across the u.s.mid-century modernwashington
Hilltop, Bellevue
Hilltop is a planned community of about 40 modernist houses in south Bellevue, Washington, begun in 1948 as a cooperative organized by Seattle architects Perry Johanson, Fred Bassetti and John Morse. Most houses went up in the 1950s on one-acre lots around a shared common and greenbelt, designed by Bassetti and Morse and by architects including Paul Hayden Kirk, Lionel Pries and Wendell Lovett. We found no landmark designation for the community or its houses; changes go through the community’s own architecture review.
The housesThe rulesBefore you buy
- founded1948site chosen in 1947
- home sites40about one acre each on 63 acres
- first house195026 of 40 sites built by 1955
- designationnone foundcommunity review instead
the houses
What makes them distinctive
- Architect foundersSeattle architects Perry Johanson, Fred Bassetti and John M. Morse organized a cooperative of 18 households that bought 63 acres in 1948.
- Planned landThe plan set out 40 one-acre lots, a 5-acre central common and a 13-acre greenbelt with walking trails and a preserved wetland, all reached by a looping road.
- Shared utilitiesUtility lines were buried to protect views, and the cooperative drilled into an artesian aquifer and built a shared pump and sewage system.
- Early house typeEarly houses were typically post-and-beam boxes with flat roofs, wide overhangs, exposed structure, slab-on-grade foundations and large windows, built of local wood where possible.
- Many designersBassetti and Morse designed eight houses, and Paul Hayden Kirk, Lionel Pries, Tucker and Shields, Van Horne and Van Horne and resident Wendell Lovett also designed homes there.
- National awardA 1951–52 Bassetti and Morse house at Hilltop received an AIA National Merit Award in 1953.
protection
Designation and the rules
- Community design reviewAccounts describe an architecture committee that requires houses to stay modern, and owners presenting plans and a model to the homeowners association for approval.
- Original bylawsThe 1948 cooperative adopted bylaws enforced by a board of trustees, with a site plan committee that could direct removal of trees or landscaping that blocked views; current rules are in the community’s own documents.
- No landmark protection foundWe found no city, county, state or National Register designation for Hilltop or its houses. As of 2019, Bellevue had no historic preservation ordinance and no landmark agreement with King County.
- City jurisdictionHilltop was an unincorporated King County pocket surrounded by Bellevue, and city annexation was under way in 2012; confirm the parcel’s current jurisdiction.
before you buy
What to check before you buy
- Get the community documentsAsk for the bylaws, any recorded covenants and the architecture committee’s current approval steps before planning changes.
- RoofsEarly houses typically had flat roofs; one owner removed three layers of old roofing, and a 2019 addition needed a thicker roof to meet current insulation code.
- Glass and windowsGlass walls, clerestories and ribbon windows are common; some houses keep wood windows while others have had every window replaced, so confirm what’s original and what was approved.
- Water and wastewaterThe founders built a shared well and sewage system, and a 2016 account says the community still drew well water without sewer connections; confirm the current water source, wastewater system and costs.
- Past remodelsA longtime resident described some 1970s and 1980s remodels as poorly done, so a thorough inspection of altered areas is worth ordering.
Sources disagree on the founding year (1946, 1947 or 1948), the land area, the size of the common land, which architects counted as founders and several house dates, and no source documented roof, glass, moisture or slope problems specific to Hilltop.
sources
Where this comes from
Checked October 20, 2026.
- SAH Archipedia: Hilltop Community, by Alan R. MichelsonFounding, land, lots, utilities, architects, bylaws, house types.archipediavm.upress.virginia.edu/buildings/WA-01-033-0047
- PCAD (University of Washington): Chiarelli and Kirk house, HilltopA Paul Hayden Kirk house, 1950–51.pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/12785
- Atomic Ranch: 1956 Lovett house at Hilltop (2016)Houses and acres, well water, roofing, remodels, glass.www.atomic-ranch.com/seattle-danish/
- Atomic Ranch: a Pacific Northwest modern gem (2023)Design approval, founding, window replacement.www.atomic-ranch.com/?p=43990
- Dwell: a midcentury home in a historic community near Seattle (2021)House count, architects, roof insulation, wood windows.www.dwell.com/article/hilltop-house-robert-hutchison-architecture-dae7b67f
- MyNorthwest: Bellevue and its historic landmarks (2019)No Bellevue preservation ordinance or county agreement.mynorthwest.com/history/northup-schoolhouse-bellevue-failure-historic-landmarks/1576712
- Bellevue Reporter: Bellevue’s only historic home on the national registry (2016)Bellevue’s one National Register building.www.bellevuereporter.com/2016/04/21/throwback-thursday-bellevues-only-historic-home-on-national-registry/
- Bellevue Reporter: annexation of Eastgate (2012)Hilltop annexation vote.www.bellevuereporter.com/2012/05/22/bellevue-adds-5000-new-residents-with-annexation-of-eastgate-update/
- National Park Service: National Register FAQNational Register listing places no restrictions on what a non-federal owner may do with their property.www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/faqs.htm
questions
Questions we hear
Who founded Hilltop?
Seattle architects Perry Johanson, Fred Bassetti and John M. Morse organized the cooperative in 1948; Paul Hayden Kirk, Lionel Pries and Wendell Lovett are among the other architects who designed houses there.
Is Hilltop a designated historic district?
We found no city, county, state or National Register designation, and Bellevue had no historic preservation ordinance as of 2019; limits on changes come from the community’s own review process.
Do exterior changes need approval?
Accounts describe an architecture committee that keeps houses modern and a homeowners association that reviews design plans, so get the current rules and approval steps before closing.
more to learn
Keep going
- Rummer homes, OregonEichler-influenced houses around Portland.
- Mid-century modern across the U.S.Every guide in the series, coast to coast.
- Mid-century modern homes in Silicon ValleyThe style at home: where it is, what to look for.
- Silicon Valley Eichler tractsEvery Silicon Valley Eichler tract we cover, with live listings.
- Builder FilesThe builders and architects behind Bay Area homes.
General information from the sources listed, checked October 20, 2026; not legal, preservation or construction advice. Confirm designation and permit rules with the local preservation office before you buy or remodel. The Boyenga Team represents buyers and sellers in Santa Clara County, bay-side San Mateo County and San Francisco.
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