FOLLOWUP: Where the plan to save West Seattle’s ‘Stone House’ stands

If you’ve passed by the “Stone House” at 1123 Harbor SW lately, the changes to its facade might have caught your eye – they caught ours. More than nine months have passed since we first reported that the Southwest Seattle Historical Society hoped to save the well-known stone-studded cottage by moving it to a new site, since the one where it’s stood for 90 years had been sold for redevelopment. City records indicate the site’s new owners are continuing to move ahead with their plan, which calls for the demolition of structures on three adjacent lots, but clearly states that the Stone House is to be relocated per agreement with SWSHS. The agreement on file gives SWSHS until the end of the year to move the house off the site. We asked local entrepreneur and preservationist John Bennett, who’s been involved with the plan, about its status. He tells WSB, “We are scouting a location and working out the logistics of physically moving a 90-year-old stone house. This project is being taken on by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society in their ongoing efforts to preserve the history of our great city. … This is a complicated project, but we are determined to save this amazing piece of West Seattle history.”

As for what’s now being displayed on the facade, Bennett explains, “The art on the front of the house is a quick facelift to show everyone that it has not been forgotten.”

BACKSTORY: This 2002 seattlepi.com story has it.

5 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: Where the plan to save West Seattle's 'Stone House' stands"

  • WS Realtor December 2, 2019 (1:10 pm)

    Thanks to the SWSHS and all those involved for your efforts to preserve this piece of West Seattle history.  The community is behind you, how can we help?

  • Yma December 2, 2019 (6:17 pm)

    I don’t suppose lobbying the developers will make any difference. This place is unique and of historic significance for West Seattle.

  • DB Coop December 3, 2019 (6:50 pm)

    Oh come on! Where’s your New Seattle spirit? Just tear it down along with any other historic buildings that represent our city’s past and put up another ugly Ikea looking building that HALA wants. You know it will happen sooner rather than later anyway. 

  • JAT December 4, 2019 (4:25 pm)

    Odd, coop, that you make the linkage between the city’s Housing  Affordability and Livability Agenda (full disclosure: I had to look that acronym up) and the doomed fate of a cute little house in the face of what I see as rapacious capitalist real estate development.  I guess we’ll see whose prism is more accurate when the house is gone and the slab-sided eyesore is installed,… let’s see a show of hands – who thinks it’ll be luxury condos and who thinks it’ll be subsidized public housing?

  • westseattlite December 5, 2019 (12:28 am)

    Look can we stand back from raw emotion and look at the big picture? This is a wealthy city (for now). If you doubt me look at Detroit  see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZwpcGbGmco This has brought the changes allowing older property owners to sell and retire  comfortably. Young professionals have good paying jobs and have the ability to pay for their exorbitant college loans. I’m a lifelong Seattleite; involved extensively both in construction and historic preservation. I get it, save the building if we can but stop with the damn whining (I exclude WS Realtor here).  Before the pioneers named the city Seattle do you know what they called it? “New York Alki” or New York in the future. Feels a little prophetic doesn’t it?  The city council blew just shy of a million $ in attorney fees in a foolish attempt to preserve the Showbox Theater  https://q13fox.com/2019/10/08/owner-of-iconic-showbox-theater-settles-with-seattle/    Think what that money could have provided in practical historic preservation.  We’re supposed to be preparing for a 9 point subduction earthquake. This is an unreinforced masonry building sitting on top of the “Seattle Fault”. Honestly,  get real or get Bezos.     

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