My Ballard » Edith Macefield

Macefield becoming household name in China

Geeky Swedes — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:50:07 +0000

Edith Macefield did not back down when developers tried to buy her house, forcing them to build around it. Now, a year and a half since she passed away, Ballard’s biggest hold-out is becoming a household name in China.

Developers in China wanted to demolish a woman’s house to make room for a road, but she refused when she was offered a price below market value, reports TofuWatch.com. Her story has a tragic ending — the home was demolished and she committed suicide — sparking outrage in the country. Much of the fallout compares the tragedy with Ballard’s own Edith Macefield and this line in our 5th Amendment: “Nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.” Brad Wong of TofuWatch writes that there’s some movement toward a similar law in China.

Transformation begins at the future ‘Credo Square’

Geeky Swedes — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:04:26 +0000

The interior demolition of Edith Macefield’s old house is almost complete.

We talked with Greg Pinneo, the new owner, who says that they plan to renovate the house and bring all the systems up to code. The facade will remain the same but the interior and floor plan will be completely changed. Crews will do everything up to taping the sheet rock. The house will shake when it gets elevated, so Pinneo says they’ll do the finishing touches once it’s off the ground.

Plans are to make the house into an office for one of his businesses before the major task of transitioning it into Credo Square. (Thanks Chris for the tip!)

Inside story of the sale of Edith Macefield’s home

Geeky Swedes — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:11:35 +0000

Three and half years after offering $1 million for Edith Macefield’s home, the same developers offered owner Barry Martin $275,000 for the small house, Martin says. But he decided to take a $310,000 offer from Reach Returns, leaving the Ballard Blocks developers empty-handed once again. “The thing that struck me the most is he understood what Edith was doing,” Martin said of Reach Returns co-founder Greg Pinneo. “He gets it.” (See earlier story: Edith Macefield’s house sold, to be elevated.)

The deal came together when Martin discovered an old letter from Pinneo in an envelope Edith kept of real estate inquiries. “I went through them and called four or five of them,” Martin said, but Pinneo was the only interested buyer. With an offer from the Ballard Blocks developer on the table, and a new offer from Pinneo in hand, Martin said he remembered seeing a story about the Edith Macefield tattoos. “I’m thinking, what a bunch of whack jobs,” he said. But as he heard from the people who wore the tattoos, he said he realized the depth of affection the neighborhood has for Edith’s memory. “She wasn’t doing anything other than being deliberate about what she wanted, which was to be left alone, live and die, there in her house.” He then decided to sell to Pinneo.

“She made us all look right in the mirror and ask the hard questions,” Pinneo says. “I’ve never met her, but I feel connected to her because she lived her credo, lived her philosophy. I felt compelled to let this deep thinking live on.” As for Martin, he says he’s relieved it’s over. “She got into my head pretty good,” he said. “I feel good about it, and I think that she would, too.” He said he’s also looking forward to Reach Return’s bold plans for the property, although he wonders how it’s structurally going to come together. “I’m kind of excited,” he said. “Part of me thinks Edith would be thrilled about it.” As for the money, Martin says it’s going to a good cause: putting his two kids through college.

Edith Macefield’s house sold, to be elevated

Geeky Swedes — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:17:29 +0000

Updated: The small house that Edith Macefield refused to sell for nearly $1 million has sold to a local company best known for its motivational seminars. The new owners, Reach Returns, say that they’ll keep the home, but elevate it off the ground in a surprising new development called “Credo Square.”

The plan is to preserve Edith’s home, “keeping the outdoor appearance identical,” and elevate it to the height of surrounding commercial buildings. Inside, the home will be remodeled and used as office space. Underneath, Reach Returns says it will create a two-level open space that will be open to the public during regular business hours. Credo Square will feature plants and flowing water, and it will be surrounded by tiles that can be purchased (for $250 on up) featuring your own name and “credo.”

Here’s a sketch of the project. “The Edith Macefield story challenged many people to ask themselves the hard questions,” says Reach Returns co-founder Greg Pinneo. “The challenge she delivered so resembles the message of Reach Returns that we were compelled to find a way to keep the challenge alive. The home needs to be elevated literally and philosophically.”

Pinneo said he’ll move quickly now on securing the necessary permits, which will involve weighing the house to determine how much steel is required to hold it up. “We’re committed in whole heart to the project,” he says, adding that it’s not as complicated as it looks to build.

The Edith Macefield story has grabbed national headlines since the 86-year-old Ballard woman refused to sell, leaving construction crews to build a five-story development around her. Just in May, Disney used the home in a PR stunt to promote the new animated feature, “Up,” which closely mirrors Edith’s story. And for some Ballard residents, Edith has become an indelible part of our neighborhood’s history. “If someone could turn (her home) into something that brings folks together, that would be a great use of the place,” wrote one My Ballard reader several months ago. “I’d hate to see it just get torn down.”

Short-lived Disney PR stunt at Edith’s home

Geeky Swedes — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:27:41 +0000

Update: If you drove by Edith Macefield’s old home just after 9 this morning, you saw a big bundle of balloons soaring above it.

Turns out, it was a publicity stunt for the Disney movie “Up,” which is about an elderly man who flees the encroaching city by soaring away — inside his house — under thousands of helium balloons.

But today’s promotion didn’t last long. The balloons were pulled down a couple hours later after they started popping in the wind, Disney tells us. By the way, the fact that Edith’s story mirrors the movie isn’t a new idea: My Ballard reader Josh made the connection in August of last year, and we posted a blurb about it. (Thanks Jonathan for today’s photo!)

Few of Edith’s belongings go to needy family

Geeky Swedes — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:56:26 +0000

A kitchen table, two dressers and an ironing board were among the few belongings moved out of Edith Macefield’s home today. Barry Martin, who’s now tending to Edith’s estate, said he gave them to the family of a longtime friend of Edith who had recently fallen on tough times. “Edith would’ve liked it that way,” he said, standing in front of the small, white house on NW 46th St. “Seems like that’s what’s supposed to happen.”

Martin says he knows he’ll have to move the rest of Edith’s belongings soon. “There’s a few things in there I plan on taking for myself, but I can’t,” he said. “I’m still struggling with it.” He did take one thing with him today: a porcelain clown, which he remembers seeing when he visited her every day.

Martin said his construction work as a superintendent on the Ballard Blocks I development is nearing completion, and he still plans to sell Edith’s house, but doesn’t know exactly when. And what about suggestions to turn the property into a memorial? Or park? “To try to do some kind of memorial, she would think that was silly,” he said. “To turn it into a park, well down here it would just turn into a public restroom.” He said Edith told him that she didn’t care about the house. “She said it really doesn’t matter,” Martin said. “She said in 20 years from now, they’ll tear this whole building down and build something new…. She just really wanted it to kind of go away.” (Thanks Daniel for the tip!)

Last August: Construction chief tending to Edith’s estate

Updates: Edith tattoos, Hi-Life fire, raccoon

Geeky Swedes — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:28:08 +0000

A couple quick updates to two stories from the last few days…

- After our story on the “Edith Macefield’s Army” tattoos, three TV stations aired the story. Curtis at Anchor Tattoo tells us that two more people have asked about getting the tattoo — including a woman in Shoreline who lived in Ballard for 30 years — adding to his waiting list of several others.

- The Hi-Life is still closed after Wednesday’s kitchen fire. The blaze was up inside the flue of a cooking range, and it’s taking several days to fix. The restaurant says it expects to open sometime mid to late this coming week.

- That raccoon that had taken up residence in a crows nest, is no longer there.

Edith Macefield’s army of tattoos

Geeky Swedes — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:35:43 +0000

Edith Macefield will always be remembered as the Ballard woman who didn’t give in to the big developer. Even when offered nearly a million bucks for her small house on NW 46th St., she refused to move. Cement walls went up around her with construction workers jackhammering from morning to evening.

Her determination to live the rest of her life in the place that she called home struck a cord with people throughout Ballard. Curtis, the owner of Anchor Tattoo on Market St., was recently talking to a friend of his about Edith’s legacy. They love what she stands for and decided to create a tattoo in her honor. They chose the obvious symbol: her house.

They jokingly coined themselves “Edith Macefield’s Army.”

Curtis says that 7 or 8 people have come in to get the tattoo.

Joe is one of them. He works at a Ballard coffee shop, and he says that while he likes his new tattoo, he knows that some people may criticize the message it sends. To them he says, “If they don’t like it, it’s not for them.” Which sounds strikingly similar to Edith herself, who notoriously said, “I liked the old Ballard. The new one — you can have it.” Edith passed away inside her tiny home last June, but her army is growing one tattoo at a time. (Thanks Kevin for the tip!)

No decision yet on Edith Macefield’s house

Geeky Swedes — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:42:47 +0000

Now that LA Fitness and Trader Joe’s are open for business, Edith Macefield’s old home still sits untouched, surrounded by the Ballard Blocks development. “Pretty soon I’m going to have to start making a decision on what I’m going to do,” construction superintendent Barry Martin told SeattlePI.com. “I’m not really ready for that, because what do you do with somebody else’s stuff?”

Macefield willed the house to Martin before she died last June, and he has said he intends to sell it to help pay for his daughters’ college education.

Inheritor of Edith’s house not ready to sell (yet)

Geeky Swedes — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:01:27 +0000

As the New York Times reported a few weeks ago, construction superintendent Barry Martin said he planned to sell Edith Macefield’s old home. But according to a new story by KOMO 4, Martin says he’s not quite ready yet. “As soon as something happens to it, that means closure and I don’t know that I’m ready,” he said. Martin said he hasn’t put a price tag on the house yet, and he has not received any offers. (Thanks for the link Judy!)

Edith Macefield’s old home to go up for sale

Geeky Swedes — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 22:49:42 +0000

Today the New York Times posted a story about Edith Macefield and her standoff with developers. A little after the fact, but it includes two new tidbits of information. Barry Martin, the construction chief who took care of Edith in her final days and was willed her house, says he plans to sell it to help pay for his daughters’ college education. “I am going to benefit,” Martin told the NY Times reporter, tears in his eyes. “And that’s the dilemma.”

No word on when the house will go on the market. And the second tidbit of information: Edith had written a short novel about post-World War I Europe, and it was published in 1994 under the pen name Domilini.

Last week: Graffiti at Edith’s old home protests LA Fitness

Spray-painted messages protest LA Fitness

Geeky Swedes — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:00:29 +0000

We’ve written before about how LA Fitness’ introduction to the neighborhood hasn’t been entirely popular, partly because it’s located right next to the symbol of Old Ballard, Edith Macefield’s old home. And now there’s this:

The messages spray-painted on the gates on either side of the house read, “LA Fitness killed Edith” and “Save Ballard.” We drove by tonight and they were painted over. “LiveSimply,” who happened upon the scene on Sunday and sent us the photo, also wrote her thoughts about the juxtaposition of LA and Old Ballard in the forum right here. Edith died of natural causes in June at the ripe old age of 86, and the fate of her home — which was built around by developers — is still unclear. LA Fitness is due to open in the next few weeks.

Construction chief tending to Edith’s estate

Geeky Swedes — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 04:43:17 +0000

There’s a follow-up on Edith Macefield’s will and the future plans for her home, which is surrounded by the Trader Joe’s construction project on 46th St. As suspected, Edith left construction superintendent Barry Martin in charge of her estate. The Seattle PI reports:

As to the house, Martin said its future remains unknown. “There wasn’t anything spelled out to save it for posterity,” Martin said. “As a matter of fact, she just wanted to keep the house long enough to finish her use of it.”

Some have suggested saving the home in Edith’s memory, but it appears from Martin’s comments that it’s unlikely. As for the will, it’s a living trust Edith created 15 years ago, which means the details will remain under wraps. Martin says it will take some time to get Edith’s affairs in order. Perhaps even longer than the scheduled completion of the contruction project, scheduled for October. (Thanks all for the link!)

Pixar movie mirrors Edith’s story

Geeky Swedes — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:57:27 +0000

My Ballard reader Josh sent us an email about the upcoming Pixar movie “Up” which seems to loosely mirror the Edith Macefield story.

Well, at least in the beginning. Up is about a 78-year-old man who feels trapped in his home as it’s surrounded by the big city. That is, until an 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell gives him a new lease on life, and they manage to tie a bunch a balloons to the house and float away to big adventures.

Did Edith leave her property to construction chief?

Geeky Swedes — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:58:17 +0000

The unspoken hero in the Edith Macefield story appears to be Barry Martin, the senior superintendent for Ledcor Construction, which is building the development around Edith’s home. Martin and Macefield struck up a friendship over the last year, and he “made sure she had food, ran to get groceries for her, picked up prescriptions, cooked her dinner,” reports the PI. In her last days battling pancreatic cancer, he made sure she was comfortable. And here’s the shocker: one of Ledcor’s managers told Times columnist Danny Westneat that he believes Edith may have left her property to Martin. It’s unclear if Edith left a will, and when asked, Martin said he doesn’t want to talk about it. But he did say that Edith made it clear she did not want a funeral or even flowers, but people can donate if they like to the Humane Society.

Meanwhile, Ledcor Construction said it designed the structure to absorb the property if it became available. “Spots have been left so steel beams could be inserted into the concrete to complete the upper floor, assuming Edith’s home is sold and torn down,” explains Westneat in his column.

Yesterday: Edith Macefield passes away at 86 years old

Edith Macefield has passed away

Geeky Swedes — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:55:31 +0000

Ballard’s most famous hold-out, Edith Macefield passed away on Sunday of natural causes, according to the medical examiner’s office. My Ballard has received a few emails in the last couple of weeks saying that ambulances have been seen coming and going from her home. She was 86 years old.

Edith lived in the same house on NW 46th St. for the last 56 years. She made national news in 2006 when she refused to sell her home for $1 million to developers. Construction crews then proceeded to build the development around her. “I went through World War II, the noise doesn’t bother me,” Macefield told the Seattle PI. “I liked the old Ballard. The new one — you can have it.” Edith’s refusal drew many supporters, especially Ballard residents worried about the changes new development is bringing to the neighborhood. “I will always think of the true Ballard spirit when I see this lady’s house,” wrote Heidi on My Ballard earlier this year. “She is Ballard,” wrote another supporter. Edith, we never met you, but you will be missed.

Macefield has no known surviving family, so we’ll have to wait and see what will happen next with her property and house.

Update: The local media is now on the story. We drove by Edith’s house at 5 p.m. and discovered TV crews from KIRO and KOMO out front. A newspaper photographer with a ladder was trying to get the best shots of the house. Take a look at the Seattle PI’s story and Seattle Times’ story.

Edith’s house keeps shrinking

Geeky Swedes — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:28:17 +0000

Construction workers have added the final story on the LA Fitness and Trader Joe’s, towering high over Edith Macefield’s house.

Here’s the photo from a few months ago.

Good morning, Edith!

Dale — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:35:40 +0000

Here’s what a sunny Wednesday morning looks like at Edith Macefield’s house:

Oh wait, here’s her house:

What rounds out this cheery picture is the ear-piercing yammering of a jackhammer somewhere inside the five-story building being constructed around her house. You’ll remember she turned down $1 million to move.

‘Edith is not the only one fighting’ for Ballard

Geeky Swedes — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:19:24 +0000

I just noticed this comment on last week’s post about Edith Macefield, the elderly Ballard woman who refused to sell her home to developers. It was left by a man named Rudy who says he’s lived in Ballard for 6 decades. “They want my house too and the lovely corner 1/4 acre lot it sits on,” he writes. “They won’t get it, not from me nor the family that I have willed it to. Edith is not the only one fighting to keep Ballard’s history.”

New building swallowing woman’s home

Geeky Swedes — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:13:29 +0000

While the recent stories of the Denny’s, Sunset Bowl and Ballard’s overall transformation having been grabbing headlines (even in the LA Times this weekend), let’s not forget about Edith Macefield. Remember, she’s the 86-year-old Ballard woman who made national news when she turned down $1 million to sell her home to developers. So we decided to stop by NW 46 St. and see how the construction project is going.

Yep, they’re building the five-story building around her house, as they said they would. And workers still have a few more stories to go.

Here’s the side view. You can’t even see Macefield’s house. Her blue car is parked in between the Honey Buckets and orange cones. And right across the street is a land use sign that says a four-story office building will be under construction soon (more info on that project here). No matter where you come down in this debate, you have to admit this is a little sad.

Heidi adds in comments: “I will always think of the true Ballard spirit when I see this lady’s house. I hope the future business partners will think twice before negotiating with these developers… heartless.”

Martha adds in comments: “Why doesn’t she do like the children’s book and move the entire house? Her 1 million dollar offer would pay for the move and a really nice piece of land!”