The Seattle Parks system has a long and rich history which began over 120 years ago with the establishment of Denny Park in 1884. There were many indications that Seattle has been pro-active in parks development, including the 1900 Cotterill bicycle path plan, hiring the Olmsted Brothers to prepare a plan for our park system in 1903, and issuing park bonds and levies throughout our history to finance park improvements. These efforts have resulted in a parks system with a broad range of settings and programs.

Seattle’s Parks plans have always advocated preservation of our diverse park system, but the 2004 Historic Resources Plan breaks new ground. Simplistically, the Plan is a resource document on Parks history and it provides a policy framework for future park preservation and development. The Plan is a compendium of historical information on individual parks and on the parks system. It also classifies eras in parks development and describes their common characteristics. This classification will eventually help Parks and Recreation create maintenance practice guidelines to retain the historic character in the face of modern park demands.

The resource management strategies in the Plan are already being implemented. Examples of recent efforts include:

    
• Distribution and presentation of the Plan to Parks staff, to other City departments, to the Seattle Board of Parks Commissioners, to Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks, to Historic Seattle, and to local historic preservation experts.
    
• Designation of a staff liaison for internal project review, Landmarks Board, and Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks.
    
• Preservation of historic buildings and sites including: Cheasty Boulevard; Gas Works Park; Golden Gardens Bathhouse; and Hiawatha Playfield.
    
• Initiation of staff training for historic preservation

In the near term, implementation activities will include additional staff training, establishing historic resources guidelines, and continuing the community dialogue about Parks commitment to its historic resources. We have made huge strides through our education efforts and hope to accomplish even more in the future. One of the major challenges for Parks is obtaining adequate funding for research and ongoing park preservation, but we will continue to use the Historic Preservation Plan to guide future efforts and accomplish as much as we can to continue our efforts to preserve the historic legacy in Seattle’s parks.

The Seattle Parks and Historic Resources Plan can be viewed at Historic Seattle, Seattle Public Library (Central Library and selected branches), and online at:City Parks Historic Plan. Please contact Kathleen Conner, the Project Manager for the Plan, at (206) 615-1299 or by e-mail at Kathleen.conner@seattle.gov if you have any further questions.

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