ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Audrey Weitcamp is a studious, articulate Montlake resident who has helped to organize many neighborhood exhibits on our history (among her many other contributions to Montlake over many years).
RESEARCHING YOUR HOUSE IS EASY AND FUN
By Audrey Weitkamp
If you are interested in obtaining a historic picture of your house:1. Examine the record of your property at the King County Dept. of Assessments: King County Administration Bldg., 296-7300. The helpful people in this office will make a Xerox copy of the house pictures in their file. Bring your parcel number or brief legal description of your property if you have it. It is on your tax assessment notice. You could also find this information on their office computer.
2. Order the King County Assessors Property Record card and photograph from: Washington State Archives, Puget Sound Regional Branch, Pritchard-Fleming Building, Bellevue Community College, 3000 Landerholm Circle S.E., Bellevue, WA 98007-6484; (425) 373-3940. These archives house a photograph and general description of nearly every building in King County that existed in 1937 and those built between 1938 and 1972. They are organized by King County Assessor Parcel Number (Tax identification number) or brief legal description. The parcel number can be found on your tax assessment or can be obtained by calling the Assessor's Office, 296-7300, with the building's address. When you call the State Archives, they will ask for your parcel number and set up an appointment (at least one day in advance) for you to come in and look at the records of your property. You can also order photographs on the phone.
To find further details about your house and property:
1. Get a list of building permits for the property from: The Department of Construction and Land Use Microfilm Library, Dexter Horton Building, 710 Second Ave., Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98104-1703. Building permits are organized by building address. Tell the clerk you are trying to locate the original building permit.
2. Check Sanborn fire-insurance maps from: University of Washington Special Collections, Suzzallo Building, Newspapers and Microfilm Department, (543-1939) or from the Seattle Public Library Central Branch, Humanities Department, 1000 Fourth Ave., first floor (386-4625). Sanborn maps, compiled for fire insurance, provide information about a building's location and "footprint," as well as construction material, heating systems and number of floors.
3. Get list of owners from: Property Record Cards 1937-1972 or Assessment rolls, 1892-1941, both from Washington State Archives, Puget Sound Regional Branch (as above.) The property Record Card gives a legal description; or call King County Department of Assessments at 296-7300 with the building's address.
4. Get lists of occupants from: Seattle Polk Directories Reverse Directory sections (1938-1996), located at Seattle Public Library (as above) and UW Library Special Collections, Allen Library, 543-1929. Look up owners you know in Seattle Polk Directories' main sections (locations as above) Seattle Polk Directories were published nearly every year from the 1880s to 1996. They include alphabetical listings of Seattle residents and businesses; a classified business section organized under types of businesses; and starting in 1938, a reverse directory, which listed every resident and business by his or her street address.
5. Follow leads on businesses and/or notable persons via: The Northwest Newspaper Card Index, located at Seattle Public Library (as above) and UW Library Special Collections (as above). These indexes include biographical, business and other subject-indexed information relating to local history. The collections were compiled independently and frequently contain different information.
6. Contact heirs of your building's former occupants and long-time residents of your neighborhood.