West Seattle Blog…

West Seattle weekend scene: Snowy view with history

March 17, 2012 at 8:36 pm | In Puget Ridge, West Seattle news, West Seattle weather | 8 Comments

One more photo from this morning’s snow – Mike Gerber shares what he describes as “a photo of snow falling on the last remains of the oldest fruit orchard in Seattle. The building in the foreground is the original farmhouse, built in the 1880s, and stands as a reminder of the thousands of Eastern European immigrants that tended these vast orchards that once stretched from Pigeon Point all the way past Burien.

The site is on Puget Ridge, as described on a website Mike has for a house he’s selling nearby.

8 Comments

1. It’s beautiful, I’d love to walk to the site, see the old orchard, feel ‘the past’ around the old farmhouse.(does anyone know what family built it, or last occupied it-what decade?) but I went to the link website and it doesn’t give any kind of nearby adress or how to reach the site. Any help please?

   Comment by KD — 9:32 pm March 17, 2012 #

2. There’s a link on the Home Page that shows the location. The old orchard and farm house are off of 16th Ave Sw, a little north of SSCC. Turn east on Brandon Ave and follow it for a few hundred feet to where it dead ends at an entrance to the West Duwamish Greenbelt, a network of fascinating trails maintained by the Nature Conservancy. They meander through the largest continuous forest in Seattle, past wonderful native vegetation and ponds, that are home to red legged frogs and native newts, that don’t cheat on their wives. Check it out, it’s truly and unique little corner of West Seattle.

   Comment by J&R — 10:35 pm March 17, 2012 #

3. KD — click on the MLA listing number and it will take you to the listing site.

   Comment by metrognome — 10:41 pm March 17, 2012 #

4. i was wondering how the hell you access puget park. The websites out there aren’t helpful at all.

   Comment by steve — 1:41 am March 18, 2012 #

5. I just went to the website to get a better look at the area so if I wanted to go explore a little I could. I was a little surprised when the picture of the house popped up. I was expecting something older, I guess cottagey. I have never been interested in urban/modern design. Don’t get me wrong; I find the conveniences of modern living great, but the overall visual impact this kind of design offers has always left me feeling cold. Add in all the textiles and colors that you want, for me it just screams lifeless, until now.

   What a beautiful home, not a house a home. It is warm, welcoming and very unassuming. The layout invites you further in. The whole place speaks to relaxation and taking the time to enjoy family, friends and life.

   One of the best uses of space in all the living areas were the windows. I suppose larger windows would have given a more unobstructed view, but choosing smaller ones of different shapes gives the feeling of framed art and allows the person looking out to focus on an individual vista. Sometimes more is just that and can actually overwhelm the senses. Brilliant!

   I love the fact that in the presentation of your home you brought in the living elements of the world outside the walls, “Urban Location, Rural Retreat.” It demonstrates that the house really lives and functions perfectly within its surroundings.

   And…Thank you for the photo of the orchard.

   Comment by Talaki34 — 9:28 am March 18, 2012 #

6. Thank you for the kind words, Talaki34. And yes, I used the size and placement of the windows to both maximize privacy and frame the views as well. I do like many of the modern designs with floor to ceiling window ‘walls’, and almost went that direction, but decided I wouldn’t be comfortable living in one. And what’s the point of building a house that you wouldn’t want to live in?

   Comment by MG — 11:50 am March 18, 2012 #

7. Because of the picture of the old farmhouse and orchard, my husband and I put on our boots and took a walk on the Riverview trail (West Duwamish Greenbelt) in the rain. We parked on Brandon street near the dead end. To see the original farmhouse, go right along an old driveway (south) just before the entry to the greenbelt. Walk about 50 yards and you’ll see old apple trees and the farmhouse in the back yard of what appears to be a restored newer farmhouse. You can see the new urban living home too. It looks like a wonderful place to live.

   Comment by Highland Park Paula — 1:46 pm March 18, 2012 #

8. MG,
   Depending on how long it takes for your home to sell, maybe you could continue (when time allows) to send in photos of the area as winter transitions to spring.

   Highland Park Paula/J&R,
   Thank you for posting how to get to see the orchard. I am still relatively new to WS so it is nice to have some guidance on where to park and such. Sometimes I see things to do on the blog, but when I get there I don’t know where to park or which path to take, thus I do a lot of meandering. Referencing the comments it seems others do as well.

   Comment by Talaki34 — 3:38 pm March 18, 2012 #

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