817 North J Street (1889)

Built in 1889, this Stick style house was the home of John and Virginia Mason. Mason, a native of Illinois, enlisted with the Chicago Mercantile Battery of artillery at the outbreak of the War between the States. He served in General Sherman’s first attack on Vicksburg, Mississippi. He was eventually drafted into the military telegraph service. After the war he returned to telegraph service in Chicago and became the chief dispatcher for the Wabash Railroad line. In 1888 Mr. Mason arrived in Tacoma as assistant superintendent for the Northern Pacific Railway.

Virginia Mason was an early suffragette, helping to make Washington one of the first four states to adopt women’s suffrage. She helped establish the Franke Tobey Jones retirement home. The couple were also active members of First Congregational Church. The house later became the home of Judge John W. Linck. Judge Linck, a native of Illinois, was appointed by President Harrison as a special agent of the United States Treasury Department for the Western Region in 1889. He moved to Tacoma in 1897. Active in Tacoma, he founded the first juvenile court in Tacoma in 1907. He was also one of the first people in Tacoma to support pensions for city firemen.¹

Courtesy of Tacoma Historical Society:

"This Victorian home of 2,846 square feet was built for John and Virginia Mason in 1889, a year after the couple arrived in Ta­coma from Illinois. A Civil War veteran and military telegraph operator, John returned to Chicago and rose to become chief dispatcher for the Wabash Railroad. He came to Tacoma as assistant superintendent for the Northern Pacific Railway. In 1895 he joined Western Union as inspector for the Tacoma district. Virginia was active in civic affairs, including the women's suffrage movement and, later, as a leader in the establishment of the Franke Tobey Jones retirement community. The Masons lived in the home until 1896. 

"John W. Linck and his wife Eva pur­chased the home in 1901. A native of Indi­ana, John Linck was an attorney and held several federal appointments, including spe­cial agent of the Treasury Department under Presidents Harrison and McKinley. He was transferred from Tampa, Florida, to Tacoma in 1888. After 1900 he served as local police judge and justice of the peace. He was elect­ed mayor of Tacoma in 1908. Judge Linck returned to the bench in 1910 when his term as mayor ended. 

"From 1913 to 1915 Rev. and Mrs. Mur­dock McLeod rented the home from the Lincks, when they moved to Steilacoom. Rev. McLeod was the pastor of First Presby­terian Church. In March 1915 a bundled up, three-week-old baby was left on the front lawn with an accompanying note that con­cluded: "We hope you are gaining and are well, and thank kind Dr. McLeod with all our hearts." The parents were never located, and the child was raised at the Children's In­dustrial Home in Tacoma's Oakland district. 

"The home's exterior retains its ornate walk-around porch. Jay and Julie Turner, who purchased the home in 1978, have done extensive renovations of the interior. Ornate woodwork and maple floors in the entry, living room, parlor, and dining room add an elegant look. The entry retains the original oak turned post and ban­nister. French doors lead to the living room, which has bay windows at the front and side and a large fireplace. The parlor has a mural and paneling on one wall. The spacious din­ing room retains its original comer cabinets. 

"The home was expanded rearward (about 1907), providing space for a half bath and laundry room (where the back en­try was originally located), a large kitchen, and a maid's room on the second floor. The upstairs master suite has its own sitting area and fireplace. The bay windows match those on the first floor. A full bath adjoins the mas­ter suite. The main bath has a claw tub. The guest bedroom has a walk-in closet. The upstairs retains much of the original wood­work and hardware."²

1. A Walking Tour of the North Slope Historic District. Tacoma, WA. Historic Tacoma, 2008.
2. Historic Homes of Tacoma Tour 2015. Tacoma, WA. Tacoma Historical Society, 2015.