North Denny-Blaine Waterfront Mansions

Ackerley, Horowitz, Ragen, Keister, Chesnut, Moll et al.

$6.4 Million For Sale. The listing agents are Betsy Terry and Jane Powers, Ewing & Clark: “Impeccable Olson Sundberg residence on the shores of Lake Washington in Washington Park. Glorious sunrises and moonrises from nearly every room through the numerous floor to ceiling windows. Tall ceilings, numerous art walls and niches, custom millwork throughout. Open concept floor plan and design for indoor/outdoor living. Level waterfront with terraces, level lawn, dock with boatlift, and professional landscaping. Expansive master suite with dual bath/closet and large balcony.” The property is owned by Juno Investments LLC whose agent is James Wishaar (Seattle Attorney) and member is Elizabeth Runde (President of Seattle based RB Hooper & Co, financial planners). The home is 4,000 sq ft on 0.15acres with 60 feet of waterfront.

$6.8 Million For Sale. The listing agent is Jane Powers, Ewing & Clark: “Glorious waterfront setting in Prime Washington Park location. Level parcel w/ outstanding views of Lake, Cascade Mountains, and Bellevue skyline. Original design by Harrison Overturf, complete 1999 remodel by Ralph Anderson. Floor to ceiling windows taking in the beautiful Lake vista. Gracious scale, open floor plan, front hall atrium. Private and expansive master bedroom suite, office, media room. Sound syst. 1999 dock w/ new boatlift. Fantastic opportunity to enjoy stunning Lake Washington!” The owner of the home is John Keister. He is a Co-Founder, with neighbor Russell Horowitz (page 31 and two paragraphs down), of Seattle based Marchex and Go2Net. He and Horowitz were top executives of the two companies and Bellevue based InfoSpace. The home is 4,101 sq ft on 0.17 acres with 60 feet of waterfront.

$9.6 Million Sale 12/28/09. This is the former home of Brooks Ragen (the seller) and the buyer is listed as an attorney acting as a trustee. This is one of Seattle’s fine old waterfront mansions, built in 1925, that has not been torn down for a modern home. Ragen co-founded Seattle-based Ragen Mackenzie Group, a full service brokerage firm. The firm grew to 300 employees with offices in Washington, California, Oregon and Alaska managing over $11 billion in assets when it was acquired by Wells Fargo in 2000. Nearly simultaneously Ragen left the firm and co-founded McAdams Wright Ragen in Seattle and the firm is now one of the region’s largest brokerage firms. The house is on page 30 and is 4,020 sq ft on 0.6 acres with 153 feet of waterfront.

This mansion was purchased for $20.0 million in 2000 by Russell C. Horowitz. Russell is a Co-Founder (with neighbor John Keister, two paragraphs up) of Seattle-based Marchex and Go2Net. Horowitz was Chairman and CEO of both companies. Marchex is a search and performance advertising company with products that are used by more than 70,000 advertisers nationally. Go2Net is a provider of online services to merchants and consumers. Go2Net was acquired in 2000 by Bellevue-based InfoSpace. Horowitz oversaw the successful completion of the merger and was President of InfoSpace until 2001. The mansion is on page 31 and is 7,010 sq ft on 2.4 acres with 60 feet of waterfront.

$3.7 Million Sale 6/14/11. The mansion was listed for $5.0 million ($9.6 million in 2009) by Betsy Terry, Ewing & Clark, “Idyllic waterfront home in prime neighborhood location. 1910 residence with gracious floor plan, elegant scale and classic detailing, such as covered terrace, french doors and windows, marble fireplaces, columns, cornice moldings, sconces and beamed ceilings. Gently sloping lawn to the waters edge and weeping willow tree. Dock with rare covered boat house and beach house with fireplace make for endless enjoyment of Lake Washington and all it has to offer.” The mansion was sold by Dr. Charles H. and Anna Chesnut to Alan McMillan. Dr. Chesnut is a prominent physician, specializing in nuclear medicine, metabolic bone disease and orthopedics with UW Medical Center. McMillan is VP of Engineering at International Telcom Ltd in Seattle. The mansion is on page 32 and is 7,990 sq ft on 0.4 acres with 63 feet of waterfront.

View From Dock

This is the former home of Barry and Ginger Ackerley. The mansion was purchased from the Ackerleys 6/11/2008 for $13.3 million by Dr. Frederic Hutchins Moll. The property was listed for sale for $15.0 Million in 2009 (Betsy Terry, Ewing & Clark) and later taken off the market. The property was featured in a 4/15/12 Seattle Mansions post. Barry Ackerley (1935-2011) is a former owner of the NBA Seattle SuperSonics. He was the founder and former Chairman/CEO of The Ackerley Group. The Ackerley Group owned television and radio stations that were purchased by Clear Channel Communications in 2001.Dr. Moll graduated from Seattle’s Lakeside HS and UW Medical School. He was a surgeon at Virginia Mason in Seattle and became a noted Silicon Valley medical device entrepreneur. The mansion is on page 33 of LW 130 Homes and has 6,580 sq ft on 0.46 acres. It is a prime lot on a point with 146 feet of waterfront and two docks, a tennis court and swimming pool.
The tour of Seattle’s Emerald Coast waterfront mansions continues with south Denny-Blaine and Madrona posts.