Frequently
Asked Questions
What does Historic Seattle do?
What benefits do I receive as a member?
Is Historic Seattle also the Seattle Historical Society?
Is Historic Seattle also the Seattle Architectural Foundation?
Where can I find a photo of my older home?
How can I find out the previous owners and the remodeling history of my Seattle house?
How do I nominate a building or residence in Seattle for landmark status or find out if it already has landmark status?
How do I nominate a building or residence in King County for landmark status or find out if it already has landmark status?
I have a question specifically about the Pioneer Square area of Seattle, whom should I contact?
I am having trouble reading the text on www.historicseattle.org. What should I do?
Historic Seattle is a non-profit membership organization that
protects and preserves irreplaceable historic buildings, encourages
policy makers and citizens to consider the value of preservation,
and educates the public about Seattle's rich architectural
heritage. Learn more...
Members receive discounts on lectures and tours, our newsletter
Preservation News, and special event invitations. Additional benefits
are available to members who join at the Advocate ($250) level and
above. Please see Membership for more information or to join
Historic Seattle. Become
a member.
No, Historic Seattle is exclusively dedicated to architectural
preservation. The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) is
the Seattle Historical Society. They are located in the South Lake Union
neighborhood at: the Naval Reserve Armory, Lake Union Park, 860 Terry Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109. 206-324-1125.
www.seattlehistory.org
No, the Seattle Architectural Foundation is a separate organization.
They are a non-profit organization dedicated to building public
appreciation of architecture and design in the Northwest. They
organize "Viewpoints," architectural walking tours,
among other programs. Contact them at Rainier Square, 1333
Fifth Avenue, Level 3, Seattle WA 98101, Office: 206-667-9184,
event information: 206-667-9186.
www.seattlearchitecture.org.
Puget Sound Regional Archives has a collection of King County
property record cards beginning in 1937 and kept current to
1972. These cards generally contain tax assessments, a photograph
from 1937, approximate construction date, building use, small
sketch of the footprint of the building, and some floor plan
diagrams. For more information, call the archives at 425-564-3940.
Email: archives@bcc.ctc.edu.
To access this information you will need the tax identification
number of the house or the legal description.
Contact the Department of Planning and Development for their
Building Permit History files. Most of this information is
available on microfiche. The office is at 710 Second Avenue,
Seattle WA 98104. 206-684-8850.
Contact the City
of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Historic Preservation
Division, 700 Third Ave., 4th floor, Seattle WA 98104.
206-684-0228. They maintain the City Landmarks Register and
inventory of city historic properties.
Contact the King
County Landmarks & Heritage Program, 506 Second Ave.,
#200, Seattle, WA 98104. 206-296-7580. They maintain the
County Landmarks Register and the Historic Site Inventory.
Call the Pioneer Square Preservation Board at 206-684-0228.
To increase or decrease the text in a web page, try holding down the control key on your keyboard (Ctrl) and moving the scroll wheel on your mouse.
Or if you don’t have an external mouse with a scroll wheel, visit http://www.w3.org/WAI/ut3/changedesign for very simple, step-by-step instructions on increasing and decreasing text size for most browsers. This page includes instructions for font and color changes as well.