Karen May

Tacoma's North Slope Karen May

Listed on the local Tacoma Register, the Washington Heritage Register, and the National Register of Historic Places, the North Slope is the largest residential historic district in Washington. Perched atop Job Carr's Hill, it is a trapezoid with streets at an angle, or sloped, to the grid designed by city planners. The bulk of the neighborhood was built on a 166-acre farm belonging to the Carr family. Purchased in the 1860s from the federal government, it was sold in the 1880s for residential development. The first homes in the North Slope were built from 1888 to 1893 for tycoons, bankers, and railroad men. Renowned residents included Gov. Ernest Lister, John Q. and Virginia Mason, and Bing Crosby, who was born in the North Slope and baptized at St. Patrick's Church.