"Spite House"
In the 1920s there was a *nasty divorce*. The judge awarded the husband the house and the wife the front yard. Perhaps he thought a sale would bring the two back together? Alas, twas not to be. The wife took her property and built a house on it.
From the front the Spite House looks perfectly ordinary, if a little old- fashioned (pink stucco, spanish-tiled roof). It's the side dimensions that make it unique. The north end is only ten feet wide, the south, only five. [Mark Lockwood, 09/07/2000]
Montlake Spite House
© Google Maps
© Bing Maps
By kjfitz @ 2006-03-18 12:25:59
In 1925, a Montlake, Seattle, Washington neighbor made an insultingly low offer for a tiny slice of adjoining land. Out of spite for the low offer, the builder built an 860-square-foot (80 m2) house which blocked the neighbors' open space. The house is 55 inches (1.4 m) wide at the south end, and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide at the north end. The Montlake Spite House is still standing and occupied.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spite_house
Nope, wrong. It was a low-ball offer on the land that inspired the construction of the house. www [dot] examiner [dot] com/history-in-seattle/the-stranger-covers-the-montlake-spite-house