle in 2012.
You can learn more about the history of Fort Lawton on
Wikipedia [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Lawton ]
If you are interested in owning one of the unique Homes of
Fort Lawton, please give me a call. It would be a privilege to show you one of
these homes.
