901 & 903 North K Street (1892)

These two handsome Queen Anne homes are all that remains of twelve similar homes nicknamed “the twelve apostles.” Sadly, the Tacoma Housing Authority razed the other 10 “apostles” in the 1960s. They were designed by architects Bullard & Haywood in 1892 for Tacoma tycoon Allen C. Mason. Lemuel T. Root was the building contractor for the houses, and was responsible for more than sixty residences in Tacoma.

These two handsome Queen Anne homes are all that remains of twelve similar homes nicknamed “the twelve apostles.” Sadly, the Tacoma Housing Authority razed the other 10 “apostles” in the 1960s. They were designed by architects Bullard & Haywood in 1892 for Tacoma tycoon Allen C. Mason.

Lemuel T. Root was the building contractor for the houses, and was responsible for more than sixty residences in Tacoma. Root later attended a Baptist seminary in Kentucky and was pastor of many churches in the Northwest. The last building he constructed was the Baptist Church in Hoquiam. He is buried in the Old Tacoma Cemetery.

Allen C. Mason came to Tacoma in 1883 with about $2.50 and quickly went into the real estate business. He eventually bought land along the bay in North Tacoma and built houses there. He built the first bridges across the gulches on North I and Proctor streets and gave them to the city so that streetcars could bring buyers to his properties. He was also heavily involved in electric and gas utilities. He was part owner of the Tacoma Hotel and gave the money to build the Elks Building. He had business interests throughout the Northwest

A Walking Tour of the North Slope Historic District. Tacoma, WA. Historic Tacoma Press, 2008.