Spite is a funny thing, and when people act out of it, the result is generally outrageous, mind-boggling and a little bit funny. The pie-shaped house in Seattle is all of these things and more.
Built in the 1920s and located at 2022 24th Ave. E. in the Montlake neighborhood in Seattle, this perplexing house has 2 bedrooms and 1.75 bathrooms and some places where you can reach out and touch both sides of the home. A whopping 860 square feet, this home doesn’t have a whole lot going for it…except for the fact that it’s shaped like a pie.
Yes, you read that right. 15 feet wide on one side and a mere 55 inches on the opposite end, this house was shaped like a triangle. Why? Well, that’s a good question.
There are three stories surrounding the home’s origins, each of which is highly plausible and which center around that tricky human emotion: spite.
Story 1: The Divorcee
The story goes that a divorcee received the front yard as part of her divorce settlement while her husband received the house. Out of spite, she built the narrow home on her tiny sliver of property.
That’s the last time he’ll ever cheat on a woman…
Story 2: The German
The second story goes that a German man who owned the land allowed a friend to use his land to build a home. He went to Germany to visit his family and when he returned, he found out that the friend had built a behemoth of a house on his property. Believing that the friend took advantage of him, he decided to get even. He used the remainder of his property to build the tiny pie-shaped house so that maybe next time, the friend will consider using his manners.
Story 3: The Tightwad
The third and final story goes like this: the person who lived in the property’s main house wanted to buy the tiny plot of land to expand his own property. The owner of the little sliver of land considered selling…until he received the offer. The tightwad’s offer was so low that not only did the plot owner refuse to sell, but also, he or she built the odd-shaped home to block his views.
However, they didn’t stop there. They even painted the wall facing the neighbor’s home a deep black. Eventually, that neighbor moved.
Whatever caused this house to come into existence, we’re glad it’s here! Let’s take a tour of this strange home so that we can fully appreciate the motivation behind it:
From the front, this home looks like any other that lines the street of Seattle.
When you enter, you enter into a spacious, normal looking living room.
It isn’t until you start walking around that things start to seem…off.
The dining room is ideal for two.
The bedrooms look normal sized, but don’t be fooled. Each is no bigger than a child’s bedroom, if that.
This bedroom rests on the house’s basement level.
As does this beautiful bathroom.
…and this extra living room.
When it comes to extra space, you gotta take it where you can get it! At least, that’s what the builder of the home believed.
Are you in the market for a new home with a great history? This home is now for sale for just $519,000. If you think that’s steep, take a minute to soak this in: just four years ago, the home sold for $379,000. Now, just imagine what that could mean for you in another four years!
If you’re not interested in buying, at least schedule a home tour while you can. This is one historic “landmark” you gotta see!
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