Historic Seattle Advocacy Committee member Paul Slane participated in the April 23, 2005 Landmarks Nomination Workshop so he could learn how to save the 1904 Cooper House slated for demolition at 225-227 Fourteenth Street E. in Capitol Hill. Paul lives nearby and noticed the yellow "Master Use Permit" application sign on the property while walking his dog. A retired Boeing missile parts procurement specialist, he called Historic Seattle to see what could be done to save this unusual property and was directed to attend the Landmarks Nomination workshop. He then spent all summer researching and writing his nomination which was reviewed at the City's Landmarks Preservation Board on September 21, and designated a City landmark on November 2, 2005. Paul's diligent efforts were rewarded with spontaneous applause from the Board members and Historic Seattle is especially proud of his accomplishment.

In 1900, Seattle real estate developer James Moore acquired 160 acres of land and began selling 800 building lots in the subdivision he called Capitol Hill the following year. Moore imposed restrictive covenants to preserve a high quality residential character. Examples of Tudor Revival, Queen Anne, Craftsman Box, Classic Revival, and Dutch Colonial can be found in Moore’s Capitol Hill Addition. The homes are a mixture of architect designed and pattern book-builder inspired houses. The Cooper House is an anomaly for its neighborhood since it incorporates imaginative Neo-Classical style detailing.

There were no apartment buildings in the immediate area and the 1909 Cooper House was additionally unusual because it was originally designed as a duplex. To overcome prejudices against apartment living which people associated with housing for the poor, builders offered well-crafted interiors and exteriors. Property owner John O. Cooper first applied for a building permit in April, 1902 for a duplex design with an estimated construction cost of $5,000. Insurance salesman and mining entrepreneur Cooper lived two blocks south and moved into the upper apartment of the duplex with his wife when construction was completed in 1904. They departed Seattle by 1914 after selling the property to John E. Minkler whose father was prominent in Skagit County history. Minkler family members owned and rented the Cooper House until 1958.

The Cooper House design and construction is attributed to Seattle architect and builder Fred L. Fehren. Although there is no written record linking Fehren with the Cooper House, a virtually identical building located at 432-434 17th Avenue East, features the same columns, capitals, pilaster placement and style, semi-circular portico with second floor balcony with balustrades, and entryway configuration. The permit for 432-434 17th Avenue East noted that Fehren & Co filed the plans. An October 1905 issue of The Coast had an article entitled "Seattle Architecturally" which stated that the Fehren Company had built over 700 houses from 1900 to 1905.

Paul Slane's research and writing effort to landmark the Cooper House and stop its demolition did not stop with the designation. He has been working with the present owner, developer, and banker to enable them to sensitively rehabilitate the house to feature market-rate condominiums instead of demolishing and building new construction. Initially wary of Paul's efforts, they have concluded that his lack of financial interest in the property enables him to approach the adaptive reuse of the site, along with neighbor concerns and parking issues, with an unusual degree of clarity. Historic Seattle's Landmark Nomination Workshops are offered twice each year with the goal of creating several Paul Slanes from each one. Please visit Historic Seattle's website Landmark Nomination Workshops to learn more about these workshops and how you can participate.

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