The Landmarks Board considered a number of compelling preservation issues during its January 15th meeting. These included ...

A Certificate of Approval

The Seattle Landmarks Board considered whether or not to approve plans for a new elevator addition at the Langston Hughes Center, located at 104 17th Ave. S. The landmark, designated in early 1982, is a great local example of the adaptive reuse of a historic religious building.

Many historic buildings serving new uses have to comply with ADA requirements. These often mean ramps or lifts. The issue is a common challenge for preservation architects. Historic Seattle is now planning to install a lift on the rear entry of our historic First Hill house.

The Board considered the designation of three landmarks, which was a large number for a single meeting. Each of the nominations rose interesting preservation issues, some with broad implications to the city as a whole.

Part of the Olmsted system, Cheasty Boulevard South was nominated for landmarks status as a part of Pro Parks Levy-funded improvements. The designation of the park was not a controversial issue for the board who unanimously agreed it met multiple landmarks criteria.

These included criteria 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) and F (Because of its prominence of spatial location, contrasts of siting, age, or scale, it is an easily identifiable visual feature of its neighborhood or the city and contributes to the distinctive quality or identity of such neighborhood or the City).

Cowen Park Shelter House, 5849 15th Ave. NE, also part of an Olmsted design, was considered for designation, but did not receive it. The Olmsted Brothers drew up sketches for the house while designing their park system. Because the building had been much altered over time, was not, in the opinion of the Board, not directly linked to an Olmsted design, and was not visually distinctive, the structure did not meet any of the landmarks criteria on its own.

The Cheasty Boulevard and Cowen Park Shelter House nominations both suggested the value of a thematic Olmsted nomination. The Cowen Park Shelter House might have been protected if it were part of a thematic nomination protecting the entire Olmsted system. Seattle has one of the most intact Olmsted designed park systems in the country. Given that 2003 is the centennial of the Olmsted plan, now might be an ideal time to get such a comprehensive project underway.

720 Boylston Ave E., located near the Harvard Belmont Historic District, was one of six houses nominated by consultants of Cornish School of the Arts late last year. The house, built in 1893, is relatively old for its Capitol Hill context, but had only moderate architectural integrity. Cornish's consultants responded to the Board's request for contextual information on the 1893 house, in the form of a survey of Queen Anne style houses from the period. The consultants presented a slide show of over 25 properties dating from between 1890 and 1910, with most dating after 1900. Each had some Queen Anne elements, but very few were built before 1895. The Board rejected the nomination because the building did not, on its own, meet any of the criteria for designation.

To receive email agendas of Landmarks Board or Landmarks District Board meetings, contact Beth Chave, Seattle's Landmarks Coordinator, at beth.chave@seattle.gov.

View last month's Pending Landmarks article

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