West Seattle, Washington
24 Saturday
Another regular feature of second Thursdays is the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s Words, Writers, Southwest Stories speaker series. Tomorrow night, SWSHS presents Seattle hip-hop luminary and community organizer King Khazm, in an online event – here’s the preview from SWSHS:
Hip-hop culture and its founding principles are often misunderstood due to its commodification and exploitation by corporate interests and mainstream media. Few know its humble roots as a tool to unify, uplift, and amplify voices, particularly for youth of color.
Join artist and activist King Khazm as he explores the art, history, philosophy, and ethics of hip-hopāan international phenomenon and billion-dollar industry whose legacy is centered in community empowerment, cultural exchange, and resilience. Khazm shows how hip-hop is much more than just a genre of music; it has the capacity to challenge the status quo, address systemic oppression, and provide opportunities for the development of life skills, civic engagement, and global connections.
Khazm āKing Khazmā Kogita (he/him) is a multifaceted artist, producer, and community organizer. He has been engaged in art and community service for over 25 years.āÆHe is the executive director of 206 Zulu and serves on several boards including 4Culture, the Seattle Disability Commission, and The Here & Now Project. Khazm lives in Seattle.
Go here to RSVP. (Photo courtesy SWSHS)
Scott McMurray is on a quest. Part of his Morgan Junction building on the northwest corner of California/Fauntleroy was a hospital a century ago, and he’s looking for a photo. He’s already tried everything else you could suggest – newspapers, historic archives, libraries, even the family of the hospital’s namesake. Now he’s asking you:
As a final try, I thought I would ask the West Seattle community to see if someone could find a picture in their grandmotherās scrapbook. There was a time, around 1916 to the early 1930s, when about half the babies born in West Seattle saw the first light of day in Dr. Charles Boudwinās hospital in Morgan Junction.
Here is the 1930s map. This building on the northwest corner of California and Fauntleroy will have its 100th anniversary in 2028. On this map, the Boudwin Hospital is listed as 6506 Fauntleroy Avenue which is roughly in the back of todayās Whisky West located at 6451 California. Todayās ZEEKS PIZZA is at 6459 California Avenue. Sometime in the late 1930s the hospital, by then a General Hospital, was torn down. Later in the mid-1940s, a warehouse to a hardware store was added to the back of todayās building. You can see the warehouse in the Google Earth picture on the right:
West side of the Boudwin Hospital.
This is a picture of a house (6510 Fauntleroy Avenue) which was located in todayās upper parking, lot 3 of the map above. On the far right of the picture, we can see the west side of the Boudwin Hospital. As I mentioned, hospitals back then were not the big institutional affairs that we have today. In the early 1900s, many āhospitalsā were just large houses with lots of rooms.
General Hospital Sign.
By the 1930s Dr Boudwin had relocated from West Seattle and his hospital became a āGeneral Hospital,ā meaning many different nurses and doctors practised there. You can see their sign above the Piggly Wiggly corner grocery store:
… I believe it is an interesting part of West Seattle history- from caring for Spanish Flu victims to pizza and whiskey. If we locate a picture of the Boudwin Hospital it will make for a more interesting story.
If you have that photo, let us know and we’ll connect you.
(Photo by Jean Sherrard: At left, Clay and Meg Eals, with West Seattle-connected heritage activists Mike and Jen Shaughnessy, Susie and John Bennett, (front, from left) Dora-Faye Hendricks, Deb Barker, Kerry Korsgaard)
Thursday night, West Seattle historian/journalist/author Clay Eals was in the spotlight at Historic Seattle‘s 15th annual Preservation Celebration. We reported in June that the organization had chosen Eals to honor as a “Preservation Champion.” On Thursday, he accepted the award at the event at Washington Hall in the Central District kicking off Historic Seattle’s celebration of its 50th anniversary. He was introduced by emcee Feliks Banel as, among other things, “Mr. West Seattle History”:
Eals spoke of the moments dating back to childhood that made him fall in love with Seattle, and observed that emotions shape preservationists – particularly joy and hope. His work has brought joy to many others, too – with preservation efforts dating back decades, including the fight to save the Admiral Theater. (You can see him in this 1989 TV news story about that.) Eals’s current work includes the Sunday Seattle Times “Now & Then” column, on which he collaborates with Jean Sherrard.
Dr. Kenneth Beck wants to take you on a “Paleo Tour” of Alki – paleo as in paleontology. Even if you think you know everything about Alki’s history, his tour will almost certainly teach you something new – about something old.
Dr. Beck is a retired research scientist whose deep academic background (read about it here) includes paleontology and archaeology studies. And now he’s decided to put that to use: “I saw that few people in West Seattle knew anything about how West Seattle ‘got here,’ and that was sad. We live on one of the most interesting outcroppings in the world!”
He says the tour “will involve the ‘Adventurers’ in discovering fossils for themselves! Imagine that. Fossils from the Eocene Epoch (50 million years ago). Then, fast forward to 900 CE (AD), the Vikings were invading Ireland, the Classical Era was ending in India, and Alki rose out of the depth more than 25 feet in one of the grandest of grand earth-shattering quakes!”
The guided lecture/tour will cover two miles in two hours, on e-scooters or e-bikes (bring your own or rent one on Alki), not included in the $40/person honorarium (kids under 10 are free). You’ll meet Dr. Beck at Spud Fish and Chips (a part of Alki’s more-recent history). And this is by appointment only – he says he’ll offer the tour year-round, at low tide. You might see subtle sights like this, which he says is a fossilized clam:
If you’re interested, email him at drbeck@alkipaleotours.org.
Thanks for the tips! The old signage for Dick ‘n’ Dale’s Appliance & TV has been uncovered by the new tenant moving into 4538 California SW. It was beneath the signage for Village Woodworks, which occupied the space for a quarter-century before suddenly closing in early 2022. We’re not sure how long Dick ‘n’ Dale’s was there but did find an archived Seattle Times story quoting its owner in 1990. And the West Seattle Junction Historic Resources Survey from 2016 says, “This store, built in 1948, was West Seattle (and later Sportsland) Sporting goods from the 1950s into the 1970s. Later, local residents operated Dick & Daleās Appliances until the 1990s.” As for the sign’s future, the Industrious proprietors told us they aren’t yet sure what they’ll do with it after taking it down,
While Hiawatha Community Center and Playfield await their future, if you’re interested, tomorrow (Saturday, August 19th) brings a unique chance to learn about Hiawatha’s century-plus-long history. Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks invites you to a free walking tour, 10 am-noon. All they ask is that you RSVP – the link for that, and details of the tour, are here.
Thanks to HPAC co-chair Kay Kirkpatrick for sharing this on behalf of “Highland Park history buffs”:
(First two photos by Joe F, who’s in photo #3, taken by Craig R)
On Wednesday workers excavating for utilities relocation at the Highland/Holden signal-and-intersection improvement site dug up more than just old asphalt.
They unearthed several old railroad ties from beneath two feet of asphalt and concrete. These are believed to be from the historic Highland Park/ Lake Burien Trolley line that came up the hillside there between 1912 and 1931.
(This find happened one day after the gas-line mishap.)
Inside the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s Log House Museum, there’s more room to roam – recent renovations removed an interior wall. The change was unveiled just as the museum opened its new exhibit about Longfellow Creek, featuring not only beautiful photos and other displays, but also learning opportunities for all ages:
Also new at the Log House Museum: The sixth Peace Pole installed in the area by the Rotary Club of West Seattle. We mentioned it briefly after its installation two weeks ago and visited for its dedication ceremony Friday afternoon. It’s in the garden space in front of the historic log house, facing SW Stevens just west of 61st SW:
Below are the ceremony speakers – L to R, Kerry Korsgaard from the museum’s board, programs and community-outreach director Elizabeth Rudrud, and Rotarians Christine Peak and Keith Hughes:
Keith explained the history of the Peace Pole Project, which has placed more than a quarter-million poles worldwide, and the reason the museum was chosen as a location for one:
This pole is inscribed in Lushootseed, Cantonese, Spanish, and English; the message is, “May peace prevail on Earth.” You can see it outside the museum any time; to go inside the museum, visit during regular public hours, noon-4 pm Fridays and Saturdays.
If you have memorabilia – particularly signage – from a past business, Vanishing Seattle wants to hear from you. The temporary exhibit they’re planning isn’t in West Seattle, but it’s not far, and they’re hoping to draw items from all over the city. Here’s what we were asked to share with you:
Vanishing Seattle is seeking remnants of our city to display at Forest For The Trees, a satellite event to Seattle Art Fair. The “Vanishing Seattle” exhibition will offer a poignant reflection on the changing face of our city, a reminder of the impermanence of urban spaces and the profound impact of āprogress.ā We hope to bring together a collection of sign works, artifacts & memorabilia that have shaped the cityās visual and cultural landscape over the decades, as an ode to the artisans and spaces that brought life to the city streets, and as a celebration of the ephemeral beauty that continues to shape our collective memories. As we bear witness to the disappearance of these art forms and gathering places from our streets, we invite you to contribute to a visual dialogue that pays tribute to this legacy.
The exhibition will take place in an open 12,000 sq ft brick and timber space at historic RailSpur building in Pioneer Square from July 27 – 30, 2023 and First Thursday Art Walk August 3, 2023. Entry is free to the public.
The exhibition will take place on an upper floor of the building, so the sizing of the items will be restricted to the capacity of the elevator and stairwell (roughly 8ft X 4ft, but donāt hesitate to contact us if you have an awesome item thatās bigger).
Items will be credited as on loan from the owner unless you wish to remain anonymous.
Please contact us if you are interested in sharing signs and other local artifacts from your collection!
vanishingseattle@gmail.com
After school was out for the day, it was time for memories at Alki Elementary, soon to be rebuilt after 111 years. People with connections to the school past and present, and other interested community members, were welcomed inside for a two-hour open house to say farewell.
Visitors were invited to write messages on the lunch-room wall:
The last day of school in the old building is Friday, June 30th; during two years of construction, Alki will hold classes at the former Schmitz Park Elementary.
If you went to last Sunday’s Morgan Junction Community Festival and visited the Southwest Seattle Historical Society booth, you would have seen Clay Eals helping kids paint stones and answering questions. He was there as a volunteer, helping out the organization he served as its first executive director. The focus of the group’s booth at the festival was the Save The Stone Cottage preservation effort. Eals has been involved with many other campaigns to protect icons of local history, like the Hamm and Campbell Buildings in the heart of The Junction. That work is one reason why Historic Seattle is honoring him as a Preservation Champion. Eals is also an author and journalist, with a long body of work, including, most recently, “Now and Then” columns for The Seattle Times. Historic Seattle’s Erika Carleton tells WSB that Eals’ written work educates and inspires people: “In years past (the award recipients) have often been architects or structural designers … but sometimes it makes sense to think about somebody like Clay, who as a writer, journalist, advocate, plays a really important role … he tells the stories!”
Eals has been “telling the stories” for half a century, in a storied career dating back to his first newspaper job in Oregon in 1973. Here on the Duwamish Peninsula, his five years as editor of the West Seattle Herald/White Center News in the ’80s included producing the most comprehensive book of local history to date, West Side Story. More recently, he wrote the award-winning biography of musician Steve Goodman, “Facing the Music,” first published in 2007, and edited “Seattle Now and Then: The Historic Hundred,” published in 2018, co-authored by Paul Dorpat and Jean Sherrard.
“He gets the stories out there. That’s super valuable for us,” Carleton adds, noting that historical preservation is not always the sexiest topic.
Eals is appreciative of not only the honor but the mission, and those who also walk its path. āIām deeply honored, and I trust that the ceremony on September 28 will bolster the preservation cause citywide, just as it has in previous years. Itās all about identifying and saving the gems that make us unique so that they can keep functioning and inspiring us all down the road. None of us does preservation work alone. I truly believe in the well-worn phrase āIt Takes a Village,ā and Iām grateful to know first-hand that many in West Seattle and in the city as a whole are key parts of that village.”
The September ceremony he mentioned is Historic Seattle’s Preservation Celebration, at Washington Hall in the Central District. Attendees will celebrate honorees also including this year’s other Preservation Champion, Dorothy Cordova. Eals shared this photo from a coincidental meeting with her at her Central District-based Filipino American National Historical Society Museum office, weeks before Historic Seattle announced the awards.
You can see who, and what, else Historic Seattle is honoring this year by going here.
(2013 photo from Alki Elementary’s centennial by Jean Sherrard)
With more than a century of history, Alki Elementary School has thousands of people with connections past and present. If you’re among them, you’re invited to an event next Wednesday. Here’s the announcement:
Alki Elementary School, a historic institution that has been a cornerstone of the West Seattle community since its construction in 1900, will soon bid farewell to its beloved building. In August of this year, the school is set to be torn down to make way for a brand-new facility, ensuring a modern and innovative learning environment for future generations.
Before bidding adieu to its rich past, Alki Elementary School is inviting the public to a special Community Open House on June 21, 2023, from 4 pm to 6 pm. This free event offers an opportunity for community members, alumni, and anyone with fond memories of the school to step inside and reminisce about the cherished moments shared within those walls.
Though no grand ceremonies are planned, the open house aims to create a casual atmosphere where attendees can freely explore the public spaces of the historic building one last time. From the vibrant hallways that echoed with laughter to the cafeteria that witnessed countless friendships being forged, visitors will have a chance to wander through the school and relive the memories that shaped their lives.
An interactive aspect of the event includes the provision of Sharpie pens for attendees to leave heartfelt notes and messages on the cafeteria walls. These messages will serve as a meaningful farewell for both the students and staff as they embark on their journey to a new facility.
Alki Elementary School recognizes the significance of its place in the community and seeks to honor the building’s legacy by providing this opportunity for all to come together and pay tribute. It’s a chance to celebrate the generations of students, educators, and families who have contributed to the school’s vibrant history. We respectfully acknowledge that Alki Elementary sits on the traditional and unceded land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present, and honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish Tribe.
Don’t miss this final chance to walk the halls of Alki Elementary School before its transformation. Join us on June 21, 2023, and be part of this heartfelt farewell to an iconic institution.
At Alki and elsewhere, Seattle Public Schools‘ last day of classes is Friday, June 30th. The start of construction depends on what happens with appeals filed against the city’s decision to grant zoning exceptions; the appeal hearing is scheduled for late July.
The balloons on the recently rescued statue of Rolf Neslund mark the 45th anniversary of what led to the biggest West Seattle Bridge closure yet. On June 11, 1978, Neslund was piloting the freighter Antonio Chavez when it hit the north side of what was at the time the main bridge across the Duwamish River to/from West Seattle. That led to a bridge closure more than twice as long as the one we all recently endured. After the 1978 collision, it was six years until construction was complete on the current high-rise bridge, which was dedicated on July 14, 1984 (so next year will be its 40th anniversary). This city-produced video about the bridge’s history includes historic photos and video, as well as some of the city process that finally resulted in a plan to build the bridge, plus in the final few minutes, the dedication of the “low bridge” in 1991:
So far, no problems have been reported with the high bridge since it reopened nine months ago, following a 2 1/2-year closure.
By the time we got to West Seattle High School for this afternoon’s return of the All-School Reunion, everybody was in breakout rooms. But if you like classic cars, you can take a look at another component of the revived reunion – the mini-show just outside the north side of the school. Our photos above and below show classic MGs of different eras.
And a classic Ford:
At 7 pm, the alumni party moves to Whisky West (6451 California SW) for the afterparty, until midnight, featuring WSHS alums who are members of The Nitemates. P.S. If you missed it previously – current WSHS students are organizing a car show for June 17th.
(Southwest Seattle Historical Society photo)
As noted here earlier this week, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s Log House Museum is closed starting today for about a week and a half. The building isn’t the only thing undergoing an overhaul. SWSHS is also looking at new ways of serving you. They have some questions for you, too, via a community survey. Here’s how the SWSHS explains it:
Like all museums and cultural organizations, the last few years brought challenges for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and its landmark Log House Museum. But, says its new Programs and Outreach Director, Elizabeth Rudrud, it has also created opportunities.āVisitors are looking for new experiences with their local museums,ā says Rudrud, āand the last few years have allowed museums to understand that, to think differently about their programs and audiences.āThe is embarking on a strategic planning process to guide its decision making for the next three years and hopes to learn from its community.
A critical component of the process is a community-wide survey. āWe hope to learn whether Duwamish Peninsula residents are interested in history, what stories from the past are important to them, what types of programs or services they would like to see us offer,ā Rudrud continues, āand for those who have not been to visit the Log House Museum – why? Is this something that could change if the museum did things differently or programmed in different neighborhoods?ā
Respondents who choose to enter their name and contact information will be eligible for a drawing to receive a $100 American Express Gift Card. The winner will be notified in late July or August. (Personal information is not required to participate in the survey.)
The museum is already thinking in new directions, renovating its interior to accommodate larger programs and offer private rentals to bring in unrestricted income as well as expanding how it talks about the areaās past.
Recently, it joined as an early partner with the newly established Maritime Washington National Heritage Area. āThe partnership allows us to collaborate with a region wide network, rethink how we talk about maritime history, incorporate geological and ecological history, and consider maritime programming.ā
The Log House Museum, located one block from Alki Beach, is in a prime location to talk about the history of waterways in Washington State. It was near this location where Chief Sealth, who regularly traveled the regionās waterways, welcomed the arrival of settlers who arrived at Alki Point in 1851 on the Schooner Exact.
The LHM expects to reopen by mid-month; its regular hours are Fridays and Saturdays, noon-4 pm.
West Seattle’s landmark Log House Museum – home to the Southwest Seattle Historical Society – has a closure ahead. It’ll be closed to the public June 1-June 10 for interior renovations. SWSHS’s Elizabeth Rudrud explains, “These renovations will allow the museum to host more programs (with greater capacity), highlight the building’s original layout as a Carriage House for the Fir Lodge (Alki Homestead) while still interpreting the structure as a private residence, open the space for an upcoming interactive exhibit, and create new opportunities for private-event rentals, which will provide the museum with unrestricted income to support its mission.”
During the closure – and beyond – you can see three traveling exhibits at local libraries. Here are the three exhibits SWSHS is calling “Community Explorers“:
The exhibits are viewable during the branches’ regular hours; you can find those on the Seattle Public Library website.
(2013 photo – the lighthouse’s centennial year – by Dustin T. Smith)
Tomorrow’s the first day this year that you can visit a historic West Seattle gem – Alki Point Lighthouse. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers are again there for free tours on Sunday afternoons throughout the summer. Just show up between 1 pm and 3:45 pm on Sundays (except July 2nd). You can learn about its history – going back 110 years! – and enjoy panoramic views of Puget Sound.
(U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary photo by Debra Alderman)
This summer, thanks to U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers, weekly tours will again be offered at a West Seattle icon – Alki Point Lighthouse. Here’s the announcement sent to us to share with you:
Visit Alki Point Lighthouse and celebrate its 110th birthday during 2023!
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers will be offering free lighthouse tours most Sunday afternoons between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. (No tours July 2nd.).
First visitors enter the site at 1 p.m. Last tour begins at 3:45.
Address: 3201 Alki Avenue SW
Questions: alkilighthouseteam@gmail.com
You can also check here for updates, and watch our Sunday event lists.
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand. Above, SWSHS’s Elizabeth Rudrud)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
In the waning moments of tonight’s Southwest Seattle Historical Society spring gala at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), generous bidders helped propel the organization toward its goal.
They dug into their pockets for only-in-West-Seattle items like a music tour with historian Peder Nelson and preservationist John Bennett, riding in a 1949 Cadillac past spots where you might not know history happened. (Nirvana did some recording on 35th, for one, Nelson said.) When a bidding war hit the $500 vicinity, organizers decided to sell two tours.
Auctioneers were longtime SWSHS supporters Clay Eals (below right – he also served as the organization’s first executive director) and Mike Shaughnessy.
Eals noted that investment in SWSHS also represented “hope for the future” as well as a promise not to abandon everything from its past. “There are tangible things we can point to in the community that would not be here if not for this organization” – such as the Alki Homestead/Fir Lodge, which itself factored into the auction, with bids taken on a gift card for the acclaimed Il Nido restaurant that now occupies the landmark log building.
The night began with recognition of history going back much further.
A “music tour of West Seattle” in that classic car is just one of many “unique local experiences” that’s being auctioned as a benefit for the only organization devoted to local history – not just to remember the past, but also to learn lessons for the future. Some bidding starts online tomorrow! Here’s how to be part of it:
Each year, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society auction brings together the best of West Seattle business, art and experiences to raise funds to meet its mission to preserve local history through education, preservation, and advocacy.
This year, the Historical Societyās online auction opens on Monday, May 1 and closes Thursday, May 4. The auction is open to the public and features West Seattle gifts, experiences, and art. All funds raised go directly to the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and the Log House Museum. Bidders can register for free online at loghousemuseum.org.
The auction, which was previously held in-person during the SWSHS Annual Gala, moved online in 2020. As the organization began to meet in person again, SWSHS board and staff wanted to keep most of the items available through the online auction so it could reach a wider audience.
Available items include walking tours with local historians, a private viewing of Doc Maynardās letters with historian Phil Hoffman, tickets to local events including the West Seattle Garden Tour, Wine Walk, and Rainbow Bingo, overnight stays at the famous Easy Street Beach House, original art, and gift certificates for dozens of local businesses, restaurants, salons, and more.
Select items will be offered during a Live Auction at the societyās Spring Gala on May 5 at Saltyās on Alki. Priceless experiences, including an opportunity to create your own Husky Deli Ice Cream Flavor, a Music History Tour of West Seattle (in a vintage Cadillac no less!), a private tour of the West Duwamish Greenbelt with Duwamish Tribe Council member Ken Workman, and more are available only during this event.
The Spring Gala and the auction are the organizationās biggest fundraising events of the year, bringing in critical income to support both the operations of the Log House Museum, but also its historical collection ā including two recent acquisitions, signage from the Original Bakery that closed in March and bound volumes of the West Seattle Herald from the 1920s-1940s.
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society preserves local history through education, preservation, and advocacy. The Historical Society owns and operates the Log House Museum, a landmarked building located off of Alki Beach. The Historical Societyās service area includes communities across the Duwamish Peninsula.
You can bid online starting tomorrow even if you’re not going to Friday’s gala (more on that event here).
(Photo from slideshow prepared for today’s meeting)
Pending final city approval, West Seattle will have another city landmark. This afternoon, the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board voted unanimously to recommend giving landmark status to the Cettolin House, 4022 32nd SW [map]. The house was built in the ’20s and ’30s by Italian immigrant Fausto Cettolin, inspired by the architecture of his homeland. He worked as a steelworker at the nearby mill and spent decades working on the home and grounds in his off-hours. He and wife Erma Cettolin raised six children there, the youngest of whom, Virginia, attended today’s hearing.
There wasn’t much discussion; it was largely a recap of what led to the board’s also-unanimous vote last month to consider the designation. Historic-resource consultant David Peterson recapped his extensive nomination document, which details the history not only of the house but also of the neighborhood. (See a shorter slideshow here.) Board members said mostly that they concurred with the staff recommendation that the house and its grounds merited designation, for the same reasons they previously supported advancing its nomination for consideration.
Though it was not a topic at the board meeting, it’s been noted – including by its current owners, who sought the designation – that the Cettolin House is potentially in the path of West Seattle light rail. City landmark status does not necessarily protect a building from demolition. We’re asked Sound Transit how they deal with historic landmarks; while promising a more specific answer, they pointed us to this section of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the West Seattle/Ballard Link Extensions project, which talks in general about “mitigation” if “historic resources” are affected, adding, “Designated Seattle landmarks and districts that would be directly modified would be subject to review and issuance of a certificate of approval from the Landmarks Board and/or District Review Boards.”
NEXT STEPS: Finalization of the Cettolin House’s landmark designation requires a City Council vote approving the “controls and incentives” that will be worked out for it.
SIDE NOTES: Before this, West Seattle’s most-recent landmark designations include two mixed-use buildings in the heart of the West Seattle Junction, the Campbell Building (northeast corner of California/Alaska) in 2017 and the Hamm Building (northwest corner of California/Alaska) in 2018. When the designation is finalized, the Cettolin House will be one of a handful of West Seattle private homes with landmark status, including the Beach Drive “Painted Lady,” the Hainsworth House, and the Bloss House. (Here’s the full city list of landmarks.)
Got your ticket(s) yet for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s May 5th celebration? SWSHS has announced five women as the spotlight speakers:
West Seattle is thriving – and not just because the bridge has reopened. It is also because of community leaders and their ability to foster meaningful connections, forge strong coalitions, and work together to promote the well-being of all who call the Duwamish Peninsula home.
On Friday, May 5th the Southwest Seattle Historical Society will celebrate those who are making lasting impacts across West Seattle. Guest speakers from organizations across the Peninsula are the highlight of the 2023 Spring Gala ā Celebrating Connections, Together We Thrive.
The event takes place at Saltyās on Alki from 6 ā 8:30pm, will feature music from the Chief Sealth International High School Jazz Ensemble, will open with a blessing from Duwamish Tribal Councilman, Ken Workman, and of course, feature Salty’s food and a cash bar with Cinco de Mayo themed margaritas.
āWe hope our guests enjoy the opportunity to visit with each other and our speakers throughout the event, to celebrate and create new connections,ā said Elizabeth Rudrud, the Historical Societyās Programs and Outreach Director. āIt is also an opportunity to have fun, bid on unique West Seattle experiences during our live auction, and support the Log House Museum and the Southwest Seattle Historical Society.ā
The Spring Gala is the organizationās biggest fundraiser of the year. Funds go to operational costs, programs and collecting and preserving local history. āThe event is open to everyone and we think this is a great opportunity for our neighbors across the Peninsula to learn more about what we are doing and why it matters.ā An online auction will be held in advance of the Gala on May 1 ā 4.
The event is designed to be a social mixer but also features a program with community leaders who serve diverse communities from Alki Beach, the Junction, Delridge, Highpoint and South Park. The historical society announced its speakers this week. Full bios of the speakers, and registration information for the Gala and online auction can be found at www.loghousemuseum.org.
Southwest Seattle Historical Society Spring Gala Guest Speakers Include:
Stacy Bass-Wolden, co-founder of Alki Beach Pride. Alki Beach Pride has a mission is to unite Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community and celebrate Queer culture in a dignified way that acknowledges the intersection of race.
Joanna Florer, West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails Group. The West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails Group is a community-based organization with a mission to create a larger Duwamish Peninsula trail system, with a spur to the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, focused on native species restoration, serving the hiking and walking community with space for other uses.
Mesha Florentino is co-director of Housing and Finance for the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association. DNDA is a nonāprofit organization devoted to social, racial and environmental justice dedicated to preserving and increasing affordable housing for a range of incomes, enhancing the natural environment, and providing such vital resources as arts and cultural opportunities, education and youth programs for our neighbors.
Rosa Lopez, organizer, Reconnect South Park. Reconnect South Park is a grassroots coalition that wants to remove the segment of SR-99 that cuts through South Park and create a land trust to ensure the 40 acres it will free up are developed equitably.
Christine Mackay, Executive Director, West Seattle Junction Association. The West Seattle Junction Association is a nonprofit which produces community events throughout the year including Art Walk, Wine Walk, Summer Fest, Outdoor Movies, Harvest Festival, and Hometown Holidays. The Junction helps to keep the streets of the Junction safe, clean and beautiful.
Here’s the direct link for tickets.
(Photo from landmark-nomination packet)
A month and a half after deciding to consider city-landmark status for the Cettolin House in West Seattle, the city Landmarks Preservation Board is expected to decide tomorrow (Wednesday, April 19th) whether to recommend designating it as a landmark. The 3:30 pm meeting is open, with public comment, at City Hall or online; here’s the agenda, which explains how to access the meeting and how to sign up to comment. The Cettolin House at 4022 32nd SW was built by steelworker Fausto Cettolin on nights and weekends between 1926 and 1939; he and wife Erma Cettolin, Italian immigrants, raised six children in the house, and died three years apart in the 1960s. The staff report for tomorrow’s meeting suggests that the site and exterior of the house meet three standards for landmark designation:
C. It is associated in a significant way with a significant aspect of the cultural, political, or economic heritage of the community, City, state or nation.
D. It embodies the distinctive visible characteristics of an architectural style, or period, or a method of construction.
E. It is an outstanding work of a designer or builder.
You can see images of its exterior and interior in this presentation for tomorrow’s meeting, and read about its history (with a hefty helping of West Seattle history) in the nomination document. For a shorter summary, see this Seattle Now & Then story by West Seattle journalist/historian Clay Eals, published last October.
WEDNESDAY 5:08 PM UPDATE: The designation was approved unanimously. Separate story this evening.
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