Landmarks staff recommends Tolleson House for Spokane Register for architectural significance

Megan Duvall, historic‑preservation presenter, reviewed the nomination for the T. H. and Bessie Tolleson House, a 1910 one‑and‑a‑half‑story craftsman‑style bungalow at 517 West Sound Avenue, and said the City’s Landmarks Commission recommends listing the property on the Spokane Register of Historic Places.

Duvall described architectural features that qualified the house under category C for "high artistic values," including the side‑gable form with dominant front and rear facing gables, decorative false half‑timbering and an extensive pargeted (textured) stucco upper‑story finish that staff said is unique in Spokane. "One of the more unique features of the Tolleson House is the pargeted stucco finish," Duvall said, explaining the textured ornamentation and noting staff were not aware of another house in Spokane with the same exterior treatment.

She described the house's interior features — hardwood floors with dark‑wood inlay, lath‑and‑plaster walls, box‑beam ceilings, various arch types in interior openings, original radiators and built‑in cabinetry — and summarized recent changes including a kitchen remodel, reconfiguration of second‑floor rooms into a primary suite with bathroom, and basement updates.

Duvall provided a brief ownership history: the house was constructed by builder James Morrison in 1910, sold to T. H. (later Thomas) Tolleson in 1911, and resold in 1919; she noted the property's high degree of exterior integrity compared with its 1910 photograph.

The Landmarks Commission reviewed the nomination at its March 19 meeting and recommended the property for the register under the architecture criterion.

Ending

Duvall closed by inviting questions; the committee had none, and staff will forward the nomination through the city's preservation process for council consideration.