City designates W. Ninth historic district

Spokane City Council members on Monday unanimously approved the creation of the city’s second local historic register district for a residential area on West Ninth Avenue on the South Side.

The new district includes a single block of four homes on the north side of Ninth Avenue between Madison and Jefferson streets.

The Tudor Revival residences all were originally occupied by members of the Comstock and Shadle families, which owned and operated The Crescent department store downtown for years.

The four houses were built between 1905 and 1911 for James and Elizabeth Comstock and their daughter Josie Comstock Shadle and son-in-law Eugene Shadle at 1106, 1112, 1118 and 1128 W. Ninth.

The Comstock and Shadle families may be better known for their philanthropic efforts.

Among their projects, they built and donated Comstock Park and pool to the city in honor of James Comstock; financed and built part of St. Luke’s Memorial Hospital; developed Shadle Park on the North Side; and gave more than $100,000 to improve Spokane parks and parkways, according to the nomination, which was written by consultant Linda Yeomans.

The council also approved Spokane Register of Historic Places listings for the Judge Henry and Alice Canfield House at 628 W. 21st Ave.; the Jimmie and Margaret Durkin House at 930 S. Lincoln St.; and the Saranac Hotel at 25-29 W. Main Ave.

In other business, the council set a hearing before the city hearing examiner for Aug. 8 at 1:30 p.m. on formation of a local improvement district for paving Stevens Street from 12th to Sumner avenues.

Hearings before the City Council were set for Aug. 7 for vacations of Lacey Street from Gordon Avenue to 620 feet to the south and for the south seven feet of Riverside Avenue from 50 feet east of Napa Street to 12 feet east of the west line of Crestline Street and adjacent street areas.

The council separately approved vacation of the alley between Seventh and vacated Eighth avenues from Audubon Street to Government Way.