We recently listed an amazing retro home in Shoreline, Washington! It was built by a family with a fascinating story, which we’d like to share with you.
This house was built by Mike Rantz and his wife, Tine, with help from Mike’s father, Harry Rantz, Sr. (Pop), and Mike’s brothers, Joe and Harry Jr.
Pop was from Pennsylvania. An inventor at heart, Pop was one of the early automobile inventors and knew Henry Ford. He married his first wife in 1899 via telephone—she was in PA and he was in NY. The local newspaper said it was the first time that was ever done.
Anyone who has read the book, The Boys in the Boat, may recognize the Rantz name. The book tells the story of Joe Rantz and the other members of the 1936 UW Crew team. They won the gold medal at the Berlin Olympics.
Mike Rantz served in WWII with the 41st Infantry Division. He came home after the war in 1945 and married Tine Ochs in 1946. Mike went to school to get his engineering degree while Tine worked for Boeing. They saved until they were ready to begin building their home in 1956. The work on the house was done from 1956 to 1957 at a time when you built your own home with the intention that it was to be a legacy for your family.
And, just as Mike helped his brothers build their homes, Joe and Harry helped Mike.
Pop owned a lumber mill on the shores of Lake Washington (on land that is now Kenmore Air Harbor), and the lumber used to build this home was either milled by Pop or special-ordered. The siding is 1” cedar and the floor joists (still visible in the basement ceiling) are 2” old-growth Douglas Fir.
As a belated wedding gift, Tine’s brothers (who had a Lath and Plaster business) came out from South Dakota and hand-plastered the walls in the upstairs living spaces (except the kitchen). The original plaster is still in pristine condition.
Another unique aspect of this home is its location. When the original landowner sub-divided into lots, he left the topmost space empty for what was to be the KJR radio tower. When KJR chose a different location, the landowner gave the 1+ acre to the community to use as a park. There are only 13 homes with direct backyard access to it. Mike and Tine chose a lot that was level with the park … a great place for kids or pets to run and enjoy.
MLS#: 1714703
