Citizen Advocates
Profiles of Citizen Advocates
Paul Slane
Paul Slane / Historic Seattle Archive
Paul Slane was a member of Historic Seattle since 1995. He participated in our April, 2005 Landmarks Nomination Workshop so he could learn how to save the 1904 Cooper House ( 225-227 Fourteenth Street E. on Capitol Hill), slated for demolition. Paul lived nearby and noticed the yellow "Master Use Permit" application sign on the property while walking his dog. He researched and wrote a nomination which was reviewed at the City's Landmarks Preservation Board on September 21, 2005. Because of Paul's competence and diligence, the Cooper House was designated a City landmark on November 2, 2005.
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Paul graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Urban Planning, but never worked in that profession. He was a retired Boeing employee who had procured navigational guidance systems for satellites launched from the Space Shuttle. He lived on Queen Anne and Capitol Hill for the past thirty years and had restored a 1929 Tudor Revival style house.
Paul died of liver cancer in August, 2006. At his request his family and friends gathered for a memorial service at Historic Seattle's headquarters in the Dearborn House. As soon as his sister walked into the historic building, she said "This is Paul." Those in attendance were moved by all that Paul had accomplished in his life in addition to his historic preservation activism. Christine Palmer, Historic Seattle's Preservation Advocate, recalled Paul's personal friendship as well as his willingness to do yeoman's chores for the advocacy program.
Beth Dodrill
Beth Dodrill / Photo: Marissa Natkin
Beth Dodrill was a graduate intern at Historic Seattle in 2003 when she conducted research and provided support for landscape projects and website content. She completed her MLA and Preservation Planning Certificate programs at the University of Washington in 2003. She currently practices as an independent preservation consultant and landscape designer. She also serves as a docent and member of the Garden Conservation Committee and Trustee for the Dunn Gardens Historic Trust and is Research Committee Chair for DoCoMoMo-WeWa, a preservation advocacy group focusing on mid-century modernism. Beth grew up in Louisville, KY where she earned a BA in English at the University of Louisville. Her interests in cultural landscapes and the built environment grew from her awareness of how Louisville's historic architecture and Olmsted park system significantly contributed to the city's unique character and her own personal “sense of place.” She has lived in Seattle since 1998. Her preservation work has included working on numerous architectural surveys, EIS and SEPA review projects and City of Seattle landmark nominations. She also conducted the cultural resources review for the South Downtown Planning Study in 2007.
Larry Johnson
Larry Johnson, AIA / Historic Seattle Archive
A Seattle native, Larry earned a Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning and a Master's degree in Architecture at UW. He formed his firm, The Johnson Partnership, in 1979. He has a diverse background in community and regional planning, residential and commercial architectural design, project management, and a continuing interest in architectural history and design. He is recognized as one of the more knowledgeable architects in Seattle regarding the Craftsman style and Arts & Crafts design. He served as past Chair for the Seattle Chapter AIA Historic Resources Committee and past Chair of the Ballard Avenue Historic District. Larry currently serves on the Boards of the Northwest School and Historic Seattle. On weekends you can find him somewhere near water, fishing, boating, or just looking at old wooden boats.
Dennis Andersen
Dennis Andersen / Photo: Marissa Natkin
Dennis Andersen - Pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church in the Green Lake neighborhood and a resident of Queen Anne Hill, Pastor Andersen has lived in Seattle since 1973. Following graduate studies in Germanic languages and literature at the University of Washington and the University of Vienna, Austria, he worked for seven years in charge of photographs and architectural drawings in the Special Collections Division of the University of Washington Libraries. His strong interests in historic preservation and architectural history have been expressed through his six-year service on the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board, including two years as chairman, as well as his essay and editorial contributions to Shaping Seattle Architecture (University of Washington Press, 1994). He co-authored with Jeffrey Ochsner Distant Corner: Seattle Architects and the Legacy of H.H. Richardson (University of Washington Press, 2004). A frequent writer and lecturer on regional architectural and photographic history, he serves on the Board of Governors of the Book Club of Washington, is an adjunct faculty member of the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University and a member of the Board of Directors of Partners for Sacred Places, a Philadelphia-based organization dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of historic religious structures and their ministries. He was a member of Historic Seattle's Council from 2004 until 2008.
