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The Bernardo and Rose Germani
Residence dates from 1926 and is associated with Georgetown’s shift
from residential and commercial (between 1890 and 1916) to increased
industrial growth, which occurred between 1916 and 1942. A
number of factors contributed to this transition: the onset of
prohibition and resulting closure of the Seattle Brewing and Malt
Company (SBMC), the construction of the Duwamish Waterway, and the
arrival of new businesses such as the Boeing Airplane Company. By
1923, much of Georgetown had been rezoned industrial.
Little information is known about the property’s original construction
or ownership history, although early maps provide some clues.
According to Baist’s 1908 Real Estate Atlas, this parcel contained a
single frame building that was set back from the street (then known as
“Charleston Avenue”). Georgetown Public School occupied several
lots to the south and the Woodin Residence (#5801) was across the
street. The King County Hospital was located further south.
The 1912 Baist atlas depicts two frame structures occupying this lot,
and Pacific Telephone and Telegraph was situated across the street
(north) at the corner of Corson and Snohomish Avenues. Kroll’s
1920 Atlas of Seattle shows two buildings located at this address,
including one at the northeast corner and a square building set back on
the lot. None of these early maps indicate what the buildings
were used for; however, according to oral information, they supposedly
were used as the master brewer’s residence for the nearby Seattle
Brewing and Malt Company (SBMC).
In 1923, Bernardo F. Germani purchased the house and grounds to
establish his ornamental cast stone manufacturing business.
Initially, a manufacturing workshop occupied the lot’s north
corner. Bernard F. Germani appears in the 1923 city directory as
a mechanic, residing with his wife Mary (Rose) at 123 Dawson
Street. The following year lists him as the manager of his new
business, “Italian Architectural & Art Company,” with their home
address at 5610 Corson Avenue. (Directories dating after 1927
identify their residence at #5609.) In 1925, Germani applied for
a building permit for his property at #5611 to “build residence per
plan filed.” The design called for a one-story masonry building
measuring 20 by 24 feet and terminating in a flat parapet roof.
The total cost was $800.
The Germani residence reflects the very popular “Spanish Eclectic”
style that, along with a mix of Period Revival styles, gained favor
during the 1920s and replaced the overwhelming influence of the
Craftsman aesthetic of the previous two decades. This
architectural trend was a boost to Germani’s business, creating a ready
market for cast stone ornamentation. A historical photo, dating
from 1937, shows his own residence featuring a central arched entrance
flanked by arched windows on the primary (south) façade and two
arched windows on the west side façade, all embellished with
decorative cast stone surrounds. The front entry, a multi-paned
wood door, was surmounted by an arched transom with decorative
mosaic. The flat roof was capped by an overhanging stone
cornice. The historical photo indicates that a ten-foot brick
addition was appended to the rear of the building by this date.
The addition contained grouped, four-over-four double-hung wood-sash
windows. It is further distinguished by its change in brickwork
and slightly elevated roofline.
In 1929, B.F. Germani applied for a building permit to “wreck shed” and
build a shop on his property. The 1929 Sanborn map shows three
structures on this property: a frame structure (#5609) marked
“C.C. Art Conc. Works” at the northeast corner, a smaller frame
structure at the rear (northwest corner), and a brick dwelling
(5611-13) set back on the property. The lots immediately south
remain undeveloped at this date.
The 1940 city directory lists Bernardo and Mary R. Germani still
residing at 5609 Corson Avenue, but no longer identifies a business
operating at this address. In 1939, B. Germani sought a building
permit to alter the roof on his family residence; there was no increase
in area and no change in occupancy. However, by the following
year, he embarked on an extensive building remodel, which included the
addition of a second floor and hipped roof. This upper addition
is visible in the change in masonry pattern between the two floor
levels. It is also distinguished by its smaller, rectangular
wood-sash windows.
Real property records indicate that Alden B. Winters, et al, purchased
the property in 1971 for $15,000. It was subsequently acquired by
Hugh and Barbara Pape, who sold it to the current owner in 1998.
The building has since been converted to a private residence.
PHYSICAL
DESCRIPTION
The two-story brick masonry residence set back from
the street occupies a rectangular footprint measuring 20 by 34 feet,
which includes a ten-foot rear extension. The building’s exterior
is distinguished by its “Spanish Eclectic” style ornamentation,
including ornate iron grillwork, arched window and door openings with
cast stone surrounds (first-floor), and a broad, hipped roof.
Smaller rectangular windows occupy the second story. A brick
chimney projects from the center of the main roof ridge. A
differentiation in the building’s exterior brickwork is visible between
the first and the second floor, which dates from the 1940 remodel.
The interior features a number of intact historic features including
plaster and travertine marble walls, concrete and hardwood floors, and
a cast stone fireplace surround.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC
REFERENCES
Department of Neighborhoods, Office of Urban Conservation, 1997
Architectural Survey (Site No. GT019); WSA, PSB, Bellevue Community
College, King County Tax Assessor’s Real Property Records; Seattle City
Directories; Baist’s Real Estate Atlases; Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps;
Kroll’s Atlases of Seattle.
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