About Us

Dearborn House / Photo: Historic Seattle Archives

Historic Seattle believes that buildings provide an essential link to the past, reminding us of who we are and where we came from. Founded in 1974, Historic Seattle is the only non-profit membership organization dedicated to preserving Seattle and King County's architectural legacy. Our mission is to educate, advocate and preserve.

As both a public development authority and charitable foundation, Historic Seattle is a major advocate for, and participant in, the thoughtful and meaningful preservation and rehabilitation of historic buildings. We have helped protect and preserve dozens of irreplaceable buildings. We own and manage two major historic buildings which house rich public programming and events:  the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford, and Washington Hall in the Central District.

We also advocate for preservation by urging policy makers, developers and citizens to consider the value of historic buildings. Finally, Historic Seattle offers a year-round program of educational lectures and tours to increase public awareness of our vibrant architectural heritage.

Please see our 2011 Annual Report (501kb)

Historic Seattle's offices are located in the historic Dearborn House on First Hill at 1117 Minor Avenue, between Spring and Seneca Streets. Directions to the Dearborn House.