The joy that comes from assisting in the protection and preservation of Seattle's historic architecture is one of the nicest aspects of being a retrofit contractor. Leif Jackson, owner of Sound Seismic, had the honor of submitting a bid to reinforce what may be the oldest property in the city in July 2017.

Doc Maynard, a pioneer, is claimed to have constructed the house in West Seattle in 1864.

It was relocated from its original location in 1915, and as a result of numerous remodels, it currently seems substantially different.

The house is still fairly unique, though.

Hand-hewn, bark-on Douglas fir logs serve as the structure for the floor.

Old growth lumber measuring 12" × 12" was used to build the support posts, dwarfing most 4x4s from more recent times.

Even though Sound Seismic might not be able to retrofit this house because post-and-pier homes aren't the ideal prospects, seeing it was still an amazing experience.

In my more than 18 years of retrofitting in Seattle, I can honestly state that I have never seen a house quite like this.