Sea View Apartments Fountain - Seattle, WA - Fountains on Waymarking.com

Significance
The Sea View is the largest and most ornate of a group of apartment buildings constructed at the end of West Roy Street in 1929-30. This was the last to be completed, in 1932. The building was originally designed and permitted by the Lewis Realty Investment Company in February 1930, with construction beginning the following month. However, the difficult hillside site and the need for a new retaining wall (probably in combination with the financial stresses of the early days of the Depression) evidently prevented its completion. It was finally completed in 1932, by the Cooper Mortgage Company. The designer and builder was Michael Leder. The building was renovated and converted to condominiums in 1980. The Sea View is notable for its Art Deco ornament, and was included in the 1970s city-wide survey. This and the neighboring buildings from this era are significant as an intact group of 1920s buildings, giving a distinctive character to the neighborhood. This area is a notable example of the tremendous apartment development in Seattle during the 1920s. The city's population had increased dramatically in previous decades, and prosperity encouraged developers to meet the pent-up demand for housing. Apartments, ranging from basic housing to luxury units, were a significant factor in meeting this need, and became a significant element of the streetscape in many Seattle neighborhoods, especially Queen Anne.

Appearance
The building is located at the west end of West Roy Street, where it dead-ends at Lower Kinnear Park. It has a U-shaped plan with a pond, fountain and landscaping in the intimate courtyard. The building is three stories, clad with light-colored brick. It sits on a hill, with a garage in the basement on the south elevation. The entry has a wide and very ornamental cast stone surround in the Art Deco style, with stylized fern and floral motifs. Similar ornament is seen in the wide frieze along the top of the building. The main entry has an oak and glass door with sidelights and transoms. Additional entries are at the north end of each wing, with simpler cast stone surrounds. Windows are six-over one double-hung sash, with cast stone lintels; they are primarily in groups of three.