(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.“Visitors are looking for new experiences with their local museums,” says Rudrud, “and the last few years have allowed museums to understand that, to think differently about their programs and audiences.”The 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. “We 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,” Rudrud continues, “and 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?”

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 area’s past.

Recently, it joined as an early partner with the newly established Maritime Washington National Heritage Area. “The 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.”

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 region’s 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.

(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.

(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.

Read More

(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.)

(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.

A two-part announcement from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s Log House Museum:

The Southwest Seattle Historical Society is honored to announce that it has accepted a donation of unique artifacts from The Original Bakery, which closed its doors last month after nearly 90 years in business.

The Bakery opened in 1935 in the Adams Building, which was built about ten years prior. The Bakery has had multiple owners, including Bernie Alonzo, who purchased the business in 1975 from Bill Latta and Florian Dunbar. The Alonzo family ran the Bakery for nearly 50 years until Bernie’s retirement last month.The museum received the request to accept these donated objects – including posters made by local historian Ron Richardson about the Fauntleroy Neighborhood and the Original Bakery sign (which preceded the Alonzo family) – from Anna Alonzo, daughter of Bernie. The Historical Society Board of Trustees voted to accept these items into its collection both for their historic value but also because it has few artifacts from this building and business district.“We are grateful the posters Ron Richardson made and the Original Bakery sign found a good home in the Log House museum,” says Alonzo, “We know Mrs. Richardson is really happy about it too.”

You can learn more about the history of the Original Bakery in the March 2023 Fauntleroy Community Association Newsletter.

The Log House Museum, operated by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, is located at 3003 61^st Ave SW, one block from Alki Beach. The museum is now open Fridays and Saturdays from 12-4 pm.

Learn more at www.loghousemuseum.org

This Friday, for one night only, the Seattle Historical Theatre Project comes to West Seattle for a free performance of “Friends Across the Wires,” which producer Tamara Bunnell explains “is an original play exploring the impact of the WWII Japanese American Incarceration on young people in Seattle.” The production is touring the region, and the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW) performance at 7:30 pm Friday (April 7th) is a late addition to the schedule, so they want to be sure the word gets out. Here’s the announcement:

Seattle Historical Theatre Project presents
FRIENDS ACROSS THE WIRES

The Seattle Historical Theatre Project is pleased to announce upcoming tour details in West Seattle for their theatre production of Friends Across the Wires, an original play exploring the impact of the WWII Japanese American Incarceration on young people in Seattle.

The play follows best friends Kiyoko and Peggy, students at Seattle’s Broadway High School, from the bombing of Pearl Harbor through the end of Kiyoko’s incarceration at Minidoka. Extensively researched and built from personal interviews, primary sources, and other historical material, the play is designed to teach about the Incarceration while examining themes of friendship, injustice, and resilience. The play will be presented at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center on Friday, April 7th, at 7:30 pm.

Performing the play in West Seattle is a unique opportunity to shed light on some of the neighborhood’s history. Audience members will have the opportunity to learn about the West Seattle community’s specific responses to the rise of anti-Japanese American rhetoric prevalent in the United States during the war years. Generously funded by 4Culture Arts and Heritage and Kip Tokuda Memorial Washington Civil Liberties Public Education Program grants, this and all performances are offered free-of-charge.

In the photo are cast members Caylin Morrison as Ume, Emma Chang as Kiyoko, and Isaac Tian as Torao. Laura Ferri is playwright and director. Seats at Youngstown on Friday will be first-come, first-served. You can find out more about “Friends Across the Wires” here.

(Photo from landmark-nomination packet)

The city Landmarks Preservation Board has agreed to consider landmark status for the Cettolin House at 4022 32nd SW. That unanimous vote during the board’s meeting this afternoon is not the final word on that possible status – it just means board members agreed it’s worthy of consideration. Their vote followed a presentation by David Peterson, hired by the house’s current owners to prepare the document for its prospective nomination. The document is – and the presentation was – full of history, not just of the house and its builder and his family, but also of West Seattle itself.

As Peterson explained, the house was built by steelworker Fausto Cettolin on nights and weekends between 1926 and 1939, when he wasn’t at work at the nearby steel mill, to which he walked from home. Its architecture was inspired by Cettolin’s native Italy, from which both he and his wife Erma emigrated in 1913, though they didn’t meet until years later in West Seattle. The Cettolins raised six children in the house; Fausto retired in 1961 and died in 1969, three years after his wife. Their youngest child Virginia, a nun now in her 80s, was present for today’s meeting at (location corrected) City Hall. Peterson said she provided many of the photos in the document, as well as a diagram of how the house and its grounds were laid out before subsequent owners sold off two of the original three lots on its site.

Two people spoke in the public-comment period, both in support of landmark status. In board discussion, one member asked a question that’s come up previously: If the house gets landmark status, how might that affect the West Seattle Sound Transit light-rail project? City staffer Erin Doherty said that since the route isn’t finalized yet, they don’t know, and it’s not appropriate to consider “what about” anyway – just consider the nominated site on its own merits. So they agreed it’s worth nominating, and will decide on April 19th whether it’s worth designating as a landmark. (Read about the process here.) To comment before that meeting, you can use the same options offered in this notice for today’s meeting.

(Photo from landmark-nomination packet)

Back in October, you might have seen West Seattle journalist and historian Clay Eals‘ “Now & Then” Seattle Times column about the Cettolin House in West Seattle. Now it’s going before the city Landmarks Preservation Board for consideration of proposed landmark status. The stucco-clad house – potentially in the path of the light-rail line – was built by Italian-immigrant steelworker Fausto Cettolin in the 1920s and ’30s. Here’s the official notice; below is the city announcement sent this morning:

Seattle’s Landmarks Preservation Board will consider the nomination of the Cettolin House, located at 4022 32nd Avenue SW, at its meeting on March 1, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. Members of the public can attend the meeting in person at the Boards & Commissions Room (L2-80) of Seattle City Hall, located at 600 4th Avenue. The meeting can also be accessed using the WebEx Event link or telephone call-in line provided in the agenda that will be posted to the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods website one week prior to the meeting.

The public is invited to participate in the meeting and make comments regarding the nomination. You may sign up to address the Landmarks Preservation Board for up to 2 minutes on matters on this agenda. Online sign-up will begin two hours before the 3:30 p.m. meeting start time and will end at the start of the Board meeting. Members of the public who wish to speak can either use the call-in number, the WebEx link, or they may speak in-person at the meeting’s physical location. The agenda for this meeting will be sent one week prior to the meeting and will be posted on the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods website.

Written comments are also accepted and should be received by the Landmarks Preservation Board by 3:30 p.m. on February 28, 2023. Written comments can be submitted:

–Via email: erin.doherty@seattle.gov

–Via US Mail: Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, PO Box 94649, Seattle WA 98124-4649

A copy of the Landmark Nomination is posted (online here).

A landmark nomination provides a physical description of the building, object, or site, and information on its history, current and historic photos, site plans, maps, drawings, and more. To learn about the nomination and designation process, (go here).

The nomination document also goes into area history, so regardless of your views on the nomination, it’s worth a look. Other landmarked homes in West Seattle include the Bloss House in northeast Admiral and the Satterlee House (“Painted Lady”) on Beach Drive – this map shows landmarks (homes and otherwise) around West Seattle and the rest of the city.

As each year ends, we publish one look back – the 10 WSB stories that drew the most comments. That doesn’t mean they were the most-read stories, or the most-important stories, but it’s objectively quantifiable they were the most-discussed. So, with hours left in the year, here’s the 2022 countdown:

#10 – PEGASUS PIZZA EVICTED
December 2, 2022 – 133 comments
With a King County Sheriff’s Office-posted notice on the door, this longtime restaurant was suddenly shut down. Court files revealed the case had been in the works since July. The signage is gone, the space vacant, but we may not have heard the last of the case – new court documents indicate the owners plan to appeal.

#9 – WEST 5 ANNOUNCES CLOSURE
January 31, 2022 – 134 comments
This longtime restaurant/bar closed toward the start of the year, explaining, “The uncomplicated story is, we lost our lease …” Another restaurant/bar, Camp West, opened in the space in November.

#8 – HUGE WATER-MAIN BREAK
August 15, 2022 – 152 comments
A massive water-main break near Longfellow Creek interrupted service to thousands of customers. Service was restored but repairs aren’t complete yet and could stretch into February. As for what caused the break, Seattle Public Utilities told WSB last month that no one cause had been pinpointed but: “It is possible vibration caused by the pile work being done on the Longfellow [drainage] project could have contributed to the break,”

#7 – MAN SHOT AT 28TH/ANDOVER
May 13, 2022 – 155 comments
The mid-afternoon shooting generated a new round of discussion about the longrunning RV encampment in the area, where the victim – who survived – was reported to be a resident.

#6 – WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE REOPENS
September 17, 2022 – 162 comments
After two and a half years, the stabilized/repaired high bridge reopened to traffic just after 9 pm on a Saturday night. But not all the traffic has returned – as of last check, volumes were still estimated around two-thirds of what they had been pre-closure.

#5 – STATE FERRY CATHLAMET CRASHES AT FAUNTLEROY
July 28, 2022 – 181 comments
No deaths or serious injuries, but a state ferry sustained major damage when it hit an offshore structure known as a dolphin at the Fauntleroy ferry terminal. The captain resigned shortly thereafter. The formal report on the crash’s cause has yet to be made public; the Cathlamet has yet to return to service.

#4 – CITY SWEEPS SW ANDOVER RV ENCAMPMENT
June 16, 2022 – 191 comments
After six years of RVs lining the north side of SW Andover between 26th and 28th, the city cleared out the vehicles and their residents. Neighboring businesses quickly installed “eco-blocks” to prevent parking on that side of the street. Before long, those were removed and replaced with a bicycle lane.

#3 – GONDOLA SUPPORTERS RESPOND TO SOUND TRANSIT ‘FEASIBILITY REPORT’
April 18, 2022 – 192 comments
In April, Sound Transit released its “feasibility report” on the West Seattle SkyLink gondola counterproposal, basically dismissing it. A week and a half later, SkyLink supporters went public with their response. They said the gondola idea needs a better review. ST said a board member would have to propose that – and to date, none have.’

#2 – TWO PEOPLE SHOT AT ALKI
October 31, 2022 – 202 comments
Two people out for a walk at the beach were shot, possibly a case of drive-by shooters aiming for someone else, and to date no arrests have been reported.

#1 – WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE EXPECTED TO REOPEN IN SEPTEMBER
June 9, 2022 – 262 comments
Months of wondering “will the bridge really reopen this year?” finally ended with a collective sigh of relief (and some skepticism) when the city zeroed in on an expected opening timeframe.

PREVIOUS YEARS: Here are our previous most-commented-stories lists, going back to 2011:

2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011