Now on the Edmonds Register of Historic Places: The Allen House

The Allen House as it looks today. The west facade of the house faces Sunset Avenue and retains its original integrity, reflecting the Queen Anne Free Classic Style popular just after the turn of the century.
The Allen House, circa 1909. Standing on the porch, from left, are Seraphina Allen, Zachary Taylor Allen and his brother, Charles Allen. (All photos courtesy of Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission.)

Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling and the Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission on Wednesday announced the latest addition to the Edmonds Register of Historic Places: the Allen House at 310 Sunset Ave.

Zachary Taylor Allen, circa 1910.

Overlooking the spot where George Brackett first arrived in Edmonds and later set up his pioneering lumber and sawmill, the Allen House was built in 1906 for Zachary Taylor Allen. He and his wife Seraphina Van Vleet Allen raised a family and lived there for many years. Over the years they watched from their front porch as the booming shingle industry took over the waterfront and transformed Edmonds into an early 20th-century industrial powerhouse.

The view from the Allen House front porch in the early years of the century.

The Allen House now officially joins 15 other properties on the Edmonds Register of Historic Places. Homes and buildings on the register are associated with the early development of Edmonds, and retain their original architectural integrity. The Allen House is a prime example of the Queen Anne Free Classic style, which replaced the more ornate Victorian style of the late 19th century. While the rear of the house was enlarged in 1929, the facade facing Sunset Avenue is largely intact, retaining its original appearance.

“It’s a great day for Edmonds,” said Mayor Earling. “Sunset Avenue occupies a special place in the history of our town. The Allen House is one of many Sunset Avenue homes that deserve to be recognized and valued as key pieces of our heritage.”

The house remained in the Allen family for many years, with ownership passing from generation to generation. The current owners, John and Shirley Pauls, have lived in the house for 37 years.

“We moved in just after we were married in December 1975,” said Shirley Pauls. The Pauls rented for a couple of years before purchasing the home from Zachary Taylor Allen’s granddaughter.

“That makes us only the second family to live here,” she added. “We feel privileged to live in a piece of local history, and still love the place as much as the day we moved in.”

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