Designed by architects Bullard & Haywood and built by Lemuel T. Root in 1892, there were originally twelve Queen Anne homes on this block, that were nicknamed “the twelve apostles”. The “apostles” were built for Tacoma mover and shaker, A. C. Mason, in what is now the North Slope Historic District. In the 1960’s, the Tacoma Housing Authority razed 10 of the “apostles”, leaving these last two. Mr. Mason came to Tacoma in 1883 and went into the real estate business. Buying land along Commencement Bay in the North End of Tacoma, he later built houses there. Mr Root built more than sixty houses in Tacoma.