Community Corner
The Beautiful Allen House on Sunset Now a Beautiful Historic House
Mayor Dave Earling is on hand as the stately 106-year-old residence is placed on the Edmonds Register of Historic Places.
After Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling helped dedicate with words, he picked up a screwdriver.
With the help of owner John Pauls, Earling screwed in a plaque officially announcing the newest member of the register, the Allen House at 310 Sunset Ave.
"It's a great day for Edmonds," said 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."
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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 forged Edmonds into an early 20th century industrial powerhouse.
The Allen House now officially joins 15 other properties on the Edmonds Register of Historic Places.
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(For a full list of the 15 structures on the register, see the attached PDF file.)
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.
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."