Seattle Landmarks: Brace/Moriarty House (1904)

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Address: 170 Prospect Street, Seattle. Lumberman John Stuart Brace (1861-1918) used his own company, Brace and Hergert Mill, to construct a palatial home on the south slope of Queen Anne Hill in 1904. The firm of Kerr and Rogers designed the two-and-a-half story home in the mission style, one of the first of that type in Seattle. Seven arched openings for a recessed porch reflect the influence of architect Louis H. Sullivan (1856-1924).

John Brace started in the lumber business in Spokane in 1878, and he moved to Seattle in 1888. He served as a Seattle alderman from 1892 to 1894 and as president of the Lake Washington Ship Canal Association. One of his companies did much of the work on the Lake Washington Ship Canal. During a time when his business was suffering, Brace rented the house to the French government as a consulate.

Because of its prominent location, its unique style, and its contribution to the character of the neighborhood, the Brace House was designated a Seattle Landmark by the city council on December 22, 1980.

Sources:
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, Landmarks Preservation Board, 700 Third Avenue, 4th Floor, Seattle, Washington; Lawrence Kreisman, Made to Last: Historic Preservation in Seattle and King County, (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1999), 55.

By Dave Wilma, April 17, 2001

This file made possible by:
The SCHOONER Project:
The Hon. Jan Drago
Seattle City Council
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods

Brace/Moriarty House, Queen Anne Hill, Seattle, 2001
Photo by David Wilma

Interior of Brace/Moriarty home (Kerr & Rogers, 1904), Seattle, ca. 1913
Courtesy John and Marta Brace