In a depiction of the All-American family, a father waves goodbye to his wife, two little girls, and dog as he prepares to depart from his Mountlake Terrace home in June, 1953. Many young families were attracted to the fast growing community near Seattle due to the new homes and large wooded lots. This particular rambler appears to have a fenced backyard, attached single carport and be constructed of concrete block. Photograph ordered by Phares Advertising, Seattle.
Families were being drawn to the rapidly growing Mountlake Terrace community in the early 1950's. New homes were being built quickly on apparently large tree-filled lots with lots of room for children to play in. View of ranch style contemporary home with partial brick facing and double carport was taken on June 8, 1953 for Phares Advertising.
Exterior Norval Hatfield residence. Built by the Charles Baker Construction Co., the Norval and Marion Hatfield residence at 2712 North 29th St. was built on a slight slope. A photograph taken on May 13, 1953, from the street below the home shows a contemporary rambler with awnings on the side of the home and several steps leading to the front door. A stone wall surrounds part of the property.
Hatfield, Norval R.--Homes & haunts; Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Stone walls--Tacoma; Awnings--Tacoma;
Intersection of Briggs Ln and Leschi Rd in the housing addition "Fairway at Lakewood." Exteriors of new ranch homes. Fairway at Lakewood was located across from Custer School on Steilacoom Blvd. in Lakewood. The new homes were being sold by H.A. Briggs Co. The homes were part of a planned community with curved asphalt streets & curbs and ramblers of different designs and materials. The addition was located one mile from Lakewood Center. (TNT 9/27/1953, pg. E-4 & E-5)
ca. 1953. Circa 1953 exterior view of house built by Miller Construction Company. Back of house showing open-beam construction over lanai with sliding glass doors onto patio. Large stone fireplace in foreground and stone wall with outside entry at back, on left.
Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fireplaces--Tacoma--1950-1960; Patios--Tacoma; Miller Construction Co., Inc. (Tacoma);
Charming Cape Cod bungalow adapted for Northwest use, designed and built by Art Manly for the 1953 Parade of Homes. The three bedroom and 2 bath ranch home is finished with dark red shingles, white trim and a composition roof. The garage is in the basement and the front doors are set high to keep them dry. The Parade of Homes was sponsored by the Tacoma Master Builders, and featured 60 new homes designed and constructed by members. (TNT 9/27/1953, pg. E-10)
Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Master Builders Association (Tacoma);
Brick ranch home designed and built for the 1953 Parade of Homes by Fitzpatrick and McIntyre. This brick home was one of the largest displayed during the parade. It was of Roman tile and had a double garage with a uniquely patterned door. The large home had no basement or attic. It featured the new innovations of a radio controlled garage door and a heating system that predicted the weather and adjusted the temperature accordingly. The design team of Fitzpatrick & McIntyre had built 150 homes together, mostly in Alderwood Court and Bellwood, and were currently designing the convent for the St. Francis Cabrini School in the Lakes area. Their specialty was individual custom ramblers with large rooms throughout and the emphasis on kitchens and baths. (TNT 9/27/1953, pg. E-17) TPL-8783
Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Master Builders Association (Tacoma);
Living room in new home in Skyline Terrace. In this home designed by Fitzpatrick-McIntyre, the living room appears to be very narrow and to combine the living and dining areas. The fireplace fits into the floor to ceiling brick wall on the right. The ceiling and floor have a tiled pattern of wood squares of different colors and grains & the walls appear to be wood paneled. Skyline Terrace was the home to many large show homes on view lots as well as economical models such as this home.
Living rooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Housing developments--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Snow scenes ordered by Mrs. Dwight Orr. The Orrs resided in Lakewood, and that is possibly the location of this large home surrounded by tall evergreens and dusted with snow.
Snow scenes ordered by Mrs. Dwight Orr. The back of an unidentified homes blanketed in snow. The Orrs resided in Lakewood, which is probably the location of this home.
Exterior of house. This contemporary 1950's style home possibly belonged to K.B. and Audra B. Oberhansly who resided at 4008 - 101st St. South in the Southgate housing development. The home was constructed by the Sherman Rowland Co. It had a low-pitched roof, possible insulated windows, and a small covered porch. Nearby trees would provide welcome shade in the hot summers. Southgate was a suburban housing development, located on a large track of land filled with mature trees, west of Highway 99. The Sherman Rowland Co. was responsible for the construction of many contemporary homes in this development; no two homes were supposedly built alike. Photograph ordered by Sherman Rowland Co.
Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960; Housing developments--Lakewood--1950-1960; Rowland Construction Co. (Tacoma);
A feeling of spaciousness prevails in the Martin Gosselin residence at Lake Steilacoom Point with a "Great room" concept. The kitchen appears to be tucked away between the living room and informal room. There do not appear to be many walls separating the defined living spaces. A large glass door leads to the fenced outdoors which may have a covered patio. Because the flooring appears to be a natural tile, it blends in with the outdoor concrete. A clam-shell style chair and bean-shaped laminated table are prominent in the foreground. This three bedroom home was designed and constructed by Mark Hoskins Home Construction Co. Photograph ordered by Home Construction Co.
Gosselin, Martin D.--Homes & haunts; Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960;
Southdale, a model home in the Auburn area, was photographed on March 13, 1958, from the viewpoint of another new house across the street. The model home was constructed in the contemporary rambler style; it had a one-car garage and small covered porch. Auburn in the 1950's was still a small "bedroom" community with many residents commuting to Seattle and other King County jobs. Lots appear to have been on the large side and housing relatively inexpensive. Photograph ordered by S & S Builders.
Skyline Terrace was a planned community, home to many imposing new houses in the early 1950's. Each house was built on a view lot so that homeowners could enjoy the beauty of Puget Sound, the Narrows Bridge, Olympic mountains or city lights. Miller Construction Co., owned by Edward P. Miller, built many of the homes in Skyline Terrace. This two-story stone and wood contemporary home with extended balcony could possibly have been the personal residence of Mr. Miller. The eye-catching chimney blends into the yard's natural rockery setting.
Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Housing developments--Tacoma--1950-1960; Miller Construction Co., Inc. (Tacoma);
An unusual circular driveway draws attention to the new home of Frank Washburn in May, 1954. The one-story rambler has the usual attached two-car garage; what is not usual, however, is how the buildings gently nestle against the curved driveway. The six room home had two large bedrooms and a breezeway leading to the garage. It made good use of vertical siding and also combined brick and shake building materials. The home on Clover Creek Dr. S.W. was built by Mel Pedersen, general contractor and past president of the Tacoma Master Builders Association. (TNT 9-19-54, E-10)
Before pictures of houses. This large two-story home appears to have horizontal wood clapboard siding, a bay window, and unusually shaped chimney. There are two small arched windows in what may be dormers. Landscaping appears mature with many good-sized bushes surrounding the house and trees to the rear and side.
Safeway Builders were listed in the 1954 City Directory under the roofing category but also did other types of remodeling, including siding. They apparently did some work on this modern two-story duplex located in the 700 block of South Sprague Street in May, 1954. The duplex is of the side-by-side variety with connecting porches and roofs sporting television antennae. The exterior of the duplex appears to be wood. Photograph ordered by Safeway Builders.
Duplexes--Tacoma--1950-1960; Porches--Tacoma; Television antennas;
The Miller Construction Company built many homes in the Skyline Terrace housing development in the 1950's. Each lot had a view of either the Narrows, Olympic Mountains or city lights. This nicely landscaped home in Skyline Terrace appears to have been a contemporary ranch style house with two-car attached garage. It was constructed mostly of wood with some brick facing which matched the flower border. Skyline Terrace was a $30,000,000-1500 home housing development. Photograph ordered by Ed Miller Construction.
Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Housing developments--Tacoma--1950-1960; Miller Construction Co., Inc. (Tacoma);
Exterior of house. An example of contemporary Northwest style housing was photographed on October 5, 1954. It appears to have a basic rambler shape with a two-storied section jutting from the front of the home. A striped awning provides shade from the glaring sun. The home seems to be situated on a large landscaped lot with a border of tall trees in the back yard. Photograph ordered by Cole & Weber, advertising.
Exterior of house. A father holds a pair of clippers in his hand, perhaps preparing to trim the large bush in front of the chimney, as he smiles upon his two children. The little girl stands next to the boy on his bicycle while a woman, probably mom, clutches a child's coat. The location of the home is not identified, but its gabled roof, attached one-car garage, and large windows made it a popular style in the 1950's. The yard is neatly enclosed with a low, painted fence. Photograph ordered by advertising agency, Cole & Weber.
ca. 1954. A woman gardening holds up a blossom to the couple on the doorstep of an attractive 1950's rambler. The home has a long covered veranda, a probable window seat, and multi-paned windows. The attached one-car garage, door partially opened, is set at basement level. Shadows are falling on the nicely trimmed sloping yard. A large tree would provide shade and protection from winter winds.
Interior of model home. Attention is focused in this September 27, 1954, photograph on a section of living room located in the "Home for All America" model home. A drop leaf table with two chairs is positioned on the hardwood flooring close to the folding doors. A sideboard is placed against the wall under the long window; two framed paintings are above the partially filled bookcase. A beam seems to be the demarcation line between the actual living room and this possible eating area. This, and other interior pictures, were taken of the Skyline Terrace model home at 1101 Lenore Dr. built by the Miller Construction Co. and designed by Cleveland architects Robert A. Little & Associates. The "Home for All America" was sponsored by the Better Homes & Gardens magazine; the Skyline Terrace model was one of three adaptations of the basic plan. (TNT 9-19-54, E-7)
Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Miller Construction Co., Inc. (Tacoma);
Overall views of Lincoln Heights for Comfort, Davis & Blangy, insurance & real estate agents. Lincoln Heights was a 400 unit housing project built by the federal government during WWII to provide shelter for defense workers. It was located on 90 acres bordered by So. Pine & So. State St. & So. 35th & So. 38th. The original expenditure for the development was $1,500,000 and the homes were built at the rate of 10 per day. Gilbert Stanley Underwood was the architect and the project was operated by the Tacoma Housing Authority. It was best known for the early use of a curvilinear street plan. Following WW II, the homes were provided for returning veterans. All the units were sold to private interests.The last unit was sold in 1955.
Housing--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lincoln Heights Housing Project (Tacoma);
Interiors of Ben Cheney's home in Browns Point. This is the bedroom of Ben Cheney's daughter Sandra. Her doll collection and stuffed animals line the room. Twin beds provide space for having friends sleep over.
Cheney, Ben B., 1905-1971--Homes & haunts; Dolls; Stuffed animals (Toys);
Master Builders, Alf West. Exposure of the residence of Rex Peirce at 9104 So. 29th St. Rex and Beatrice Peirce are listed in the 1958 Suburban City Directory as the owners of the Sixth Avenue Art Shop. This appears to be the back of the house showing the deck and picture windows.
Master Builders, interior of living room in the home of Mr. & Mrs. Carl James, 3109 Elwood Dr., University Place. The rooms appear to be divided by partitions, some of which reach to the exposed beams while some do not. The ledges afforded by the partitions have been used to display glassware. The furnishings and floor coverings appear very formal in contrast with the contemporary room structure and lighting.
Living rooms--University Place--1950-1960; James, Carl--Homes & haunts;
United Construction Co., Model Home #192 in Federal Way. Knotty pine paneling accents the walls in this living room. A large brick fireplace with wicker chairs on either side is the centerpiece of the room. A radio sits on the end table next to the fireplace. This photograph was taken on August 27, 1955.
New rambler in the Mountbrook Manor housing addition in the rapidly growing suburban community of Lakewood, for Lakewood Realty. The kitchen is separated from what is probably a dining area by folding accordion doors. Windows run the length of one wall revealing the surrounding trees. The kitchen has a refrigerator, stove and tile counter tops.
