Shared Walls: Seattle Apartment Buildings, 1900-1939

by Diana E. James

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.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

281 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 2011

Reviews

[Booth Babcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book...I am very interested in the history of my neighborhood, and James' book is very detailed and well researched. However, had a couple of significant flaws...one, not enough pictures, and the pics she did use were not always useful. But I could live with that...the huge flaw is NO MAPS. The book talks about an entire census of historic buildings, but never actually shows you where they are (anyone who lives in Seattle knows the addresses are not always very useful here).

Still, I would recommend to anyone interested in the city's history, especially the 1st Hill/CapHill/Belltown/Downtown area.

[Jeanine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted Shared Walls to be a storytelling book about people connected to the old apartment buildings and instead got an inventory of building facts.
The book can serve as a source for research purposes and fact finding, but if you are looking for stories of people who built or lived in the buildings, look elsewhere.

[Joe Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two big thumbs up. A smart, engaging nerdfest.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just moved to Seattle and into one of the buildings in this book, so was eager to read about the history of early apartments - and get a bit of Seattle history as well. There was a lot of really interesting material in the book, and some then-and-now photos which were fascinating to see. I loved the descriptions of how these apartments were utilized in the very early 20th century. Reviews of census data were really interesting to get a sense of how many people were sharing these spaces at the time.

I agree with another review - the lack of maps was problematic and an editor should have caught that. Also, it is clear that much research went into the details of apartment living but the treatment is unbalanced. There is a photo of a staged apartment, and one of the operation of one type of fold up bed. But surely old pictures of the apartments in use could have been obtained from family photos to provide a sense of place? And the treatment of individual apartments is a bit boring, again problems with unevenness.

Despite these comments, an informative and interesting book. My guess is this was a Masters thesis that was perhaps too hastily prepared for publication.

[Troy Heerwagen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting insight into the historical apartment buildings that have provided so many Seattlites with homes for so many years. Provides information on numerous different apartment buildings. I read about the ones in my neighborhood and that I recognized, but skipped over some of the others. I specifically enjoyed the beginning that talked about how the rental market was different in the early 1900s.

[Wally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history of Seattle apartment buildings, the original need for them (economic and social), their designers and builders, and their tenants. I really enjoyed seeking out places I have visited or wondered about from afar.