Photographer Jesse Tinsley explores South Hill by bicycle
I rode my bicycle downtown from my house near 29th Ave. on the South Hill for the first time last week. Most of the trip down involved screaming brakes and careful cornering on the slick streets. As a newcomer to the South Hill, I was dreading the ride back up. Then I found the bicycle is the best way to tour the historic neighborhoods of the South Hill and appreciate the architecture of the old homes, some of which date back to the 1890s. The sights distracted me from the arduous uphill climb in the lowest gear on my bike.
My route took me up Rockwood Blvd., where mining magnates and wealthy businessmen built their magnificent homes in the boom years of 1895-1915. Just south of the Providence Sacred Heart Hospital area is a street sign on a pillar of stacked basalt, marking the start of the historic district. Building on the steep slopes of the hill required steep driveways and massive retaining walls, mostly built from stacked and mortared basalt. Imagine getting your horses to pull a carriage up driveways where a person can hardly get a foothold. Many of the larger houses have carriage houses that have been stylishly converted to garages or extra living space. Home styles include neo-classical, Tudor, colonial, craftsman and Cape Cod. Some are homey, others ostentatious. Some of the large homes are in disrepair and the front yards overgrown with weeds.
Turning uphill from Rockwood at E. Highland Blvd. or Garfield Rd. takes you through more modest neighborhoods, but the homes here are also historic and meticulously maintained and landscaped. Many of the sidewalks in these areas are heaved by tree roots and are a challenge for walking. Sprinkled among the quaint cottages and foursquare colonials are some mid-century modern designs that stand in stark contrast to the traditional homes.
Other cool neighborhoods I love to explore are Manito Park, Cannon Hill Park, Cedar St. to High Drive and Cliff Drive/Cliff Park area. Bicycle travel is an excuse to stop on a steep hill, appreciate what the first few generations of Spokanites left us and what they thought a fine house ought to look like.
