"Hawthorne Hills for Scenic Thrills" was the headline of the Goodwin Reality Company's 1928 ad campaign to find settlers willing to trek into the farmland north of Seattle for a taste of suburban living. As you can tell by the 1932 photo below, the campaign was not an overnight success. Also located in this shot was the start of Naval Air Station Seattle (top right corner) which is now home to one of the world's busiest dog parks and closely resembles Oak's version of Valhalla.
Despite the giant Hawthorne Hills billboard it would take another ten years and the advent of the Second World War for home building to get rolling in a serious way. One of the homes finished in 1942 would be destined for a distinguished future. Situated on Stanford Ave, with modest views towards the University of Washington and downtown, it was surrounded by clones which have only slowly evolved to resemble something that looks like character.
Today's version comes with solar panels, 17 varieties of fruit, plus 4 rain barrels. If the Cascadia quake hits and the house doesn't slide down the hill, this will be a good spot to shelter in place.