Edith Macefield’s House

💡 4 things to know

1. Bought from her motherAccording to Linda Holden Givens's People's History essay on HistoryLink, Macefield bought the house from her mother on 20 June 1952. HistoryLink notes that these essays are not verified by it. Source Reported
2. Offers she turned downAccording to the HistoryLink essay, developers offered $750,000 and later $1,000,000 for the house. Source Reported
3. A friend on the building siteProject superintendent Barry Martin befriended her, and her will left him the house and its contents. She died on 15 June 2008. Source Reported
4. Up for leaseMy Ballard reported on 14 May 2024 that the house was up for lease; the broker hoped it might become a café. The report does not say a conversion happened. Source Reported

📍 Where it is

🗓️ Sightings

1. 200820 Jul

   Ben Tesch photographs the house with the development around it

2. 2015Jun

   HistoryLink photographs of the house (essay posted 24 Jul 2015)

3. 202414 May

   My Ballard reports the house is up for lease

4. 202629 Sep

   Parade reports the house still stands

Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark loss. Publication dates are not camera dates.

🗞️ In the sources

✅ The facts

Address

1438 NW 46th Street, Seattle Source Source Source Checked

Built

1900, according to HistoryLink (citing the King County assessor) and Parade Source Source Reported

Resident

Edith Macefield Source Source Checked

Bought

1952, from her mother, according to HistoryLink and Parade Source Source Reported

Offers

$750,000, later $1,000,000, according to HistoryLink Source Reported

Lease

Offered for lease in May 2024; no conversion reported Source Reported

🔗 Related

• Houses in the Wrong Place (12 Photos vol. 2) — Street Art Utopia
• Houses in the Wrong Place (10 Photos) — Street Art Utopia
• HistoryLink: Edith Macefield and her Ballard house
• All Artwork Files

Last checked: 31 October 2026. How we verify art