Harry Vanderbilt Wurdemann House

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 homes in Lake Forest Park.[4]

Harry Vanderbilt Wurdemann House
Harry Vanderbilt Wurdemann House
Location17602 Bothell Way NE., Lake Forest Park, Washington
Coordinates47°45′19″N 122°16′29″W
Area2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built1914
Architectural styleLate 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Mediterranean Revival
NRHP reference No.90002154[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 27, 1990

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
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. 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
  3. "Property Details". King County Department of Assessments.
  4. "Early Homes". City of Lake Forest Park. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  5. "The Wurdemann Estate, North Seattle's Most Prominent Residence, is Available for the Next Generation". Sotheby's International Realty. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  6. "Then and Now - A 1912 Scene Tells Lake Forest Park's Early Story". Patch: Shoreline-Lake Forest Park.
  7. Kirkby, Marilyn. "The Guests Are In Fine Spirits At Wurdemann Mansion". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  8. Hettrick, Diane. "For Sale: the Wurdmann mansion". Shoreline News.
  9. "Wurdemann Mansion Changes Hands Again -- Mystery Buyer Gains Half Of Site". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  10. "Seattle Symphony Will Lease Mansion". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  11. "Rare chance to tour the Wurdemann Mansion in Lake Forest Park benefits the Museum". Shoreline Area News. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
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