Former First Hill rooming house saved from demolition in the ’90s to be considered for Seattle landmark protections

An effort is underway to win landmark protections for a home built on First Hill 124 years ago for a prominent Seattle couple. Today, the home makes up 11 apartments and is worthy of historical protections, the group says.

Historic Seattle has officially put forward a landmark nomination for the William and Annie Phillips House, aiming to secure permanent protections for the First Hill property. Located at 711 E Union, the unique “double dwelling” now serves as affordable housing.

Built in 1902 by contractor John M. Hester, the home was originally commissioned by bookkeeper William Bell Phillips as a side-by-side residence under one roof to house him and his future wife, Annie, alongside his parents. Designed by the short-lived Seattle architectural partnership Williams & Clark, the building is renowned for its distinct exterior, the group says. The design showcases an architectural duality, blending a forward-projecting Colonial Revival gabled wing on the west with a Classic Box structure on the east.

Phillips, known as the “Butter King of the Pacific Coast,” was a leading Seattle businessman. William and Annie were also prominent in the city’s Catholic community. Because of their prominent stature in the church, the Phillipses likely influenced the hiring of the prominent local architecture firm Williams & Clark to design the landmarked Church of the Immaculate Conception in 1904 — the same firm he contracted to build his family’s unique “double house” on E Union in 1902.

William was also a member of Knights of Columbus which constructed its building across the street from the Phillips house in 1913. That property was redeveloped and reopened last year in a two-building adaptive reuse project that created 178 apartment units

By 1925, the Phillips property was sold and subdivided into a multi-family rooming house. Known for decades as the Haney Apartments, it established a continuous legacy of affordable residential use.

The building’s future was threatened by the late 1980s when the city issued a repair-or-demolish order against the rooming house due to unsafe conditions and extreme neglect.

“When Historic Seattle acquired the vacant property in 1992, the former rooming house had fallen into severe disrepair and was under a demolition order because of unsafe conditions,” the group said in its announcement. “Working with architects Stickney & Murphy (now SMR Architects), Historic Seattle carefully rehabilitated the building, creating 11 affordable apartments of varying sizes while preserving its historic character.”

The project was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

The City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board will formally consider the landmark nomination during a public meeting on Wednesday, July 15th at 3:30 PM. The meeting will follow a hybrid format, allowing for virtual attendance or in-person participation at City Hall, Room L2-80.

Members of the community are encouraged to support the designation. Written public comments must be submitted via mail or email to Landmarks Coordinator Erin Doherty by 3:30 PM on Tuesday, July 14th.

The full nomination is below:

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