Category Archives: Balch

A Plat of Modernist Architecture in Wedgwood

World War Two, which ended in 1945, changed the economic landscape of Seattle.  Wartime production and the presence of many nearby military bases caused the population of Seattle to greatly increase.   Some other American cities experienced an economic slump as … Continue reading

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Saving Wedgwood: Historic Preservation and Best-Use Planning in the Commercial Zones

In the 1940s during World War Two the population of Seattle swelled with war workers, and in the 1950s the population continued to increase with people who wanted to make their homes here in the beautiful Seattle area. In the … Continue reading

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Balch and Beyond: New Architecture in Wedgwood

The Wedgwood neighborhood in northeast Seattle acquired its name and identity in the 1940s with the work of developer Albert Balch.  Balch filed a plat plan on July 31, 1941 for a forty-acre tract of land (five square blocks) on … Continue reading

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Balch’s Office Buildings in Wedgwood

In 1940 the Wedgwood neighborhood did not yet exist in northeast Seattle.  There were vast tracts of undeveloped land and except for Hansen’s Tavern at NE 85th Street, there were no other businesses at that intersection on 35th Ave NE. … Continue reading

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The History of Wedgwood’s Neighborhood Pubs

The Wedgwood neighborhood’s two pubs, the Wedgwood Ale House and the Fiddler’s Inn, anchor the business intersections of NE 85th and 95th Streets along the main arterial of 35th Avenue NE.  The story of the founding of each tavern in the … Continue reading

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Wedgwood’s Commercial Intersections

In early years before the Wedgwood neighborhood in northeast Seattle acquired its identity, it did not have a commercial center on 35th Ave NE at NE 85th Street as it does today. In the 1920s there was much more residential … Continue reading

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Tour Two Modern Homes in Wedgwood – Saturday, August 10, 2013

Originally posted on Main2:
Docomomo WEWA and 360°modern invite you to a summer tour of two homes designed by Paul Hayden Kirk in Seattle’s Wedgwood neighborhood. The two houses open for view on 28th Ave NE were built for real…

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Albert Balch, Part Six: Architecture and Neighborhoods

Albert Balch, developer of Wedgwood, constantly watched trends and looked ahead to anticipate “the next thing” in the building of houses and neighborhoods. Balch saw that in the period following the end of World War Two, people were spreading out … Continue reading

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Albert Balch, Part Five: Spreading Wedgwoods Everywhere

In November 1888 two young men, employees of the Post-Intelligencer newspaper in Seattle, quit their jobs and went into real estate. They didn’t have any formal training in such work but their knowledge of the city and their belief in its potential … Continue reading

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Albert Balch, Part Four: A New Development in Wedgwood

In the year 1940 Albert Balch was 37 years old and he was at a turning point both personally and professionally.  He had been married seven years and his family had expanded to four children.  His father and mother had … Continue reading

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