Harry Vanderbilt Wurdemann House

Historic building in Washington, USA

United States historic place


Harry Vanderbilt Wurdemann House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Harry Vanderbilt Wurdemann House
47°45′19″N 122°16′29″W / 47.75528°N 122.27472°W / 47.75528; -122.27472 (Harry Vanderbilt Wurdemann House)
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built	1914
Architectural style	Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Mediterranean Revival
NRHP reference No.	90002154^[1]
Added to NRHP	December 27, 1990

The Harry Vanderbilt Wurdemann House, also known as the Wurdemann House, is a private home in Lake Forest Park, Washington.^[2]^[3] Built in 1914 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1990, it was one of the first houses in Lake Forest Park.^[4]

History

Wurdemann House is a two-story, four-bedroom, wood-frame structure on a concrete foundation, with 4,180 finished sf.^[3] Designed to be an architectural showpiece, the rectangular plan for the house was loosely based on a Mediterranean villa style.^[2] The house has two eight-pillared porticos.^[5] It sits on a knoll with a view of Lake Washington.

The property originally contained several outbuildings, including a large gardener's cottage/garage, a poultry house, boiler shed, and greenhouse.^[2] Wurdemann House was positioned at the entrance to Lake Forest Park, replacing a small real estate office that served the new planned community.^[6]

Built for Harry and May Wurdemann after they moved to Washington, the house was sold in 1924 to Adolf Linden, president of Puget Sound Savings and Loan Association. Linden added a pool and brick-and-iron fence to the property.^[2] Subsequent owners included Roy L. Maryatt, owner of Maryatt Electrical Laundry Company and American Linen Supply; Walter Brown, a local railroad owner; John Clancy, a saloon owner; Mrs. True Uncaphor, owner of the Sun Life Insurance Company; and Arie Vanderspeck, international banker and consul for the Netherlands.^[2]^[7]

Recent changes

After being unoccupied for some years, the property was purchased by a development company in 1990.^[8] A portion of the property was sought by a firm with plans to build a 55-unit retirement facility, but the local Planning Commission recommended denial of the application for variance due to widespread opposition from the public.^[9]

Entrance to the property has changed from a wide, circular drive from the southeast to a small street from the north.^[2]

In 1990, the mansion was leased by the Seattle Symphony for several months to raise funds through entrance fees.^[10] In 2014, private tours were offered to benefit the Shoreline Historical Museum & Heritage Center.^[11]

References

^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Kathv Saunders; Peggy St. Cyr; L. Garfield (November 1990). National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Harry Vanderbilt Wurdemann House. National Park Service. Retrieved February 3, 2019. With accompanying four photos from 1990
^ ^a ^b "Property Details". King County Department of Assessments.
^ "Early Homes". City of Lake Forest Park. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
^ "The Wurdemann Estate, North Seattle's Most Prominent Residence, is Available for the Next Generation". Sotheby's International Realty. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
^ "Then and Now - A 1912 Scene Tells Lake Forest Park's Early Story". Patch: Shoreline-Lake Forest Park.
^ Kirkby, Marilyn. "The Guests Are In Fine Spirits At Wurdemann Mansion". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
^ Hettrick, Diane. "For Sale: the Wurdmann mansion". Shoreline News.
^ "Wurdemann Mansion Changes Hands Again -- Mystery Buyer Gains Half Of Site". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
^ "Seattle Symphony Will Lease Mansion". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
^ "Rare chance to tour the Wurdemann Mansion in Lake Forest Park benefits the Museum". Shoreline Area News. Retrieved 3 February 2019.