Anhalt Hall
Tudor Revival style, Frederick Anhalt, Builder (Bjarne Moe, Draftsman) – 1928
University District, Seattle, WA
Historical & Community Significance
This 1925 Tudor Revival-style apartment building, designed by Frederick Anhalt, was originally constructed two blocks east of its current location in the University District. Between 1925 and 1942, architect Frederick Anhalt designed and constructed dozens of buildings around Seattle, including multiple apartment buildings. Anhalt’s designs reflect Jacobean and Tudor architectural influences, incorporating architectural flourishes and modern construction techniques uncommon in pre-war mainstream residential architectural projects. In the 1950s, the building’s original site was slated for demolition to make way for the construction of Interstate 5. The community rallied to save the building, which was sold at auction and moved on a truck bed to its current site.
Our involvement with Anhalt Hall began in 2016, when plans for a neighborhood up-zone were being determined. We advocated for an expansion of a Landmarks incentive program, Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) zone, to include Anhalt Hall. We prepared the Landmark Nomination Report, and the building was designated a city Landmark in 2018. After designation, we continued to work with the owner to advise on how potential development on the property could meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards along with tax incentives and TDR. We continue to brainstorm with the owner how property owners can operate Landmarked properties in economically sustainable ways.
Landmark and Stewardship Services included
- Advocacy included attending a public meeting and writing to the Seattle City Council with the results of a neighborhood “windshield survey” of potentially eligible properties.
- Preparation of the Landmark nomination report, once zoning was complete.
- Advised the owner during the Landmarks incentives phase. The owner took advantage of property tax valuation and Transfer of Development Rights (TDR).
- Developed a schematic master plan which would adhere to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards if the property owner ever chooses to develop more units on the property.
Historical Connections
The draftsman for Anhalt Hall was most likely Bjarne Moe, who had also served as Robert Reamer’s draftsman. Reamer, lead architect for the Metropolitan Building Company, was responsible for the design of many Seattle buildings, including the 5th Avenue Theater. Since Moe and Skoog both worked at the Metropolitan Building Company, they may well have been friends. Joseph Skoog was the architect of another architectural gem, the Sigma Kappa Mu Chapter House, which shares similarities with many of the larger Anhalt projects.
Photographs by Studio TJP
