HomeAbout The North SlopeNational Historic Dist.Trolley Times ArchiveNorth Slope ParkLandmarks Commiss.SafetyVolunteerHouse Style/ColorsWine With Neighbors2007 Summer EventsOktoberfest 2005Contact/NSHD BoardCall 2 Haul (Free!)

About The North Slope Historic District

 

 

The North Slope Historic District is a trapezoidal-shaped district bounded by North I Street to the north, Division Avenue to the east, and N Steele Street to the west. North Grant Avenue caps off the south end of the district. The North Slope has 1,285 resources and is the state’s largest historic district. The next largest is Port Townsend with 760 contributing resources.

 

The District was settled primarily as a residential neighborhood and contains a wide variety of architectural styles including Stick Style, Queen Anne, American Foursquare, Craftsman, Tudor Revival, and Mission Revival. Within it you will find many churches, apartments, and a few business/commercial areas. 


The neighborhood developed over time and it is common to find structures built as early as 1900 standing beside structures built 20, 30 and 50 years later. There were three building booms within the district: 1888 to 1893, 1902 to 1915, and 1919 to 1929. Nearly 80 percent of the homes were built prior to 1930.

Tacoma’s North Slope Historic District is a cohesive neighborhood that represents the social and economic history of Tacoma. The district represents a cross culture of individuals, both famous and ordinary, whose skills and talents contributed to the development and growth of the city. The early residents included professionals, business proprietors, railroad employees, independent trade people, and celebrities, all living in a close-knit neighborhood.

The district embodies the distinctive characteristics of residential development in Tacoma. Many of these dwellings represent the work of a master craftsmen and architects. The period of significance for the district runs from 1881 to 1955. In 1955 the City of Tacoma changed zoning laws that allowed some of the neighborhood’s older homes to be demolished and replaced by apartment buildings.  

 

The North Slope Historic District is listed on the Tacoma Register of Historic Places, Washington State Heritage Register, and the National Register of Historic Places. 

 

Street Signs

 

Street signs mark the extent of the North Slope Historic District,

which extends from North I Street to North Grant Avenue, and

between Division Avenue and Steele Street.  This is the angle

where Tacoma's street grid adjusts to follow the shoreline and

link Old Town, developed in the 1870s, with New Tacoma

which was built to meet the railroad line in the 1890s.