Painstakingly crafted, the 1901 Stimson-Green Mansion stands the test of time

Originally published Nov. 4, 2001
By Lawrence Kreisman, former NW Living writer

IN A CITY where new replaces old with very little thought, making it through a century of continuous use is cause for celebration, particularly when the birthday is for such a distinguished contributor to Seattle life as the C.D. Stimson [Stimson-Green] Mansion.

The house turns 100 this year. That’s if you base the birthday on the actual year the Stimsons finally moved into their First Hill residence after more than two years of planning, construction, interior finishing and decorating. It was not an easy process, and it often tried the patience of the clients; architect Kirtland Cutter; and Charles Bebb, the local supervisor of the project.

In 1888, the Stimson family moved to Lower Queen Anne Hill. By 1898, C.D. Stimson had done quite well with his Ballard lumber mill. He had been helped by the 1889 fire, the Yukon Gold Rush, the influx of many new families and the resulting sale of home lots throughout the city. The substantial homes of Seattle’s prominent businessmen did not escape his eye. First Hill was the obvious site for the new family home, and he hired the well-respected Spokane firm of Cutter and Malmgren to design it.

Cutter chose a brick and stucco half-timbered style that hearkens to medieval England — a significant change from the typical frame residences that occupied this wealthy residential area. But it was inside the 10,000-square-foot home that Cutter’s mastery of the eclectic really shone. He was able to combine the rich ornamental vocabularies of various Classical, Romanesque, Moorish, Gothic and Renaissance styles into successful residential architecture that was grand in scale yet comfortable to live in.

Cutter wrote frequent letters to C.D. Stimson and his wife, Harriet, during the arduous two years of construction and interior decoration. They reveal a cordial, polite relationship developing between the client and the architect — a prerequisite for someone interested in building his practice with the wealthy. Cutter was always attentive, and his constant — sometimes daily — correspondence kept Stimson abreast of any new ideas he, his partner or his draftspeople had for changes. He also kept Stimson apprised of costs and suggested alternatives where appropriate. He saw to it that every facet of the job was completed to the satisfaction of the Stimsons and apologized when, for one reason or another, delays or changes caused inconveniences.

On Jan. 29, 1900, claiming to have spent several weeks “looking up the best and most artistic things to be found in this country,” Cutter prepared estimates for decorations, furnishings and fixtures, and shipped the Stimsons a box containing sketches, photographs and fabrics “showing designs, materials and colorings as in my judgment they should be used to produce the most satisfactory results. The scheme for treatment throughout is to me altogether the most satisfactory which I have planned.” He eased his clients’ worries about costs by mentioning that, “While the estimate runs higher, perhaps, than you expected, I know from both past and present experience that the same things which we have specified would cost you in New York or Chicago 25 percent more than our figures.”

The Stimsons accepted most of Cutter’s recommendations, and $16,000 — a hefty sum in those days — changed bank accounts during the year that followed.

Only a decade later, the modest quarter-block property seemed cramped as apartment buildings and hospitals started to encroach. Stimson and his business associates and friends saw their future in a pristine wooded area on Puget Sound northwest of Seattle. They called it The Highlands, and there they planned the new Seattle Golf Club — its clubhouse another Kirtland Cutter creation.

In 1913, when Cutter’s office was well along with its designs for Stimson’s new residence, he made it known that the First Hill property was for sale. John M. and Abbie Frink approached him with the suggestion of a trade — the house for a half-block of land downtown at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Pike Street. Stimson agreed, and the C.D. Stimson Co. acquired the property that would be developed as the Coliseum Theatre.

As it turned out, Frink was in ill health, and although he owned the First Hill house for several months, he never lived in it. Instead, he or his widow sold it to Joshua Green later that year. He and his wife, “Missy,” lived to the remarkable ages of 105 and 104. When the Greens passed away — she in 1974, he a short time later — it looked as if the house they had occupied for 61 years might expire as well.

But Historic Seattle, a public-development authority established the previous year, bought the house, paying the assessed value at the time — $187,500. Historic Seattle guaranteed the preservation of its exterior and significant interior spaces by nominating it for listing on state and national historic registers and for designation as a City of Seattle landmark.

After passing through several interim owners, it fell to Priscilla Bullitt Collins, granddaughter of the Stimsons, who purchased the house in 1986 for $1.3 million. She invested $800,000 to upgrade the building, make long-overdue repairs and restore the elegant look of its interiors.

On Sept. 1, through Collins’ generous gift, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation became the newest owner of the Stimson-Green Mansion. The gift assures continued good stewardship of the home and gives the statewide preservation organization a permanent headquarters.

Happy Birthday to you, Stimson-Green Mansion, and many happy returns.