This West Seattle street was created in 1889 as part of Chilberg’s Addition to West Seattle, filed by Swedish immigrants Nelson Chilberg (1840–1928) and his wife, Matilda Charlotta Schanstrom Chilberg (1846–1927). The Chilbergs started out as farmers and grocers before developing real estate interests.
Matilda Chilberg 
Nelson Chilberg
Chilberg Avenue SW begins at 59th Avenue SW and SW Carroll Street and goes ⅕ of a mile southeast to SW Genessee Street just east of Beach Drive SW at the Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook and Me-Kwa-Mooks Park.
Born and raised in Seattle, Benjamin Donguk Lukoff had his interest in local history kindled at the age of six, when his father bought him settler granddaughter Sophie Frye Bass’s Pig-Tail Days in Old Seattle at the gift shop of the Museum of History and Industry. He studied English, Russian, and linguistics at the University of Washington, and went on to earn his master’s in English linguistics from University College London. His book of rephotography, Seattle Then and Now, was published in 2010. An updated version came out in 2015.
Hi! I really appreciate the history! I am looking to purchase a home on Chilberg. When I received the historical records, I noticed that the street was once 59th and thus I started researching when it converted to Chilberg. I am now curious to find out if the Chilberg’s ever resided there.. Do we know what year they changed the name of the street? 1889? The address I am looking at is 4126 Chilberg.
You’re welcome! Where did you see it used to be 59th? Based on my reading of the plat map, the whole thing used to be Chilberg, but then the northern part of it was changed to 59th. I can’t tell when, unfortunately.