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The George &
Blanche Christensen House was built in 1926 on the edge of a steep bluff
in a prominent, tree-lined historic neighborhood in the Rockwood Terrace
Addition in Spokane, Washington. Mimicking Tudor Revival-style elements
borrowed from medieval architecture, and reminiscent of the whimsical
dwellings and cozy cottages illustrated in children’s nursery rhymes and
storybooks of the 1920s, the Christensen House is an eclectic mix of
Tudor Revival and Storybook styling. Characteristic architectural
features include the home’s irregular rambling footprint, steeply
pitched roof with multiple lower cross gables, pointed and flared gable
peak crockets, a front-facing full-height tapered brick chimney, an
arched recessed front entrance, smooth stucco wall cladding, and
leaded-glass casement windows. The home was built by celebrated Spokane
master craftsman, stone/brick mason, and home designer/builder, John E.
Anderson. As he was building it, Anderson sold the Christensen House to
the home’s first owners, Blanche & George Christensen, the
president/general manager for Western Piggly Wiggly grocery stores in
the area. The Christensen House achieved importance in the period of
significance from 1926 to 1957 in the context of “architecture” as an
excellent embodiment of the Tudor Revival style with Storybook
influence, and as a product of master Spokane home designer/builder,
John E. Anderson. The property is further historically significant as a
tangible demonstration of the prominent domestic architectural
development that took place in the Rockwood Terrace Addition, and
illustrates the type of home planned by the developer.
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Christensen House SR Nomination (PDF) |
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