Shared Walls ─ Seattle Apartment Buildings, 1900-1939

Shared walls, Seattle apartment buildings, 1900-1939 $55 General readers and students will discover the architects, builders, styles, building materials, and stories behind apartments built in the early decades of Seattle's rise as an important West Coast city. Some of the 100 buildings described were designed to attract the wealthy and others housed laborers, salesmen, and young working women. By focusing on the glory days of ornate trim, marble entryways, and leaded-glass doors, the author hopes to inspire in readers an appreciation for the buildings' history and architectural variety and to instill a desire for their preservation. The book begins by describing the city's options for multifamily dwellings before the onset of apartment construction, then discusses the growth of the real estate industry in the area, opposition to apartments, and the modern conveniences found in early apartment buildings. The buildings themselves are profiled in sections on several neighborhoods: downtown, First Hill, Renton Hill, Capitol Hill, and other areas. The book includes b&w photos and illustrations on most pages. James holds a graduate degree in historic preservation. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Diana James holds a Master of Arts in historic preservation from Goucher College. Living in a 1928 apartment building in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood was both inspiration and impetus for writing about early Seattle apartments.