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Real property report cards
Property Record Cards document both commercial and residential (taxable) properties. Some tax-exempt structures were also document, but often with less information and no photograph.
If you are researching specific buildings in a neighborhood, one very good place to start is with the King County Assessor's Real Property Record Cards. These cards are the best known source of historical photographs of homes and commercial buildings in King County.
The King County Assessor's Office created Property Record Cards to record information necessary to assess property taxes. This series of records was created beginning in 1937, when the Assessor's Office contracted with the Work Projects Administration (WPA) to create a baseline survey of all the property in King County, and was kept current through 1972. These cards provide a cumulative history describing each parcel of real property in King County, including legal description of property, building use, number of rooms, some construction details, and, for improved property, at least one photograph. Additional photographs were taken if extensive changes were made to the exterior of the building. The cards also show the assessed value of the property for the period circa 1937 to 1972.
Puget Sound Regional Archives in Bellevue holds the Property Record Cards and provides access to them. In order to do an effective search for a card, you must provide the tax parcel number or brief legal description (subdivision, block and lot). This information is available online via the King County Assessor's Office Parcel Viewer.
Why aren't the property record cards at King County Archives?
King County Archives wasn't established until 1990. Prior to that, King County historical records were sent to Puget Sound Regional Archives in Bellevue, a regional branch of the Washington State Archives. Some King County records, including the property record cards, are still held by the Regional Archives.
What information do the cards contain?
Property record cards generally contain:
- Record of tax assessments
- Photographs of building exteriors
- General description of construction
- Date of construction
- Small sketch of the exterior plan of buildings (including dimensions)
- Segregation (property division) dates and short platting information
- Numbers for land parcels
- Ownership information (incomplete)
- Excise numbers (incomplete)
- Building permit numbers (post-1937 construction; incomplete)
What information is not on these cards?
Property record cards do not contain:
- Name of the tax payer
- Every owner of the property
- Amount of taxes paid
- Purchase prices (although this is occasionally noted)
- Detailed floor plans or blueprints
- Photographs of building interiors
- Location of buildings on the property
- Architect or builder name
- Reason for segregations (property divisions)
- Changes of zoning codes
- Easements
Additional resources
Similar property information prior to 1937
Puget Sound Regional Archives holds King County Assessor's Office tax assessment rolls (1866-1937). The rolls contain only limited information: taxpayer name, legal description of property, assessed property value, and taxes paid. Rolls are limited for years before 1900. Only every fifth year is present between 1900-1941. Contact the Regional Archives to access these records.
Similar resources available after 1972
Folios (1972-2006) from the King County Department of Assessments' Residential and Commercial appraisal divisions currently document the characteristics of individual parcels of land and buildings in the county. The folios indicate land use, building types, number of rooms, some construction details, and include at least one photograph of each building. Additional photographs, if any, document significant changes made to buildings. Files are arranged by area, subarea, and tax account number and document information gathered and recorded. Puget Sound Regional Archives holds these records. Contact the Regional Archives to access these records.