Yes, yes, “Wallingford Home For Sale”, it hardly seems worth a mention on a neighborhood blog. Lots of housing for sale, after all.
Ah, but this is THE Wallingford home, as in the home that once belonged to John Wallingford, after whom our dear little neighborhood was named. It’s standing in all its wee craftsman glory up on 1624 N 50th St, just east of the southeast tip of Woodland Park.
According to HistoryLink, John arrived in Seattle from Maine via Minnesota in 1888, after having fought for the Union in the Civil War:
Following the civil war John Wallingford returned to Minnesota and his general store. By the time he arrived in Seattle, he also had managed a lumberyard in Napa City, California, for 14 years. The solvent Wallingford, at last, settled in Seattle in 1888 — the perfect year to extend roots here if one’s interests were in buying and selling land. Wallingford’s were. As his 1903 biographer put it, “Mr. Wallingford has made judicious investments and closely watching market values he has so handled his prosperity that it has brought him an excellent return upon his investment.”
The article goes on to note that Wallingford’s “daughter, Emma, married William D. Wood (1858-1917), the Wallingford’s neighbor to the north, developer of the Green Lake district and one time Mayor of Seattle.” It is a relief the neighborhood was named for Mr. Wallingford himself, and not his son-in-law or their progency, as “Woodhood” would make an odd name for a neighborhood blog.
Guess what: it’s a duplex:
Historic property once owned by John Wallingford. Sweet little 1907 duplex with many updates but retaining original charm just blocks from Green lake and the shops & cafes of Wallingford & Tangletown. Two bedrooms on main with remodeled bath, updated electrical, copper plumbing, fresh interior & exterior paint. Lower level unit is one bed & one bath and has been a successful AirBnb. Ready to rent or fantastic opportunity for owner-occupier to generate extra income. Commute couldn’t be easier! (via Zillow https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/1624-N-50th-St,-Seattle,-WA-98103_rb/)
It’s called an ADU, Bryan.
ADU implies a small unit (<1000 sqft) carved out of a larger main house. The classic mother-in-law apartment.
Duplex implies two units of similar size.
This building has been subdivided into two units of roughly equal size, making it more of a duplex. That would not be allowed under current rules; the lower unit would have to be dramatically shrunken from it's current ~1600 sqft size.
Constructing it as a single-family house wouldn't be allowed under current rules either, as it would violate current lot-coverage rules, in addition to being far below the minimum lot size (although you could apply for an exception to lot-size requirements). It also doesn't meet current minimum tree requirements.