COUNTRY CLUB OF SEATTLE

I represented the owners of one of finest summer homes in Puget Sound, with unparalleled city, water and mountain views that stretch from the Olympics to the Cascades.

With an asking price of $2,750,000, the property sold for

$3,025,000

Built by Carl Gould for William H. McEwan in 1915, and lovingly cared for by McEwan descendants through four generations, this Restoration Point waterfront home offers a unique lifestyle in Seattle’s oldest private country club. Membership owns and maintains approximately 230 acres that include a mile of private beach, tennis and basketball courts, a swimming pool, a nine-hole golf course, a clubhouse and a dock with private moorings.

Architect Gould, a master of classic revival styles, designed it as a Georgian-influenced summer house. The 7,572-sq-ft structure retains its original integrity and character, both inside and out. It has pale gray shingled walls softened by wisteria-draped lattice, a detail favored by Gould. Other exterior features include a cedar shake roof with wide overhanging eaves and a portico supported by Doric columns.

In addition to being remembered for having designed some of the Seattle area’s most distinguished residences, Carl Gould is revered for having founded the School of Architecture at the University of Washington and for designing 18 buildings on the campus, including Suzzallo Library and iconic Anderson Hall. Gould had a particular fondness for Bainbridge Island and in fact built his own home nearby.

A historic showplace

The interiors of the home have a light, airy quality and romantic feel, thanks to abundant, large scale windows. A large picture window frames Blakely Rock and Mt. Baker. Gould used wood lavishly throughout the house, and the living room has wainscot walls, a beamed ceiling and oak floors. There are two identical, over-sized brick fireplaces at each end of the 60-ft wide room, with panels above each fireplace commissioned from noted painter Paul Gustin. Two sets of French doors open to a full-width deck overlooking the back lawn and waterfront with panoramic water and mountain vistas.

At one end of the living room, there is an alcove with shelf-lined walls and windows looking out on the front lawn and gardens. Nearby, French doors open to what was once a screen porch with a fireplace. Its walls are now glass, allowing the space to be used year-round. Sliding doors provide access to both the water-facing deck and a sunny terrace that looks out on the front lawn.

French doors on the opposite side of the living room open to a beautiful formal dining room where windows on three walls bring in dramatic views – water, mountain and Seattle skyscrapers by day, glittering city skyline lights at night. The fireplace is adorned with a tile surround and another Gustin painting. The room also features Ionic pilasters, lattice detailing and a mirrored arched door that conceals a storage closet.

A butler’s pantry with more storage cabinetry connects the dining room with a sunny kitchen. Warmed by a wood-burning stove, the kitchen has windows looking out on the front gardens and a pantry that affords access to the front yard and a shed for firewood. A powder room is positioned off the kitchen. Laundry facilities are located in the butler’s pantry.

Abundant sleeping quarters are located on the home’s upper and lower levels. A split staircase with a shelf-lined area and telephone desk at its landing leads to the upper level. The upstairs master suite offers a bedroom and a separate sitting room with a fireplace. The master bath enjoys spectacular water and downtown views. Two more bedrooms with private sitting rooms share a full bath. One of these bedrooms has water views, while the other looks out on the front gardens. Two other bedrooms, both with lovely views, share a full bath with a water closet. The hallway is lined with closets and cabinets for linen storage.

More sleeping quarters are located on the lower level. A second master suite with a three-quarter bath adjoins a library with a fireplace, a room that could function as a media room. A door in the library provides access to a deck with stairs leading to the main level. Three additional bedrooms and an office/study are served by a full bath and a powder room. All downstairs rooms have water views.

Grounds for a unique lifestyle

This idyllic property, which offers the ultimate in island living, represents a rare opportunity for the discerning buyer.
Beyond a lattice fence and with a gated, vine-draped arbor lies a level front lawn bordered by a circular gravel drive and dogwood, hydrangea and rhododendron. A sundial stands at the center of the lawn, while two garden pavilions anchor each side of it. A brick walkway lined with boxwood bisects the lawn and leads to the main entry with a wide Dutch door.

The bottom level of the house has rooms that once functioned as washing and drying rooms for laundry. Nowadays, these spaces are perfect for storing kayaks, water skis and other recreational equipment. A set of stairs provide this level access to the back lawn.

The property occupies one of the most desirable spots within ‘The Country Club of Seattle,’ which in turn has a rich history. There are miles of walking trails as well as a barn, pasture and bridle trails for horses. The clubhouse provides an inviting place for residents to gather for dances, Fourth of July and Labor Day activities, weddings and more.

The home is up a long drive that winds through a serene woodland setting past other homes, tennis courts and the horse barn. It is one of 18 in the Country Club, with a prime location to take full advantage of its spectacular island setting.

Country Club History

It is fair to say the land occupied by the Country Club is one of the most historic locales in the region because the southeast jut of Bainbridge Island known as Restoration Point lies within its boundaries. Restoration Point was named in 1792 by Capt. George Vancouver, the Englishman who was among the first Europeans to explore the waters now called Puget Sound.

A hundred years later, a group of young Seattle bachelors was sailing in those waters with the mission of finding a destination suitable for a weekend retreat. They purchased a small portion of the acreage that is occupied by the Country Club, including the point and the bluff above it. There, they built a dormitory/dining hall that is now serves as the Clubhouse. Over the next few years, they acquired more land and extended invitations to other friends to join them. By the early 1900’s, most of the homes that exist now had been built, and the Country Club had established itself as the appealing community with resort-like amenities it is today.

The Country Club is only ten minutes from the charming town of Winslow, which has shops, restaurants and a new art museum. From Winslow’s dock, ferries make the frequent half-hour voyage across of Puget Sound, linking Bainbridge Island with downtown Seattle.