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.

This beautiful Neo-Colonial home in the North Slope Historic District was designed and built in 1895 by William Bullard, one of Tacoma’s first architects. This was Mr. Bullard’s home and he married his wife, Anna Heath here. Miss Heath was a member of the Tacoma School Board, a teacher and an early principal of Lincoln High School

This North Slope Historic District home home was built for Henry Rhodes in 1901. Originally designed by Spalding, Russel & Heath, in 1907 Frederick Heath designed the three-story addition on the north side of the home. Henry Rhodes came to Tacoma in 1890 with his two brothers, Albert and Charles and opened a tea and coffee shop. This enterprise grew into the Rhodes Brothers Department store. The department store was Washington’s first and for many years, the largest department store in the state. Mr Rhodes later established and headed the Rainer National Park Corporation that built the Paradise Lodge that is still in use today. He was also involved in building the Winthrop Hotel and the Medical Arts Building.

Designed and built in 1895 by the Cornell Brothers for William Ferguson, this home is a Neo-Colonial in style.  Mr. Ferguson came to Tacoma from Ireland in 1890 and was one of the founders of First Presbyterian Church.  In 1941, the home became a sanitarium, as did the neighboring home in 1948.  Large additions were added to both homes in the 1960’s.  After many years of medical use, in 2006, the last business moved.  The North Slope Historic District then  convinced the owner of the buildings to remove the additions and return the buildings into residences.  Both houses are now restored to their former glory!

This Four-Square was designed by Proctor and Farrell, (and yes, the Proctor District was named after this architect, John Proctor) in 1903 for Ernest Lister, who
was to become the eighth governor of Washington. Lister was elected governor in 1913, the first Democrat to hold the office in more than 12 years. He was re-elected in 1917 but suffered a heart attack in 1919 and died in office at age 48. Tacoma was at the zenith of political power at this time with the Chief Justice, the Speaker of the House and the Lt. Governor all living in Tacoma in the North Slope Historic District