West Seattle, Washington
06 Monday
This is a big wweek for the one of our area’s premier cultural organizations, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society – this Friday is its spring “Tides of History” gala, and tickets are still available, but you can also support SWSHS via the online auction that runs today through Thursday! Here’s the announcement with details:
Bid to support local history! The Southwest Seattle Historical Society’s online auction just opened today, and runs through Thursday April 9. A live auction will be held during the historical society’s Spring Gala on Friday, April 10 at Salty’s.
To bid, you can register at loghousemuseum.org.
The annual gala and auction comprise one of the biggest fundraisers of the year and brings in critical revenue for the historical society and museum – this year to help support the installation of a permanent, interactive exhibit at the Log House Museum.
The online auction features vacations, one-of-a-kind West Seattle experiences, and unique offerings including a collection of original vintage rock ‘n’ roll crew t-shirts.
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society owns and operates the Log House Museum at Alki Beach, cares for a unique collection of artifacts, provides free museum admission and public programming (including Alki History Walking Tours that started again this month, and Words, Writers, Southwest Stories, a monthly virtual speaker series). This summer, the organization will install a permanent, interactive exhibit at the Log House Museum – a result of more than two years of planning supported by Maritime Washington National Heritage Area – and will refresh its native plant garden with support from the West Seattle Garden Tour.
This year’s live auction, held during the Historical Society’s annual Spring Gala on Friday (April 10) at Salty’s on Alki, includes priceless experiences, including: creating your own Husky Deli Ice Cream flavor, a private guided tour of the West Duwamish Greenbelt with Ken Workman, descendant of Chief Sealth, and more.
The event includes guest speaker Roger Evans, curator at the Washington State Black Legacy Institute and the project lead for the Seattle Griot Project, and will honor special guests whose stories will be exhibited in the upcoming permanent exhibition including members of the Tengu Fishing Club, historical society Board Member Carol-Ann Thornton, who was the first student of color to desegregate Alki Elementary School, and more
The auction closes at 8 pm on Thursday, April 9. Register here!
WSB is media sponsor for the SWSHS benefit.
Earlier this week, we reported that – after more than a century – Alki Lumber would officially close its West Seattle Triangle location at end-of-day today. Shortly after they did, two readers sent photos of the last customer, Siobhan Costello – the one above, from John Bennett, the one below, from Andy McConnell:
John also sent this photo of the picture of Jim Sweeney, who ran Alki Lumber – founded by his grandfather – for half a century until his death in 2012:
The Sweeney family sold the Alki Lumber business to Marine Lumber in 2021 but retained the land, on which they hope to eventually build the Sweeney Blocks mixed-use project, which completed Design Review years ago but has been on hold pending more favorable conditions for development. Meantime, Alki Lumber reopens Monday as Alki Marine Lumber at its new South Park location, 558 S. Kenyon [map].
(WSB file photo)
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society has another series of Alki History Walking Tours planned for the next half year, leaving the Log House Museum at 11 am on first and second Saturdays. Here’s what to know:
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society’s popular Alki History Walking Tour is back! Attendees will learn about the history of Alki Beach, the peoples who have lived here, and how settlement by various groups and individuals has left its mark on Alki. You’ll visit historic and cultural sites in the area and discuss how our understanding of the area and its people continues to evolve.
Tour stops include the Log House Museum, Fir Lodge/Alki Homestead, historic sites and monuments at Alki Beach, and Doc Maynard’s home in West Seattle.
Tours are offered rain or shine and include about one mile of walking with multiple stops. The tour is ADA accessible, although there are no stops that include seating.
This program is FREE although registration is required (attendance is capped at 20 sign-ups). Suggested $25 donations gladly accepted.
To register for a walking tour, please visit: loghousemuseum.org
Though it’s more than an hour away, the YMCA‘s historic Camp Colman holds a special spot in many West Seattleites’ hearts. This Saturday (March 21), you’re invited to visit for a special breakfast – and a special way to share your memories. UW graduate student Chelsea Gabzdyl, who notes that “Camp Colman was established in 1912 to give West Seattle kids the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors,” explains what’s happening Saturday:
On March 21st, Camp Colman will be hosting its beloved “Goop Breakfast,” a long‑running camp tradition where families and alumni gather for updates about camp, reuniting with fellow campers, and a delicious meal of french toast with goop! The event offers a fun, very visual opportunity to highlight a quirky local tradition while also showing how regional camp programs continue to support West Seattle families and youth. Anyone coming to this event needs to RSVP so there’s enough french toast!
This event will also be the main event for my thesis project! There will be:
-a video/audio recording studio available to share stories, favorite songs, etc.
-a timeline to add memories to.
-a “wish wall” for hopes/dreams about what camp should be like in the future.
-a peek into the “History Box” full of items from the people who have cared for and about camp since its start in 1912.This will also include items from a collection of items donated to MOHAI.
Chelsea says this project is truly a labor of love: “I grew up in West Seattle and have been a proud ‘Colman Kid’ since I was six years old.”
We can learn from and celebrate the past as we head into the future, and the Southwest Seattle Historical Society is leading the way. You can support the SWSHS and hear what’s next by attending Tides of History, its upcoming spring gala and auction – always featuring amazing items. Here’s what to know about what’s coming up:
Join the Southwest Seattle Historical Society on Friday, April 10 for its annual Spring Gala and Auction, held at Salty’s on Alki. The theme, Tides of History, acknowledges the critical role of history and history-keepers, and celebrates the future of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society – including an upcoming museum overhaul. Support local history while enjoying live music, a menu of heavy appetizers, a cash bar, and an exclusive Live Auction.
An online auction will go live Monday, April 6 through Thursday, April 9 (auction donations are still being accepted!).
Guest speaker Roger Evans is the curator at the Washington State Black Legacy Institute and the project lead for the Seattle Griot Project which empowers and raises awareness of Black history through the preservation and exhibition of Black cultural heritage. The Southwest Seattle Historical Society has partnered with WSBLI since the organization moved into the Sanctuary at Admiral last year.
The gala will also honor special guests whose stories will be featured in an upcoming permanent exhibit. These guests include the Tengu Club; Carol-Ann Thornton, who was the first student of color to desegregate Alki Elementary School; and more.
The annual Gala and Auction raises critical funds for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and Log House Museum. This year, fundraising will be directed towards a major exhibit installation.
This summer, the organization will install a permanent, interactive exhibit at the Log House Museum – a result of more than two years of planning supported by Maritime Washington National Heritage Area. The exhibit will connect the stories told at the museum to the waterfront, prioritize artifact display and interactive experiences, extend to the exterior of the museum, and highlight stories of communities across the Duwamish Peninsula.
While the work is underway, the organization will continue ongoing initiatives, including developing its Native Plant Garden (supported by the West Seattle Garden Tour), a marketing rebranding, new America250 programming, participating in West Seattle Art Walk with Alki business partners, and partnerships with youth organizations, supporting young people in documenting and sharing local history.
The Log House Museum is where West Seattle’s history lives and grows. Join the Southwest Seattle Historical Society on Friday, April 10 to raise the tides of history. Learn more and register at: loghousemuseum.org.
WSB is media sponsor for the SWSHS event again this year.
Thanks to Denny International Middle School student/family advocate and Kingmaker facilitator Keenen Allen Ladd for the report and photo from Denny’s Black History Month assembly today:
(From left, CM Saka, Keenen Allen Ladd, Dr. Mia Williams of SPS Office of African American Male Achievement, 8th grade math teacher Ms. Brown, Denny principal Mary Ingraham)
During our Black History Month Assembly, our students delivered powerful presentations honoring Black trailblazers and our Kingmaker students recited our King’s Pledge with pride and excellence. The program was a meaningful celebration of culture, history, and student leadership.
We were also honored to welcome Councilmember Rob Saka, who officially proclaimed today, February 25, 2026 as “Denny International Middle School Black History Month Day” in the City of Seattle. It was a powerful civic moment for our students to witness their school and community recognized at the city level.
To find out more about the Kingmaker program, you can read about it here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The former church at 2656 42nd SW filled with spirit again Thursday night as gospel songs outnumbered speeches at the Washington State Black Legacy Institute‘s first-anniversary celebration. WSBLI president Kateesha Atterberry introduced singer Dee Scott to open the program with “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black National Anthem:
Lifting the voices of the Black community, past, present, and future, is at the heart of the WSBLI’s mission, Atterberry explained:
The institute’s work for the “preservation, empowerment, and future of the Black legacy,” as Atterberry described it, was lauded by the guest speaker who preceded Atterberry, District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, calling WSBLI “a unique community gem”:
The music, too, came with a history lesson. Before the Brilliance Interfaith Gospel Choir‘s first song, its director Kent Stevenson talked about how a cornerstone of gospel music came from a communication invention by enslaved people when their “overseers” tried to keep them from communicating – the spiritual:
The choir is less than a year old. A much deeper history in local gospel music belongs to Dr. Rose Wallace-Croone, who interspersed her first songs with historical reminiscences about how her family came to this state in the ’40s, drawn by the prospect for good jobs:
More celebration of Black achievement came in a preview of upcoming Impact Awards – Alvertis Brooks, Jr., of the Rainier Valley Community Development Fund, talked about recipients WSBLI and Percy The Barber from nearby Rain City Barbershop:
Brooks noted that the RVCDF will be active in helping West Seattle businesses not just survive, but thrive, with light rail (they’re hosting weekly drop-in sessions at WSBLI). Thriving through adversity was in the spirit of the choir’s performance of “The Storm Is Passing Over”:
And the program closed with both the choir and soloist Wallace-Croone:
While he wasn’t in the speaking lineup, WSBLI’s continuously on-site leader Roger Evans was praised by Atterberry, who also had a major announcement: For those who’ve tried to find out more online about WSBLI, it’s been a challenge until now, but that’s changed, because they’ve launched a website at wsbli.com. That’s where you can learn more about what WSBLI is doing and how to support it.
(February 2025 WSB photo by Dave Gershgorn)
One year ago, the Washington State Black Legacy Institute celebrated its grand opening in the city-landmarked former church at 2656 42nd SW; this year, to mark the first anniversary, WSBLI invites you to a celebration one week from tonight, at 6:30 pm Thursday, February 19th.
Join us as we celebrate a historic milestone! The Inaugural Anniversary of the Washington State Black Legacy Institute (WSBLI). This special gathering honors the rich history, cultural contributions, and enduring legacy of Washington’s Black community, while inspiring a collective vision for the future.
This uplifting event brings together community leaders, families, partners, supporters, and neighbors for an event filled with joy, reflection, music, recognition, and connection.
Featured Performance: Brilliance Interfaith Gospel Choir
We are honored to welcome the Brilliance Interfaith Gospel Choir as the featured headlining performers of our anniversary celebration. Formed in 2025, Brilliance is a powerful, spirit-filled ensemble dedicated to spreading joy, healing, and unity through inspirational gospel and spiritual music. Their performance will set the tone for a meaningful and emotionally rich event.Guests are invited to stay after the ceremony for food, fellowship, and warm community connection.
About the Washington State Black Legacy Institute
The WSBLI is dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and elevating the stories, contributions, and cultural legacy of Black communities across Washington State. Through exhibitions, education, archival preservation, programming, and community partnerships, we work to ensure that Black history is honored, protected, and accessible for generations to come.
The celebration is free to attend – donations welcome to support WSBLI programming – but please RSVP by going here.
Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Gatewood is hosting Seattle journalist Marcus Harrison Green as part of a Black History Month celebration tomorrow (Sunday, February 8), and asked us to share that news with you, as all are welcome to come hear him speak. Here’s the announcement sent by WSUU:
Black history is not a sidebar to American history. It is one of its central threads. From freedom struggles and faith traditions to labor movements, art, and community care, Black people have continually shaped the moral, political, and spiritual landscape of this country. To engage Black history honestly is to better understand America itself, and to glimpse the possibilities of who we might yet become.
(Photo provided by WSUU)
In this sermon honoring Black History Month, local journalist Marcus Harrison Green will reflect on the stories, lessons, and questions that feel most urgent in this season of life. Drawing from national and local histories, he explores how Black communities have imagined and practiced forms of solidarity, resilience, and love under conditions not of their choosing. These histories offer more than remembrance; they offer instruction.
In perilous times, when fear is normalized, truth is contested, and the bonds of community are strained, Black history invites all of us into deeper responsibility. It challenges us to reckon with injustice, to expand our understanding of belonging, and to recommit to the unfinished work of building Beloved Community. This is not history meant only to be honored, but history meant to be learned from, wrestled with, and carried forward together.
Marcus’s bio: Marcus Harrison Green is a storyteller, truth-seeker, and advocate for narratives that reflect the full depth of marginalized communities. As the publisher of Hinton Publishing, Founder of the South Seattle Emerald, a columnist for The Stranger, and the cohost of the In The Meanwhile podcast, he has dedicated his life to reshaping the way stories are told about Black and brown communities. Born and raised in South Seattle, Marcus grew up witnessing the power and the harm of one-dimensional storytelling. He saw how communities like his were flattened into stereotypes, their voices lost in the margins.
After an unfulfilling stint in the investment world, he walked away from corporate life with a renewed sense of purpose: to amplify the voices too often neglected and tell stories with the nuance, complexity, and humanity they deserve.
The Sunday service starts at 10:30 am. WSUU is at 7141 California SW.
2:17 PM: Get over to Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW) – the root beer’s free this afternoon! The historic “community center for the arts” is famous for its root-beer floats, so they’re free during the “Root Beer Social” open house, which continues until 4 pm – Löcol root beer, Husky Deli ice cream.
It’s a chance to wander in for a look at the renovations that closed the 110-year-old hall since midsummer – and some of the memorabilia turned up during the work. More photos to come!
2:56 PM: That’s Kenyon Hall’s Murphy Janssen cutting the ribbon. Meantime, Kyle Canaday is today’s guest organist on The Mighty Wurlitzer:
Here’s some of the memorabilia, including items from the venue’s days as Hokum Hall, and even items from the community sports teams sponsored in the Olympic Heights Social Hall days:
Also the tribute to Kenyon Hall’s longtime operator Lou Magor:
If you didn’t get to any of the reopening-weekend events, you can check out one of the upcoming performances – next one, The Morsel Trio, on Saturday (February 7).
(WSB photo, this morning)
Kenyon Hall‘s “grand reopening” (after months of renovations) events continue tonight with an Open Mic under way now (free to perform or watch, continuing until 10 pm). And one of the major finishing touches that wasn’t shown in our Thursday preview is now on view – the new sign, shown above.
(WSB photo, Thursday afternoon)
Putting it up was a tricky operation just before sunset last night – we stopped by for a look just as it went up, but the sign remained mostly obscured by scaffolding, so we went back today for the full view. (The old sign, we’re told, will be displayed on posts on the south side of the yard out front.)
The 110-year-old former Olympic Heights Social Hall is owned and operated by nonprofit Seattle Artists; the “grand reopening” weekend includes a chance to just drop in for a look, the Root Beer Social open house 2-4 pm Sunday (February 1).
(WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Later today, a brand-new sign will go up at 7904 35th SW, declaring the historic building to be Kenyon Hall: Community Center for the Arts.
What was originally the Olympic Heights Social Hall has been closed since midsummer but not empty – it’s been a hive of renovation work, and some of it is continuing up to the last minute before the first of four reopening events, an Industry Mixer 6-8 pm tonight.
Kenyon Hall’s Murphy Janssen let us visit for a quick preview this morning. Most of the renovation work isn’t something that you’d notice immediately upon entry unless you are familiar with Kenyon Hall in intimate detail – the newly sanded and refinished floor, for example, is the original maple flooring, only, Murphy says, but it’s now “danceable” – no more concern that your foot might catch a splinter or snag. Here’s a section of unrefinished floor contrated with the new, lighter look:
There’s a new stage, too, enabling shows with larger bands, for example. What you won’t see – but has increased peace of mind among the hall’s nonprofit operators, is the electrical upgrade, from panel to wiring. And as for the Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ – it will continue to be a centerpiece:
If you look closely, you’ll see HVAC equipment to keep temperature and humidity under control for the sake of the organ’s longevity:
And when you return to Kenyon Hall, don’t forget to check out the restroom, even if you don’t need to:
It’s been converted into an all-gender restroom with an ADA-compliant stall, in an upgrade that has been long planned.
A few touches will remain to be completed even after this reopening weekend, like new blown-glass sconces on the walls (which now sport a brighter shade of paint).
Though the Kenyon Hall crew had hoped to reopen sooner, the extensive work that’s been done gives the 110-year-od building a better chance of lasting another century. Meantime, if you visit this weekend, look for the “history wall” where they plan to display some of the memorabilia they uncovered during these months of work! “It’s been a trip to go through all this,” Murphy marvels.
REOPENING WEEKEND EVENTS: Tonight (Thursday), 6-8 pm, Industry Mixer; Friday (January 30), 6-10 pm, Open Mic; Saturday (January 31), 7 pm, Cartoon Mess Live!; Sunday (February 1), 2-4 pm, Root Beer Social (open house). For events beyond that, see the Kenyon Hall calendar.
(WSB photo: Work continuing at Kenyon Hall today)
One month ago today, we reported that Kenyon Hall – the historic event venue at 7904 35th SW in Sunrise Heights – had obtained the permits needed for its final round of improvement work. It’s been closed since mid-summer for some much-needed work – which we previewed in May – and which continues (flooring, painting, tiling in progress or soon) – but today Kenyon Hall management just announced the reopening dates – Thursday, January 29, through Sunday, February 1, with a full slate of fun stuff, starting with an “industry mixer” and concluding with a Root Beer Social where everyone’s welcome to come in and look around. (Inbetween are one of KH’s free Open Mics, plus the next edition of the popular Cartoon Mess Live! for which tickets are on sale now.) Kenyon Hall is a 110-year-old building originally built as a social hall, now owned and operated by the nonprofit Seattle Artists.
Second Thursday arrives on the early side this month – next Thursday, January 8 – so here’s a look at one of this month’s second-Thursday features: Words, Writers, Southwest Stories, presented online by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. For January, the topic is “Wild in Seattle” – a book by David B. Williams, one of the two guest presenters. Here’s the SWSHS announcement:
Join author David B. Williams for a conversation about his 2025 book, “Wild in Seattle: Stories at the Crossroads of People and Nature.” Published in April, Wild in Seattle contains 47 essays exploring the geology, flora, and fauna around Seattle.
Williams, an award-winning natural-history writer, explores the way both nature and humans have shaped Seattle, from earthquakes and tsunamis to animal migration and architecture. David will be joined by historian Judy Bentley, author of” Hiking Washington’s History” and “Walking Washington’s History,” to discuss how history and geology has shaped our city.
You can RSVP for their 6 pm Thursday presentation – and read more about them – at this page on the SWSHS website.
Every year, this is our only “year in review” story – the 10 WSB stories with the most comments during the year. And as we note each year, that doesn’t mean they were the most important, or most read, stories; the comment totals just happen to be a quantifiable component in our publishing system. With hours left to go in 2025, here are this year’s top 10:
#10 – WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL OPPONENTS NOT GIVING UP
January 7, 2025 – 124 comments
#9 – POLICE OFFICER SHOOTS, KILLS MAN OUTSIDE SOUTHWEST PRECINCT
March 19, 2025 – 132 comments
#8 – KATIE WILSON HOLDS LEAD IN MAYOR’S RACE, ONE WEEK AFTER VOTING ENDED
November 11, 2025 – 133 comments
#7 – 100+ SHOTS FIRED IN NORTH DELRIDGE
March 30, 2025 – 134 comments
#6 – SCUFFLE OVER SIGN IN THE JUNCTION
October 13, 2025 – 135 comments
#5. – 2+-HOUR CENTURYLINK OUTAGE IN WEST SEATTLE AND BEYOND
June 19, 2025 – 142 comments
#4 – LIGHT-RAIL OPPONENTS’ ‘RETHINK THE LINK’ FORUM
January 25, 2025 – 154 comments
#3 – $2 MILLION SMASH-AND-GRAB ROBBERY IN 90 SECONDS AT MENASHE JEWELERS
August 17, 2025 – 170 comments
#2 – BEL GATTO CLOSES AFTER LESS THAN A YEAR
January 6, 2025 – 180 comments
#1 – SDOT GOING AHEAD WITH REMOVAL OF DOWNHILL DRIVING LANE ON HIGHLAND PARK WAY HILL
March 5, 2025 – 183 comments
PREVIOUS YEARS: Here are our previous most-commented-stories lists, going back to 2011:
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
When we last checked in with historic Kenyon Hall‘s management about the KH renovations, there was hope of reopening in time for holiday shows, if not sooner. That’s not going to happen – like so many projects of all types, it’s taking longer than expected, and it’s grown – but an email update today says they hope to reopen the venue at 7904 35th SW “early” next year. From the update:
… We are excited to announce that we have obtained the final permits to move ahead with the improvements and look forward to inviting artists and audiences back to Kenyon Hall in early 2026!
Anyone who has renovated an older structure knows how quickly projects can evolve, and how complex the interplay of permitting and redesign can become. What was planned as a twelve-week refresh grew into an opportunity to revisit how we could apply the generous grants from the community to make game-changing improvements to the 108-year old building. Here are some of the updates you’ll notice when the Hall reopens:
-New exterior siding
-Brand new, ADA compliant bathrooms
-Completely upgraded electrical systems
-Refinished hardwood flooring
-Redesigned artist loft
-Improved front entry
-New AV/mixing suite
-Comprehensive, pipe-by-pipe cleaning of our Mighty Wurlitzer. Our long-time Wurlitzer technician also seized this opportunity to mentor a new technician, in the hopes of keeping this amazing instrument sounding great for future generations.We want to thank Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections for helping us navigate the permitting process and our amazing contractor team at AVA Design Build for guiding us in our decisions.
As we approach reopening, we look forward to working with you to make sure we are meeting the evolving needs of our diverse community and fulfilling our mission to engage the artist in anyone and inspire the arts in everyone. It is a unique responsibility to take care of such a beloved space–one of the few in the area that regularly offers affordable options to audiences. We hope you’ll engage with us to guide our programming, whether you’re interested in performance, education, or other community functions. …
The email update was signed by Mark Desierto, board president of Seattle Artists, the nonprofit that owns and operates Kenyon Hall. We published an in-depth preview of the renovation plan back in May.
Fans of “Vanishing Seattle“ will want to watch the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s next online event in the “Words, Writers, Southwest Stories” series two weeks from tonight. The December 11 speaker will be Cynthia Brothers, founder of “Vanishing Seattle” – here’s the SWSHS announcement:
Vanishing Seattle is a multimedia movement that documents and celebrates the disappearing landmarks, small businesses, and cultures of Seattle – as well as the ones that are still here.
The award-winning Vanishing Seattle film series has screened at Seattle Black Film Festival, Queer Voices: NYC Film Festival, Alaska Airlines in-flight, and more. Vanishing Seattle also includes a large-scale, immersive signage exhibit (featuring iconic businesses such as Sunset Bowl, Andy’s Diner, and Admiralty House Antiques) and an accompanying book, “Signs of Vanishing Seattle.” Join us to take a deeper dive into a legendary local establishment featured in both the exhibit and book, with stories and memories shared by Vanishing Seattle’s followers.
Cynthia Brothers (she/her) is the founder of Vanishing Seattle. Cynthia curated the “My City’s Filthy” exhibit at Bumbershoot (2025), the “We Were Here” exhibit at the Here-after/Crocodile (2024– 2025), and the Vanishing Seattle exhibit at RailSpur (2023). She has been a presenter, collaborator, and producer in numerous creative partnerships and events, including for Town Hall Seattle and MOHAI. She has released two books: “My City’s Filthy” (2025) and “Signs of Vanishing Seattle” (2025), published by Tome Press. She is a proud alumna of the high school where Bruce Lee first demonstrated his famous “one-inch punch.”
To register and get the link for this event at 6 pm Thursday, December 11, just go here.
(WSB photo: WSBLI foyer display)
By Anne Higuera
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
The Washington State Black Legacy Institute opened in the Admiral District early this year with an ambitious set of goals around community engagement and making information about local Black history easily accessible. With a fundraiser scheduled next week, we checked in with WSBLI’s historian and vice president, Roger Evans, to find out how 2025 has gone and what’s new in the coming year.
This year started with plans to keep the institute exhibits, at 2656 42nd Ave SW, open to the public for the full month of February, Black History Month. Evans says that month went well, and yielded valuable information about the high cost of staffing and heating the building (a city landmark that originally was a church) when open regularly. With a limited budget, they decided to open the building to tours only when asked, with some larger groups visiting through the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s Log House Museum. Regular hours are a goal for the future, and until then, “If someone calls us, we’ll do a tour,” he says, adding it will be “by appointment only until we can afford to do something more.”
In addition to welcoming visitors, WSBLI has been doing outreach to schools, community centers, and other locations, bringing informational banners and videotaped interviews. For visitors and school kids, they’ve printed trading-card-style postcards, with photos on one side and a short history on the other.
Each card features Black Washingtonians from the late 1800s and early 1900s, among them, pioneers, entrepreneurs, and newspaper publishers. Evans says there are 11 cards, so students in a classroom can swap them to learn about each of the featured people.
One of the primary goals of the institute is to gather information, digitize it, and make it available to the public, whether it be through tours, virtual reality exhibits, or videos and stories viewed online. Evans is most excited about a new internship program planned for 2026 that will move that goal forward: the Black Cultural Archivist and Storytellers Fellowship. Drawing on students from Seattle and nearby cities, the Fellowship will offer a 3-part educational program, covering skills in audio, video, and journalism. Participants will earn a stipend for ompletion of each 16-week after-school program, which will take place at WSBLI.
Evans says the Fellowship is designed to run for at least 3 years. “It kind of evolved from what we do daily, things that we do in fragments. We turned it into something that was tangible for journalists or ones who want to do preservation … and it will really engage the young folks.” Interns will learn the basics of journalism, podcasting and audio editing, and how to shoot and edit video. “We don’t really want them to write the story, we want them to pull the story out of the interviewee, the person who lived it.” Look for more information about the fellowship program on the WSBLI website in the coming months.
Of course, all of these efforts require funding in the form of grants or donations. WSBLI is planning to transition to nonprofit status in 2026. To date, they’ve accepted donations through their parent organization, The Seattle Griot Project, which in turn is fiscally sponsored by the nonprofit Shunpike, which is able to accept tax-deductible donations on their behalf.
In order to introduce donors to the fellowship program and other efforts, the Institute is opening its doors this Thursday, November 20, for an evening event, the “Legacy of Learning: Building Futures Together Fundraiser.” In between dinner and drinks, they’ll be sharing their achievements and asking for support for new projects. The event takes place from 6-8 pm at WSBLI (check here for ticket availability). For more information, call 206-730-8065 or email wsblacklegacyinstitute@gmail.com
(File photo, 63rd/Alki commemorative monument)
If you can take time out for a walking tour this Thursday afternoon (November 13), you can learn about what happened exactly 174 years earlier. The invitation is from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society:
Join us for a special tour commemorating the 1851 anniversary of the first settlers landing on Alki Beach. Learn about the history of Alki Beach, the peoples who have lived here and how settlement by various groups and individuals has left its mark on Alki. Visit historic and cultural sites in the area and discuss how our understanding of the area and its people continues to evolve.
The tour includes stops at the Log House Museum, Fir Lodge/Alki Homestead, historic sites and monuments at Alki Beach, and Doc Maynard’s home in West Seattle.
The tour is offered rain or shine and include about one mile of walking with multiple stops. The tour is ADA accessible although there are no stops that include seating.
This program is FREE although registration required. Suggested donation $15.
The anniversary tour will take place on Thursday, November 13, 2025 from 2:00 – 3:30 pm. After the tour is over, feel free to grab a snack before exploring the West Seattle Art Walk’s Alki stops along the Alki beachfront and at the Log House Museum.
The Log House Museum is at 3003 61st SW.
(Photo courtesy Clay Eals)
Both on the Seattle Now & Then website and in tomorrow’s Seattle Times Pacific NW magazine, West Seattle journalist/historian Clay Eals tells a mystery story. What you see in the photo above is part of it – one of more than 30 metal art panels telling the story of “The Evolution of Lighting.” They were owned and displayed by Seattle City Light and were supposed to be brought along when SCL moved into a new headquarters in the Seattle Municipal Tower downtown in 1996. But – they weren’t. Most of them have been found, but the whereabouts of a few remain a mystery. There are multiple West Seattle angles here – metal artist John W. Elliott made most of the panels in 1935 and worked from a studio in his West Seattle home on Gatewood Hill; 90 years later, all but three of the panels were discovered and acquired earlier this year by West Seattle collector Mike Shaughnessy. You can see the missing panels in Clay’s story; perhaps someone who reads it will solve the mystery (not just of the missing panels’ whereabouts but why the metal art wasn’t brought along in SCL’s HQ move)!
With the end of summer and start of fall, we checked in with the management of West Seattle’s historic event venue Kenyon Hall, to see how close they were to reopening after a summer-long shutdown for renovations. Not close yet, says operations manager Murphy Janssen: “It’s been a bit of a hectic summer as we work through these renos and all the permitting that needs to go into the updates.” So no official reopening date yet; Janssen says they’re “sort of playing it by ear.” But if they are open by November, he says, “I’ve got holds for some fun events …” but he feels closer to certain they’ll “be open for December holiday shows.” We heard a bit about the renovations in this WSB story last May, looking at the status of Kenyon Hall, a nonprofit-owned 109-year-old building at 7904 35th SW.
(File photo, from U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary)
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, whose volunteers manage weekly tours of the historic Alki Point Lighthouse, had already announced tours were canceled for last Sunday and this Sunday, as often happens for midsummer staffing challenges. But now there’s new word that tours are canceled for the rest of the season and won’t resume any sooner than next year. Here’s the explanation:
Recent testing has revealed a higher level of lead in the lighthouse structure (from old paint) than was previously found. The Coast Guard, out of an abundance of caution, will not allow public access to the site until the lead level can be significantly reduced.
We are hopeful that a remediation plan and funding will come through and that the lighthouse will again be able to welcome visitors at some point, although we do not have a timeline yet.
The lighthouse was built in 1913 and is a West Seattle icon. We’ll follow up Monday to try to find out more about how the problem was found and what process will ensue to try to mitigate it.
(Mark Sears shoveled away enough sand for a good look at what’s left of the wooden pipe)
Story by Judy Pickens
Photos by Tom Trulin
Special to West Seattle Blog
In 1925, the city created the first swimming pool in Lincoln Park by enlarging a small lagoon on Point Williams. Affectionately called “the mud hole” by some, the lagoon pool served waders, swimmer, and divers until construction began on Colman Pool, which opened at the point in 1941.
The ingenious feature of the first pool was the pipe used to fill and drain it. Mark Sears maintained Colman Pool for 43 years and thought he knew every feature of the area. While walking the beach during a -2’ tide in mid-July, however, he discovered a segment of the original pipe.
The relic consists of the bottom seven wooden staves of the pipe. Each stave (likely cedar) is 1 3/4” thick and 3 1/4” wide. Mark also saw evidence of rusting iron, which could have been from the hoops that held the tongue-and-groove staves in place.
Longtime Fauntleroy resident Morey Skaret lifeguarded at the pool just prior to World War II and in his book, “Morey’s Bench,” described how the system worked:
The pipe was two or three feet in diameter and had a gate valve with a screen filter. The incoming tide would send water through the pipe to fill the pool and gravity would empty it when the tide went out. All we had to so was open and close that gate valve. We changed the water about every four days and used a chemical test to tell us when it was time.
I remember turning the wheel to open the gate valve at low tide and watching the water rush out. As the tide came in, the pool would fill in about three hours and the screen would trap sizable debris. It let in small fish, though, and shiners and candlefish would swim around along with everyone else!
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