West Seattle, Washington
28 Thursday
Well, OK, it’s *almost* a century of history. The Museum of History and Industry‘s video team has taken on another West Seattle landmark, and suggested to WSB that you might want to see the 4-minute result. P.S. If you’re looking for what’s up at The Admiral right now, here are the latest listings.
(Photo courtesy of Rhonda Porter)
The official listing is now online for West Seattle’s quirky Walker Rock Garden (and accompanying house), whose owners announced here 2 1/2 weeks ago that it would be put up for sale. Mark e-mailed today to say he had spotted the listing (and fears it will be snapped up by a developer because it’s a big lot) – the asking price is $392,000. The family of its creators, Milton and Florence Walker, say they can’t maintain it any more and are hoping to sell it to someone interested in preserving it – though they told us they don’t intend to require that as a condition of the purchase.
Greg is only the third owner of his classic car, and he’s had it for more than 30 years. He decided to photograph it in front of the old and new Fire Station 37 buildings in West Seattle, and we thought the results made for nice night-ending scenery.
(Photo courtesy of Rhonda Porter)
If you would be interested in living in and caring for what has to be the most unusual home/garden pairing in West Seattle today – Lita has an offer for you. She e-mailed WSB to share the news that the Walker Rock Garden and Home are for sale:
I am the granddaughter of Milton and Florence Walker, the creators of the Walker Rock Garden (located at 5407 37th Ave SW, West Seattle). We (my aunt, cousin, and myself) are placing the Walker Rock Garden and Home for sale as we can longer maintain it. … We’re hoping to drum up interest amongst locals and ultimately find someone whose heart lies in keeping the garden healthy and happy (and hopefully allowing the public to still visit).
The Walker Rock Garden, created by Lita’s grandparents over the span of 20 years, is one of those places you have to see to appreciate. Photos do hint at its memorable sights – here’s a gallery shared by Lita; here’s one by Rhonda “The Mortgage Porter” Porter (WSB sponsor). Others who have written about it include Lori Hinton in “West Seattle 101“ and West Seattle-based online entrepreneur/eclectica expert Jerry at JetCityOrange.com (his page about Walker Rock Garden is here).
The site is not an official landmark, so there’s no official guarantee of its protection. Lita shared this official flyer; we asked her a few followup questions such as asking price (not mentioned on the flyer, nor could we find a listing online) and whether they’ll have an open house – we’ll add her answers when they come in.
ADDED 8:50 PM: Lita replied:
The property will be listed on the MLS near the start of February and the price has yet to be determined. However, we wanted to get the word out so anyone interested in preserving can start to look at their finances. Also, because we do not yet know who the next owners will be, this very well could be the last year the garden will be open, so come check it out before it is too late. The hours can be found at walkerrockgarden.net.
She says they will not be requesting an official agreement that the buyer would preserve the rock garden.
Tomorrow marks two years since the fire, blamed on a Christmas-lights malfunction, that blackened the inside of the city-landmark Alki Homestead and forced its beloved restaurant to close. While its owner has proposed “reconstructing” the historic log structure and including other businesses on the site, and even took steps toward applying for a permit, it’s been 14 months since that proposal went before the Architectural Review Committee of the city Landmark Preservation Board, whose signoff is required – and it has not reappeared in that venue.
Last July, owner Tom Lin announced he would sell the Homestead, offering it first to preservation/cultural groups, then to the general public. No public listing ever appeared, and no deal has ever been announced. We have left Lin messages asking for comment on its status, but no reply. However, an announcement came Friday afternoon from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, headquartered half a block away at what was the Homestead’s carriage house: They plan a media event Sunday morning, on the fire anniversary:
A coalition of four heritage organizations — the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, Historic Seattle, 4Culture and the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation — will hold a press conference to provide updates on the potential for protection, preservation and restoration of the city-landmark 1904 log building known as Fir Lodge and the Alki Homestead Restaurant.
Those are the same four Lin mentioned in his July announcement offering the Homestead for sale. They also were part of last July’s “This Place Matters” photo gathering, part of this nationwide historic-site-awareness campaign. But at the time, at least one of those organizations made a point of saying they’re not in the building-buying business. So what’s their plan? They’ll discuss it at the Log House Museum, 11 am Sunday.
(WSB photos by Ellen Cedergreen)
Appropriately enough, a West Seattle moviehouse with history was the place today to kick off a celebration about history – On the eve of the 100th anniversary of Washington women winning the right to vote (HistoryLink.org tells the story here), West Seattle Democratic Women screened a suffragette saga at Admiral Theater. Above, WSDW chair Karen Chilcutt, who told the audience before the screening of “Iron-Jawed Angels,” “If it weren’t for them, we — in this room, couldn’t vote.” About 75 people turned out, mingling before the film:
Afterward, Alki’s Libby Carr led a discussion – she’s at center here, with Fran Presley and Donna Stewart:
At the info table, WSDW secretary Sue Backs (left) and treasurer Beth Grieser, as the group accepted new memberships today.
On November 8, 1910, Washington became the fifth state to grant women the right to vote. That was almost a full decade before the 19th Amendment was ratified in summer 1920. The anniversary will be marked in Olympia tomorrow with Day of Jubilation activities – the schedule is on the Washington Women’s History Consortium homepage. Then WSDW has a big party at the West Seattle Golf Course on Friday night, “highlighting the success and struggle of women in Washington State history,” as their announcement puts it, with period costumes welcome, hat/dress fashion shows planned, recognition of women in politics, and more, $25, reservations at wsdwomen@yahoo.com or 206-935-3216.
It was a double celebration for Southwest Seattle Historical Society leaders and members last night at Beveridge Place Pub: Not only were they excited about the new “Images of America: West Seattle” photo book they helped create – with assistance from volunteers who stepped forward after this request 10 months ago – but they were relieved that the shipment of books arrived in time! You can buy it for $21 (with part of the proceeds benefiting SWSHS) at the Log House Museum gift shop (which carries other books too) – 10 percent discount if you’re a member – and it’ll soon be available elsewhere in West Seattle; if you’re a retailer and would like to carry it, get in touch with the Log House Museum (whose new manager Sarah Frederick was among last night’s partiers – 2nd from left – along with outgoing director Andrea Mercado – 3rd from right).
When Andrea Mercado hung out with the “paranormal investigators” who visited the Log House Museum a few weeks ago (WSB coverage here), she said, they seemed to detect some kind of presence. At the Southwest Seattle Historical Society Halloween brunch today at Salty’s on Alki, she showed up as the presence they said they’d detected – “a spirit who had died in a farming accident.” This is her final weekend running the museum, as announced recently. Meantime, another uniquely “spirited” event today – the Duwamish River tour billed as “scary” – Sharron Meeks shared photos including the leafless South Park Bridge from the water:
Spooky stories, as promised by the announcement of the tour, were provided by guides like the Snohomish Tribe’s Mike Evans:
Some hot Halloween happenings are under way right now, like “Come As You Aren’t” at Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor) and Hive Mind Halloween at nearby Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (remember, the Pai’s food truck outside is open to anyone, hive-minding or not, till 2 am).
No, the paranormal investigation didn’t scare her away. Log House Museum director Andrea Mercado told us when we saw her during that event a week ago that a long commute is one of the reasons she would soon be announcing her departure. The official announcement comes in a news release just sent by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society – read on:Read More
Yes, PIHA – Paranormal Investigations of Historical America, shiny black van and all – really did pay West Seattle’s Log House Museum a visit on Friday night (as previewed here Thursday). They didn’t stay as long as they were expecting to (1 am) – they were packing up when we arrived around 11:30 pm – but we did get to chat a bit.
They heard a lot, the investigators informed us, but they won’t be able to interpret what, or who, it was, till getting back to headquarters and analyzing it all. Somebody certainly sensed a presence, we were told, and they dealt with it by asking questions, which they believe were answered by something/someone “friendly.” The “dish” in the photo above is one of the main listening devices. They also recorded their visit in more conventional ways that, museum director Andrea Mercado told us, will result in a video documenting it all; SWSHS has a few photos online too. And the topic of otherworldly presence at the Log House Museum will certainly be on the menu at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s fundraising Halloween brunch at Salty’s on Alki, 11:30 am October 30th (ticket info here). SWSHS has another event coming up:
This new book was created with help from WSB’ers who answered the call we published back in February, after hearing Andrea talk about the project at a meeting of the Southwest District Council. A book-release party is set for 6:30 pm November 2nd at Zeeks Pizza in Morgan Junction; if you pre-order the book through the Log House Museum, you get 10 percent off (20% if you’re a SWSHS member).
Tis the season for spookiness. And tomorrow night – the question of whether the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s Log House Museum is haunted, or not, may be laid to rest. It’s getting a visit from the paranormal investigators of PIHA (Paranormal Investigations of Historic America). This isn’t Ghostbusters, mind you – PIHA, according to Vaughn Hubbard, is a registered nonprofit organization doing this for free. And he acknowledges part of the visit is to “support the upcoming annual Halloween fundraiser for the museum” (a brunch at Salty’s, October 30th). But PIHA doesn’t just visit any old – we emphasize, old – historical site; they need proof of the potentially paranormal. So we asked him, what’s the haunting haps here? Reply: “About any paranormal activity at the West Seattle Museum, according to Sarah Frederick, Collections Manager, Log House Museum, she has stated that there has been numerous stories about strange things happening there for years now but they just don’t talk about it. I have to believe what she is telling me is fact, otherwise we wouldn’t spend the time and money required by us for an investigation. We are very selective about where we schedule investigations because of our cost and time invested.” So how do they investigate? We’ll find out tomorrow night, once the PIHA “Grey Team” shows up in its “Command Central Van” (as seen in the promotional clip above). (P.S. We asked SWSHS about the brunch – $65 adults; $25 kids 13/under; free for kids 4 and under; RSVP to 206-938-5293, costumes encouraged.)
Jack Miller at Husky Deli has been getting condolences all day from folks getting the news about his Aunt Alyce, who worked at the store for more than 70 of her 90 years – until August 10th, less than two weeks ago. She died yesterday morning. She never married but leaves behind 20 nieces and nephews. She was born Mary Alyce Miller on November 15, 1919 in Peru, Indiana, and moved to West Seattle in 1931. In 1936, her father bought the Edgewood Farm Grocery, and she began working behind the counter. Jack Miller says she’s the one “who got the store through the war.” She worked to keep it open and operating even when wartime rationing and restrictions were in place. Jack says she was always dedicated to the family business, and that she taught him the value of a dollar earned. Alyce’s rosary and vigil will be 7 pm this Friday night at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, followed by her Funeral Mass there at 10:30 am Saturday.
Local historian Paul Dorpat shares that photo of what’s believed to be a West Seattle scene – two women in furs, on the beach, sawing a log, many decades ago. It is from a new item on his website, in which he specifically asks WSB’ers for help:
I have just posted – proudly too – SEATTLE CONFIDENTIAL No.3, in hope that you and your gallant and curious readers will help identify it. Even as a mystery it is quite wonderful, but most likely it is a scene on Alki Beach.
Here’s the link to the item on his site. Any clue?
This Saturday, the 100-year-old West Seattle (Admiral) Branch of the Seattle Public Library celebrates its centennial, and you’re invited – 1 to 3 pm. But then a few weeks later, starting in mid-August, it’ll close for roof work – SPL HQ just announced the timetable – read on for details:Read More
Seems everybody has a story at the Alki Classic Car Show, happening along the waterfront boardwalk, stretching west from the Alki Bathhouse, till 4 pm today. Cars from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s sparked a lot of memories, overheard as we walked by, and discussed with some as we all admired the displays. A few of the cars go back decades further:
That’s a 1929 1/2 Ford, owned by Bob Murray. With many cars, it’s the details – like the fins on this 1958 Dodge Custom Royal, owned by Jane Holtzclaw:
Another memorable rear view, in a photo shared by Clifton:
That one brought back memories of our best friend’s mom’s car (San Diego, mid-’60s). And Kathy Ryerson‘s 1955 T-Bird reminded us of the white, portholed ’56 once owned by an aunt (wonder where that car is now) …
If you’re at the beach at 3 pm, that’s when they’re scheduled to announce the winners – here’s what’s in store for the best of the best:
Again, the show’s scheduled to run till 4, and it’s free. Good appetite-whetter for the big West Seattle Junction Car Show (co-sponsored by WSB), coming up on September 19th (if you want to enter, don’t wait much longer – here’s our latest update).
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
3 weeks after we brought you first word – thanks to a tip from Larry Nitkey – that this old house at 4516 42nd SW (part of the site of a future development project) is going to be moved to another lot in West Seattle, the big overnight move is coming up early this Sunday. And if you are on the route, you are probably seeing “No Parking” signs by now. JayDee e-mailed WSB to say he spotted them yesterday along 44th near Charlestown, but we didn’t make the connection immediately until a Facebook note from Jenny this morning. Our partners at the Seattle Times have mapped the entire route here; they also published a great story with lots more about the home’s history here. (Note added later: There are apparently two sets of “No Parking” signs in that general area – one for the July 24th West Seattle Grand Parade bus re-route, one for this event, so look at the fine print if you have to park near one!)
That video’s from a tour of West Seattle’s historic Fire Station 37, part of a WSB story first published last February. We’re bringing it out again because word just arrived via e-mail that the process of selling the city-landmark facility has begun – as its replacement a few blocks south gets closer to completion. According to the informational note from the city, it’s a 5,300-square-foot building on a 9,400-square foot lot:
(February 2010 photo by Nicholas Trost)
* Fire Station No. 37 was constructed in the 1930’s and designated a landmark January 2005.
* The architectural style is considered Mission / Colonial Revival with Neo-Classical elements.
* Reuse of the building would need to comply with DPD requirements, L-1 zoning and preservation controls
* The disposition process may take in excess of eighteen months to complete
* Value of the property has not yet been determined but will be based on an independent appraisal.
The county assessor put the value at $295,000 most recently, the note says. First word of the impending sale process is going out to neighbors as well as those who’ve expressed interest before, and the city is asking for comments before making a recommendation to the City Council regarding the building’s future:
Comments are requested by August 13, 2010. You may write or send a fax with your comments to the Fleets and Facilities Department, Attn: Louis Webster, PO Box 94689, Seattle, WA 98124-4689; FAX number (206) 684-0525. You may call and speak with Louis Webster at (206) 684-0357, or reach him by e-mail at the following: Louis.Webster@seattle.gov.
You can also see the official flyer here.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli)
One week ago, we shared Larry Nitkey‘s photo of the 86-year-old house at 4516 42nd SW (map), one of four eventually slated to make way for a mixed-use development at 42nd/Oregon, and his report it would be moved. For WSB, Christopher Boffoli subsequently went to the site to get a closer look and speak with the contractors, who had told us by phone that we were welcome to come find out more, and take more photos.
That’s our view from the third floor of the apartment building across from the Alki Homestead, as the official ‘This Place Matters’ photo was taken as part of a rally organized by preservation groups including the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, whose headquarters are in what was the Homestead (originally Fir Lodge)’s old carriage house. By our rough count, around 200 people had gathered by the time the photo was taken. (6:10 pm update: We used our photo-from-above to count: 162.) The photo was preceded by short speeches from those groups’ reps as well as King County Executive Dow Constantine, State Sen. Joe McDermott, County Councilmember Jan Drago, and former mayor Greg Nickels. This came one day after Homestead owner Tom Lin (whom we did not see at the event) announced he’s putting the Homestead up for sale (WSB coverage here), starting with a one-month offer for $2 million to preservation groups. We talked to reps of two – SWSHS executive director Andrea Mercado told WSB they have no official comment yet on the offer; Washington Trust for Historic Preservation field director Chris Moore (a West Seattleite) says his group “unfortunately” doesn’t buy buildings. ADDED 5:53 PM: Video of the politicians’ speeches. SWSHS’s Clay Eals said they’d been asked to speak for 30 seconds each (here’s Eals with a historic Homestead photo during a pre-rally talk at the Historical Society’s annual picnic):
By our count, most of the rally speeches ran closer to a minute-thirty, still relatively brief. Here’s former mayor Greg Nickels:
King County Executive Dow Constantine, more formally dressed than he was in his appearance at the Admiral 4th of July Kids’ Parade three hours earlier, alluded to that as he began:
Next, State Sen. Joe McDermott – a West Seattleite like Nickels and Constantine, and also a candidate for the County Council seat vacated last year by the now-executive:
Finally, the former city councilmember who currently holds the County Council position for which McDermott is running (though she’s not seeking to keep it), Jan Drago, who – Eals pointed out – sponsored the council resolution that made the Homestead a landmark:
Regarding the crowd count, always a thorny issue in any story in which turnout might matter (ever seen those protest stories where police say 2,000 and organizers say 10,000?), our estimate was a rough count, looking at the photo we took with the view from above. Just because we love precision when it’s possible, we’re working right now to blow it up and print it out so we can do an exact count. We can tell you unequivocally that the “nearly 100” in the lead line of KING’s story is too low. 6:09 PM: Finished the photo count: 162. Have adjusted the headline. MONDAY MORNING: As noted in comments: The “official photo” is now online. You can click on it, then click again, for a very high resolution version. We are told Historic Seattle counted 199 in the mega-high-resolution version, to which we didn’t have access yesterday. So we are going to revise our headline to “more than 150” and leave it there, for WSB purposes … no time to print and count yet again … this isn’t an election; we’ll leave the counting from hereon out to the folks who are directly involved.
Story and photos by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
When asked by US Coast Guard Auxiliaryman Craig Smith whether I’d visited the lighthouse before, I sheepishly admitted that, in my 27 years in West Seattle (13 of them three blocks from the lighthouse), I had never taken the tour.
If you haven’t managed to get there either, I urge you to find a sunny weekend afternoon and do so – since it’s only open during the summer, and only on weekends. Not only will you learn a lot about the history of the lighthouse and its inner workings, you’ll have a lovely view from the top of the tower.
With a rally/group photo planned tomorrow afternoon at the Alki Homestead, organized by local preservation groups including the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, owner Tom Lin says he’s offering those groups first crack at buying the fire-ravaged landmark, now that he’s decided to sell it, a few weeks after he told us he was considering that option. Here’s the text of his letter (from this PDF):
Alki Homestead/Fir Lodge is being offered for sale to Seattle’s concerned historical organizations such as:
Historic Seattle
4Culture
Southwest Seattle Historical Society
The Washington Trust for Historic PreservationSale Price – $2,000,000 An endowment fund of $500,000 would be provided from these funds by the current owner Tom Lin
Alki Homestead/Fir Lodge was offered to the Southwest Seattle Historical Society under the same terms in 2004 by the previous owner, Doris Nelson, according to her family.
These historical organizations claim to have more extensive resources and the expertise needed to ensure that the Alki Homestead/Fir Lodge retains its historical place in the community and would not be torn down.
Tom Lin will accept offers from interested historical organizations no later than July 31, 2010. Beyond July 31st the property will be offered to the general public at a different sale price and terms.
Contact Information: Tom Lin at savealkihomestead@yahoo.com
Lin had been trying to proceed with a plan to rebuild the historic log building and add other uses to its site – uses without which, he says, it wouldn’t be financially viable; he discussed his challenges in this story we published two weeks ago. This morning, he tells WSB, “It has been over a year and a half since I have tried to bring Homestead back. The cost has become a burden. I had a long conversation with [previous owner] Doris Nelson’s estate yesterday. They understand the dilemma I am in and they respect my choice. In fact, [they] had already told SWSHS to buy the building again 6 months ago … I think when I spoke to you a few weeks ago, I told you I was pretty close at giving it up. Now it is time. I hope they can address that during the rally.”
The rally – to which Lin tells us he finally did get an invitation, after he pointed out to Historic Seattle that he had not received one – is scheduled for 1:30 pm tomorrow on the sidewalk and street (which will be closed for the event) in front of the Homestead. Clay Eals from SWSHS says there’s been one change in the slate of political leaders scheduled to be there – City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen will be out of town, but County (and former City) Councilmember Jan Drago will be there, which Eals notes is “quite fitting because (she) was the Seattle City Council sponsor of the landmark designation ordinance for the Alki Homestead building in 1996.”
Previous WSB coverage of the Alki Homestead is archived, newest to oldest, here.
To preview next Sunday’s 4th of July “This Place Matters” group photo on the street/sidewalk in front of the Alki Homestead – the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s plan to show community concern about its future – Paul Dorpat‘s “Seattle Now and Then” in today’s Seattle Times (WSB partner) looks at the Homestead and its history, while previewing the event. Dorpat published even more Homestead history on his own website the yesterday, recalling it as “A Soap Manufacturer’s Log Mansion on Alki Point.” (His site also republishes the Times piece with a few “Web extra” photos.) Here’s our original June 8th story about the photo plan; here’s our June 20th story about where the Homestead stands from its owner’s perspective.
Two weeks from today is the 4th of July, the day the Southwest Seattle Historical Society plans a rally of sorts outside the Alki Homestead to take a group photo to publicize how many people are concerned about the landmark’s future. Its owner Tom Lin, meantime, says concern is great, but contends nobody’s contacting him directly to help save it from sitting, idle, indefinitely, as it has for a year and a half since the electrical fire that charred its interior and closed the restaurant. As noted in our original report on the Historical Society’s plan, we asked him for comment – to respond, he sat down with us this past week at an Alki coffee shop:Read More
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