Preservation News – Theft at Queen Anne Landmark

Seattle Church of Christ (2555 8th Ave W) in Queen Anne. Left photo: door with original metalwork intact; right photo: historic metalwork stolen / Source: Seattle Church of Christ

Recent preservation news of note:

Architectural Theft at Queen Anne Landmark

Last week, thieves stole original metalwork from the courtyard doors at Seattle Church of Christ (originally Seventh Church of Christ Scientist), a designated Landmark in Queen Anne (2555 8th Ave W). The photo above shows the doors before and after the theft. If you have any information, please contact the minister, Jay Kelly, at 206-914-2659
jay_kelly@me.com

Read more about the history of this church on the Queen Anne Historical Society’s website.

Lawsuit Filed Against City of Seattle for Landmark Designation

On February 6, 2013, the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board designated an Art Deco style building at 777 Thomas St in South Lake Union (SLU). Rather than trying to work with this designation and incorporate the landmark into a new development project, the developer has chosen to take legal action against the City and Board. Knute Berger’s March 11 article for Crosscut describes the issue in more detail.

This small Art Deco gem in the neighborhood is one of a long line of threatened buildings in South Lake Union, an area that has seen and will continue to see considerable transformation due to redevelopment. In an earlier article, Berger writes about the bulldozing of history in South Lake Union. Seattle City Council is currently reviewing legislation to rezone SLU. Historic Seattle, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and neighborhood preservationists have been advocating for more meaningful and effective preservation incentives and mitigation in SLU. Stay tuned for more on this issue…

Spring time is for Preservation and Heritage Awards

The following preservation and heritage organizations/agencies will be honoring outstanding achievements in the field:

April 23, 2013 – AKCHO Annual Awards. The ceremony will take place at MOHAI. Details will be posted on the AKCHO website.

May 14, 2013 – Historic Seattle presents its Fifth Annual Preservation Awards in a ceremony at the Good Shepherd Center, 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Award recipients will be announced later in March. The event is sponsored by KeyBank with support from 4Culture. Tickets available now for purchase on Historic Seattle’s website.

May 14, 2013 – Yes, you read this correctly–two awards events on the same day! The Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) is seeking nominations for its Annual Awards for Outstanding Achievements in Historic Preservation. The State Historic Preservation Officer will present the awards at a ceremony on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at Fort Vancouver Reserve in Vancouver, WA. The deadline to submit nominations is March 15, 2013. Download the nomination form on DAHP’s website.

John D. Spellman Awards – King County Historic Preservation Program’s annual awards ceremony (we’ll post details and the date when they become available).

Tacoma’s Murray Morgan Bridge Rededication Ceremony – February 15

Our friends and colleagues in Tacoma are celebrating the reopening of the historic Murray Morgan Bridge on Friday, February 15 at 10 am. The event is open to the public. Meet at 11th and A St in downtown Tacoma. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the bridge. The newly rehabilitated bridge is a preservation success story.

Read all about the preservation efforts on Historic Tacoma’s website. The bridge was listed on the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation’s Most Endangered Properties List in 2008–the structure was closed by WSDOT in 2007 due to structural issues. A coalition of partners and advocates worked together to save the bridge and successfully found funding to rehabilitate the Tacoma Register and National Register listed structure. Learn more about the history of the Murray Morgan bridge here.

Preservation News – Landmarks Old, New and Future

Neptune Theatre, 2012 / Photo: Historic Seattle

Seattle Landmarks 

Landmarks Preservation Board Meeting, Wednesday, November 14, 2012:

This meeting is open to the public and takes place on Wednesday, November 14 at 3:30 pm, Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Ave, 40th Floor, Suite 4050/60. Download the agenda (LPB52512.)

-Neptune Theatre: The LPB will decide whether to designate the Neptune Theatre in the University District. The Board voted to nominate the building at its October 3 meeting so that its members could take a closer look at the structure in person to assess the level of physical integrity. At the October 3 meeting, the owner brought an attorney and an architect to argue against nomination claiming the building lacks integrity and how it does not meet any one of the six designation standards. The nomination was submitted by Larry Johnson of The Johnson Partnership who prepared it pro bono as an advocacy effort–he believes the Neptune should be recognized and protected as a Seattle Landmark. Read more about his thoughts on the theatre in his firm’s blog.  Historic Seattle offered public testimony at the October 3rd meeting supporting the nomination of the Neptune Theatre, citing the building’s significance as a community landmark in a city where few historic theatres (built as theatres) remain in neighborhoods. The building has sufficient integrity to convey its significance.

You may download the landmark nomination on the Seattle Historic Preservation Program’s website under “Current Nominations.” It includes an excellent section on the development of theatres in Seattle.

If you support the designation of the Neptune Theatre as a landmark we urge you to attend the meeting to speak in favor of the nomination. You may also email your public comments to Erin Doherty, Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board Coordinator, at erin.doherty@seattle.gov.

Preservation/Architecture News – the Good, the Bad and the Really Bad

Paul Thiry Architectural Office Building, 800 Columbia St. on First Hill. Slated for demolition. Photo: Historic Seattle

The Good: At its March 7, 2012 meeting, the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board (LPB) voted unanimously (11-0) to nominate the P-I Globe.  The designation hearing for the Globe is scheduled for April 18. Earlier in the day, Seattle City Councilmembers Tim Burgess, Sally Clark and Jean Godden held a press conference announcing the transfer of the P-I Globe from the Hearst Corporation to the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) once the Globe is designated. MOHAI will be the new steward of the icon. MOHAI Executive Director Leonard Garfield revealed the launching of its “Light Up the Globe” campaign. The Globe Fund will provide resources to make initial repairs to the neon. Check out this KOMO News video on the P-I Globe–includes great historic photos and footage.

The Bad: MAin2 reported in January 2012 that the Jensen-Byrd Warehouse in Spokane is endangered. Our friends at Spokane Preservation Advocates (SPA) are working hard to try to save this important industrial building from demolition. SPA has an online petition drive going and they need your support! Sign the petition and help send a message to WSU that it’s not ok to tear the building down. There are alternatives to demolition. For more info on SPA’s efforts, go to their website.    

2011 Spokane Matters List is Announced

Jensen-Byrd Building on the 2011 Spokane Matters List / Photo: Washington Trust for Historic Preservation

From a news release issued by Spokane Preservation Advocates:

SPOKANE PRESERVATION ADVOCATES ANNOUNCES

2011 SPOKANE MATTERS LIST

Spokane Preservation Advocates (SPA), dedicated to preserving Spokane’s historic buildings, neighborhoods, landscapes and character, is pleased to announce its first annual Spokane Matters List highlighting historical buildings, structures, sites, or objects that members of our community think play important roles in the heritage of Spokane and Spokane County. Through this initiative we aim to share the stories of historic places that matter to those in our community, motivate community members to think and talk about the places that matter, and share stories of our area’s heritage and preservation efforts.

A pdf version of the Spokane Matters List is available on the Advocacy page of the SPA website and is accessible via link from the SPA Facebook page.