The Real Estate Market of 1876
A straightforward listing for a modest home on 2nd Street offers a window into the foundational land development of Seattle.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
FOR SALE: One House and one lot 60x120 feet located on 2d Street, between Seneca and University. Apply to R. J. MOORE.
“One House and one lot 60x120 feet located on 2d Street, between Seneca and University.”
This 1876 listing marks a time when the area between Seneca and University on 2nd Avenue—now the heart of Seattle’s high-rise central business district—was still being defined by individual plots and detached homes. It serves as a stark reminder of how rapidly land use in Seattle shifted from residential parcels to concentrated urban core.
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