John G. McFee (b. 1863) came to Seattle in 1890 and became a successful railroad contractor and businessman. In 1909, the firm of Spalding and Umbrecht designed for McFee a home sited on Highland Drive on Queen Anne Hill with a view of Seattle and Mount Rainier. It combined brick and stucco with the half-timbering of the Tudor style. One brick retaining wall and one brick terrace provided a dual base that matches the lower lines of the house.
"The interiors reflect and carry through the formality and balance of the exterior, with excellent woodwork and trim and a number of Art Nouveau fixtures" (Kriesheim). The house was featured in Homes and Gardens of the Pacific Coast published in 1913 by the Beaux Arts Society.
The residence was designated a Seattle Landmark on September 2, 1980, because of its prominence in the area and its contributions to the identity and distinctive quality of the neighborhood. Address: 524 W Highland Drive, Seattle.
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), 56.
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