Shared Walls - by Diana E James (Paperback)

About the Book

"The 1900 edition of Polk's Seattle City Directory listed four apartment buildings. By 1939, that number had grown to almost 1,400. This study explores the circumstances that prompted the explosive growth of this previously unknown form of housing in Seattle and takes an in-depth look at a large number of different apartment buildings"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

The 1900 edition of Polk's Seattle City Directory listed four apartment buildings. By 1939, that number had grown to almost 1,400. This study explores the circumstances that prompted the explosive growth of this previously unknown form of housing in Seattle and takes an in-depth look at a large number of different apartment buildings, from the small and simple to the large and grand.

Illustrated with numerous contemporary and vintage photographs and sketches, this volume preserves an intimate record of these under-studied and under-appreciated buildings and will inspire an appreciation for their history and architectural variety, and for their preservation as an integral part of Seattle's urban landscape.

Review Quotes

"James' new history of Seattle apartment houses has a confident clarity that shares the author's delight in her subject"-The Seattle Times; "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"-Reference & Research Book News.

About the Author

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.