Lettered Streets

Fire Destroy’s Historic Whatcom Middle School

Whatcom Middle School which is Bellingham’s oldest school,was badly damaged by fire this morning. The school was over 100 years old. It had been going through a major remodeling and seismic retrofit to help it withstand an earthquake. The fire was presumed to be started by the welding activity on the roof of the historic building.

The school district is scrambling to find a place to send close to 600 students Monday, and until a new school can be built as there seems to be far to  much damage to rebuild it..

You can see some of the news coverage and more information on the fire below.

Whatcom Middle School Fire

Why the Lettered Streets Continue to Rock Bellingham’s World

When you walk down A Street, G Street, any of the Lettered streets, and looking for a potential home, what are you thinking?

I’m a New Englander, I’m thinking Providence, RI, Portland, ME, parts of Conneticut, I’m thinking tight home placement, I’m thinking fixer.  Within a half of a mile on all sides, your walk includes neighborhoods as old as Bellingham, priced from” bring your convertible”, to “bring your toolbelt.  And your cousin with a truck”.

Many have in the past, taking some of the homes, (12 on the market today)  that are currently on the market, and turning homes between 1898 and 1940 into the antithesis of recent new construction, by making the best of modest square footage, inside and outside the domicile.  Most aren’t over 1400 square feet, some have updated by adding a half bathroom,  have refinished original wood floors, maybe even replaced the knob-and-tube wiring.

The Lettered Streets are the sand of the coliseum for Bellingham, i.e. this was, is, and always will be working Bellingham.  There isn’t a whole lot of granite counter top, and jetted tub going on here.  But it was close to the water, close to the rail, close to the store fronts, and provides that small town charm that drew the folks who built mansions here.

Between these homes andthe  criteria of clients, I start to rationalize, and think Would I exchange an extra bathroom to have my kids THIS close to the parks here? or Gourmet kitchen or walk to one of the 5 gazillion breakfast places in DT Bellingham this Sunday?  Which are you going to remember when you’re 80?

Is it worth the extra money?  You decide.  With most of the homes here being between $200-300,000, these are going to be more of the sales we’ll see in Bellingham this year. Check the roof, check the basement, check the fuse box, check the floors, and prioritize.

The small square footage means you’re going to be interacting with those you’re living with.  The postage stamp yard means your kids are going to have to meet other kids.

That could be great for you.  I’d be happy to help you try one on….

Lettered Streets Neighborhood

The Lettered Streets Neighborhood is located centrally, along the old waterfront of Bellingham Bay. The neighborhood was originally established as a middle-class community adjacent to the city’s downtown district. Many of the homes here were constructed in the late 1890s and the early 1900s for middle-class and working families. Homes are of varied sizes and styles, reflecting the trends from the early 1900s. Most homes are on small lots on the neighborhood’s quiet, tree-lined streets.

Today, the neighborhood is a mixture of residential and commercial areas. Many of the homes in the neighborhood are rentals. The neighborhood also has a few apartments