Seattle still has some good examples of novelty and vernacular architecture in South Seattle, through White Center, Burien, West Seattle, Renton, Des Moines and along the old Highway 99 out towards Tacoma.
There are few remnants of vernacular architecture located in the aptly named village of “Top Hat”, located between White Center and Burien. The ol’ Top Hat is now a transmission service.
This is the old XXX Rootbeer Stand. Bombay Grill uses the old barrel as their advertising stand, which is perfect. Glad they kept it and didn’t tear it down!
Zady Evans Vagabond Wedding Chapel and Answering Service is still there, though I think poor Zady herself is probably long gone. She lived upstairs and had her pink, purple and turquoise answering service (with the bank of blue phones) and her wedding chapel with the AstroTurf floors in the basement.
Here’s a random house with some fun sculpture near the little lake behind Cascade Middle School.
South Seattle Novelty and Vernacular Architecture
