The Mystery of the Black Maple
It is quite likely that a 130 year-old Black Maple (Acer nigrum) stands on the corner of West Aloha St and 1st Avenue West. There are no doubt older trees still standing on Queen Anne, but there can’t be many.
But first, let’s retrace our steps to 1874. George Kinnear (1836-1912), then living in Illinois, visited Seattle and purchased what is now known as the G. Kinnear addition, wooded land on the south slope of what is now known as Queen Anne Hill. Four years later, he returned with his wife, Angeline (Angie) and their family. George Kinnear was actively involved in early real estate, notably on Queen Anne, whose values, even then, rose rapidly. He platted and developed most of his property as home sites.
In setting the tone for houses they wanted built on Queen Anne, the Kinnears fashioned a stately mansion on two and a half acres of what would become 809 Queen Anne Ave N. The home, built in the classic Queen Anne style, was completed circa 1888 and eventually included gardens that were “very extensive and well laid out, with beautiful flowers, winding paths, and fountains, a miniature park in itself.”[1]
Photo of the Kinnear House (destroyed), 1900, looking northeast.
The house eventually passed to George and Angie’s son, Charles who lived there until his death in 1956. In Charles’ last will and testament, he donated the land and buildings (there was a cottage and carriage house as well) to the First Methodist Church of Seattle. “The church shall hold and use the property for church purposes, such as a parsonage, children or old people’s home…or similar purpose...The present building may be razed to make way for a more suitable structure.”[2]
Enter Bayview Manor. “The Methodists created a not-for-profit to run the retirement home. The Church worked with the community to build the ten-story residential community which opened in 1961. The original Bayview building was designed by John Graham & Co while John Graham Jr was still practicing.”[3]
“The Mansion was demolished in 1958, and Bayview Manor was built on its site in 1961…Many large Maple and evergreen trees on the Bayview property were originally planted by the Kinnears on their estate.”[4]
Photo Bayview Manor, looking southeast, photo by Dudley, Hardin & Yang, Inc. Courtesy of John Graham and Company and Bayview Retirement Community. Circa 1961.
“If the Kinnear home expressed the essence of the Queen Anne style, the retirement home did the same for what is known as mid-century modern.”3 To study the 1960’s architecture, one would need to look around the tree in the foreground…the Black Maple tree. (Did you think I’d forgotten my topic?)
The same, even more mature (60+ years older) Black Maple tree is in the foreground of this contemporary photo.
Photo of Bayview Retirement Community and the Black Maple, looking southeast. Photo by author. June 2024.
So, can we draw an irrefutable line from the “Maple…trees” planted by the Kinnears on their original estate to this, our beautiful Black Maple? That is a stretch, however what we do know is the tree in the circa 1961 Bayview photo could certainly be 70 years old, and it is definitely the same tree that stands there today, which would make it approximately 130 years of age. Additionally, the height of a mature Black Maple is 60-75 feet[5] and our maple is approximately 70 feet. There are strong indications that this tree may indeed have been planted by the Kinnears, but in any case it is a wonderful, beloved tree that has witnessed many changes and will surely stand to see many more.
Another interesting side note is that Black Maples are not native to Washington (and are unusual here) but are native to Ohio and Indiana, where George Kinnear was born and raised. Perhaps, and this is pure speculation, George was familiar with the tree and intentionally imported it to his new home on Queen Anne. One does wonder?
The Black Maple in fall color as seen from inside Bayview, looking northwest. Photo by Janey Smith. October 2023.
A special thank you to Bayview Retirement Community. We are most grateful for the 25 years they hosted our organization’s office and now a few years later are hosting our board meetings. It adds a special sparkle to our meetings. Additionally, it was a contact from Susan F. of their Garden Committee about the Maple that started me down this delightful rabbit hole.
And lastly, one may note the resemblance of the Kinnear Mansion and our logo.
[1] Homes and Gardens of the Pacific Coast, Vol. 1 Seattle [Calvert, Frank; Ditty, T. Ross (Editors)], originally published by Beaux Arts Society Publishers in 1913.
[2] Last Will and Testament of Charles A. Kinnear, dated December 9, 1953, copied at King County Court House from microfilm copy of his estate file.
[3] Bayview Reinvents Itself, by Michael Herschensohn, publish on the Queen Anne Historical Society website March 21, 2017.
[4] George Kinnear and His Mansion, author unknown. From the QAHS Bayview History Wall, 2012.
[5] Black Maple, The Morton Arboretum https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/black-maple/