The Friends of the Conservatory

• June 24, 2015
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• Awards

This is the sixth of an eight-part series on our blog, highlighting Historic Seattle’s 2015 Preservation Award recipients. The awards were presented at our 7th Annual Preservation Awards Ceremony on May 12, 2015, at the Good Shepherd Center.

Community Advocacy Award

The Friends of the Conservatory, Volunteer Park

The Community Advocacy Award went to The Friends of the Conservatory, Volunteer Park for its tireless efforts in advocating for the restoration of the Volunteer Park Conservatory.

The Volunteer Park Conservatory has stood as a beloved community icon in the Olmsted Brothers-designed Capitol Hill park since 1912. Listed on the National Register and designated a Seattle Landmark, the Conservatory is one of the few remaining original Victorian public glass houses in the country. It houses an outstanding tropical plant collection, hosts classes and day camps for school-age children, and provides space for art classes, events, and public gatherings.

Formed as a non-profit organization in 1980, the Friends of the Conservatory (FOC) grew out of a 1978 citizens’ campaign to restore the physical structure of the Conservatory. The restoration process has been a phased and sustained effort led by the FOC as successful advocates in grassroots campaigns to keep the Conservatory open.

For the third and final phase of the Conservatory’s 25-year restoration project, the FOC (with the Seattle Parks Foundation as fiscal sponsor), in partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation, led the Restoration Action Campaign which raised almost $3 million in capital funding to restore the East Wing and Seasonal and Cactus houses, and to build a new production house. Completed in 2014, the project replaced the aging wood glazing system and reinforced the structural framework. Precise replicas were fabricated in long-lasting extruded aluminum to match the original historic structure.

The members of the 2014-2015 FOC Board of Directors are: Rudi Opderbeck (President), Tim Motzer (Treasurer), Mike Cory (Secretary), Christie Aesquivel, Bob Jenkins, Gayle Macy, Christine Peterson, Kenneth Taylor, Audrey Van Horne, Dave Blythe, and Sara Chapman. Honorary Board members are Henry Kuharic, Rich Lang, and Ivan Von Katzen.

FOC staff: Executive Director Anthonio Pettit, Administrative Executive Audrey Meade, Gift Shop Director Chrissa Nordquist.

Supporting Partners: The Friends of the Conservatory; Seattle Parks and Recreation; Seattle Parks Foundation; Adam Young Architecture & Design, LLC; Biwell Construction Inc.

Top left photo by Eugenia Woo

Anhalt Apartment Building

• June 17, 2015
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• Awards

Shaping Seattle Architecture

• June 10, 2015
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• Awards

This is the fourth of an eight-part series on our blog, highlighting Historic Seattle’s 2015 Preservation Award recipients. The awards were presented at our 7th Annual Preservation Awards Ceremony on May 12, 2015, at the Good Shepherd Center.

Architectural Heritage Publication Award

Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects, Second Edition

The Architectural Heritage Publication Award went to the second edition of Shaping Seattle Architecture (University of Washington Press) for its invaluable contribution to a deeper understanding of architects who helped shape Seattle’s built environment.

Shaping Seattle Architecture was published in 1994 to document the lives and work of designers instrumental in creating the region’s built environment. Twenty years later, the second edition revises and expands upon this seminal work through updated information and illustrations, additional architects, and broader historical perspective on the second half of the 20th century.

Both editions were edited by Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, University of Washington professor of architecture. Ochsner worked with a five-person editorial board (as noted below), who established guidelines, reviewed submissions, and scrutinized for accuracy and completeness. University of Washington Press supported and guided this project throughout its long history.

In the second edition, the revised introduction brings the story of Seattle architecture into the 21st century. It updates the 48 essays in the first edition, and includes new essays on Edwin J. Ivey, Fred Bassetti, L. Jane Hastings, and Richard Haag, and on architects and speculative housing.

The revised sources appendix includes new research and the “Additional Significant Seattle Architects” appendix has been expanded from 85 to more than 250 brief sketches of important individuals and firms not addressed in the main essays. Finally, the appendix “Researching Seattle’s Architectural Past” has also been expanded and updated.

For the second edition, the Press provided a completely new design with larger pages, allowing larger photographs. Like the original book, the second edition conveys the broad range of “architectural achievement and the extraordinary diversity of those who contributed to making Seattle’s built environment.”

Supporting Partners: University of Washington Press; Jeffrey Karl Ochsner; Dennis A. Andersen; Duane A. Dietz; Katheryn Hills Krafft; David A. Rash; and Thomas Veith.

Interurban Shelters Restoration

• June 05, 2015
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• Awards

This is the third of an eight-part series on our blog, highlighting Historic Seattle’s 2015 Preservation Award recipients. The awards were presented at our 7th Annual Preservation Awards Ceremony on May 12, 2015, at the Good Shepherd Center.

Transporting through History Award

Interurban Shelters Restoration, Queen Anne and Rainier Valley

The Transporting through History Award went to the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) for the restoration of two former interurban shelters in the Queen Anne neighborhood and Rainier Valley.

These small projects by SDOT have greatly helped to enhance neighborhood streetscapes and historic character. The historic shelters at Westlake and Dexter (Queen Anne) and Wildwood Station (Rainier Valley) had been in use as bus shelters for decades but were in need of repair and maintenance. In 2014 – 2015, SDOT rehabilitated these shelters, recognizing them as historic assets and as needed improvements for the transit system. SDOT worked with both the Queen Anne and Rainier Valley historical societies to gain public input on the project, and developed content for interpretive heritage markers on the history of the interurban shelters.

Total project cost was $150,000, which included structurally restoring the shelters and adding lighting, garbage receptacles and heritage markers. Funding came from “Bridging the Gap” levy funds.

About the Historic Shelters

These shelters are reminders of Seattle’s once extensive streetcar network which criss-crossed the city from the 1890s to late 1930s. The Westlake and Dexter shelter was constructed in the late 1920s or early 1930s to protect riders waiting for the Seattle Municipal Railway streetcars that ran on Dexter Avenue N and Westlake Avenue N. The Municipal Railway shared the rails along Westlake with the Seattle-Everett Interurban Railway, with the last interurban trip taking place in 1939. Today, the bus shelter serves passengers who ride Metro Routes 40 and 62.

The Wildwood Station shelter, constructed in the late 1910s or early 1920s, is located in the Brighton area of the Rainier Valley neighborhood at Rainier Avenue S and S Wildwood Lane/S Holden Street. This shelter originally served the Seattle, Renton & Southern Railway, later changing to the Seattle Rainier Valley Railway. The shelter has served bus transit since 1937 and currently serves Metro Routes 7 and 9 riders.

Supporting Partners: Seattle Department of Transportation; Queen Anne Historical Society and Rainier Valley Historical Society.

Starbucks Reserve® Roastery & Tasting Room

• May 28, 2015
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• Awards

This is the second of an eight-part series on our blog, highlighting Historic Seattle’s 2015 Preservation Award recipients. The awards were presented at our 7th Annual Preservation Awards Ceremony on May 12, 2015, at the Good Shepherd Center.

Best Adaptive Reuse Project

Starbucks Reserve® Roastery & Tasting Room / Packard Showroom
1124 Pike Street

The Best Adaptive Reuse Award went to Starbucks for its outstanding achievement in the adaptive reuse of the former Packard Seattle auto showroom on Capitol Hill.

In December 2014, Starbucks opened its new roasting facility, café, restaurant, and retail store, Starbucks Reserve® Roastery & Tasting Room. Housed in a former 1920s auto showroom, the elaborately ornamented terra cotta-clad building is a prominent landmark at the corner of Pike Street and Melrose Avenue. The one-of-a-kind specialty roaster concept is a collaboration between Starbucks and Seattle chef Tom Douglas.

The project involved restoring the terra cotta facade and retaining the large window bays to preserve the exterior’s historic character. The interior space was transformed under the keen eye of Liz Muller, Starbucks vice president of Creative and Global Design. Muller remembers standing in the space while Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz described his vision of the space, a “surreal place where the love of coffee must come through…‘Seductive’ was the word he used.”

The original terrazzo and concrete floor, as well as the heavy wood timbers and open floor plan were incorporated with newer design elements such as the angled wood beams at the entrance that are “reminiscent of coffee stir sticks,” and a hand-bent wood baluster.

The roasting process is also fully on display including large storage silos, a custom-engineered pneumatic system for transporting coffee beans, and a hand-hammered copper cask that serves as a visual centerpiece. A Tom Douglas restaurant, Serious Pie, occupies part of the space. A nearby shop area offers Seattle-sourced goods.

Capitol Hill Seattle blog reported, “Capitol Hill’s transformation has carried its auto row buildings from the boom days to bust to a new boom of reuse and development.”

Supporting Partners: Starbucks; Tom Douglas; Graham Baba Architects; JTM Construction; MA Wright LLC; ARUP; Pioneer Masonry; TubeArt.

Photos courtesy of Starbucks.

Trinity Parish Episcopal Church

• May 22, 2015
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• Awards

This is the first of an eight-part series on our blog, highlighting Historic Seattle’s 2015 Preservation Award recipients. The awards were presented at our 7^th Annual Preservation Awards Ceremony on May 12, 2015, at the Good Shepherd Center.

Beth Chave Historic Preservation Award
Exemplary Stewardship

Trinity Parish Episcopal Church
609 Eighth Avenue

The Exemplary Stewardship Award went to Trinity Parish Episcopal Church for its longstanding dedication and deep passion for preservation throughout its stewardship of this historic stone church on First Hill.

Built in 1892 and enlarged in 1902, Trinity Parish is the City’s first stone church. The English Gothic Revival building is distinguished by its Wilkeson sandstone exterior and figural stained glass windows fabricated by the Franz Mayer Studio of Munich, Germany.

When Trinity Church was severely damaged in the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake, the congregation and community came together to restore this sacred place. They raised $7 million and embarked on a nearly three-year restoration and seismic retrofit. Bassetti Architects planned the restoration and RAFN Company implemented the dangerous work of securing the tower and strengthening the walls. At the same time, the stained glass windows, baptismal font, and pipe organ were restored; a new altar was incorporated; and interior furnishings were updated. The congregation celebrated its first service in the restored sanctuary on Christmas Eve, 2005.

In 2013, Trinity contracted with SMR Architects to carry out additional seismic work to restore the outward appearance and inward strength of the building. Nancy Cleminshaw, Trinity’s Junior Warden, worked closely with the architects throughout design and construction phases. Wiss Janney Elstner conducted extensive tests on the mortar and deteriorating sandstone in order to repoint and clean the stone masonry. The discolored and cracked protective window coatings were replaced, allowing the stained glass to regain its original vibrancy. W.G. Clark performed the tricky task of steeple repairs and cupola roofing replacements.

Though more recent development has diminished Trinity’s view, the historic stone church remains an integral part of Seattle’s architectural and religious history. The church is listed on the state and national registers, and is a designated Seattle landmark.

Supporting Partners: Trinity Parish Episcopal Church; Bassetti Architects; SMR Architects; Quantum Engineers; I.L. Gross Structural Engineers; RAFN Company; W.G. Clark; Pioneer Masonry; Wiss Janney Elstner; Seattle Stained Glass.

Photos: William P. Wright

Annual Preservation Awards

• April 06, 2015
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• Awards

On Tuesday, May 12, 2015, Historic Seattle hosts its 7^th Annual Preservation Awards ceremony at the landmark Good Shepherd Center to acknowledge recent successes in the field. The Awards showcase and recognize exceptional public and private projects, as well as individuals and community groups, that preserve and protect Seattle’s built heritage for future generations.

The event begins at 5:30 pm and ends at 8:00 pm. Enjoy traditional Scandinavian “smorrebrod” appetizers, wine and beer, desserts, coffee and tea, and celebrate the award recipients with friends and colleagues.

Dennis Alan Andersen, a former Historic Seattle Council member and former Chair of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board, will offer remarks and present awards. Andersen is co-author, with Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, of Distant Corner: Seattle Architects and the Legacy of H.H. Richardson, and served on the advisory committee and authored essays for Shaping Seattle Architecture.

Tickets are available online or by calling 206-622-6952, ext. 221.

Historic Seattle thanks lead event sponsor KeyBank and 4Culture for their additional support.

Congratulations to the 2015 award winners!

Beth Chave Historic Preservation Award for Exemplary Stewardship
Trinity Parish Church

Best Adaptive Reuse
Starbucks Reserve® Roastery & Tasting Room / Packard Showroom

Preserving Historic Landscapes
Dunn Gardens

Preserving Neighborhood Character ­
Anhalt Apartment Building

Transporting through History
SDOT Interurban Shelters Restoration, Queen Anne and Rainier Valley

Community Advocacy
The Friends of the Conservatory, Volunteer Park

Architectural Heritage Publication
Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects, Second Edition (University of Washington Press)

Living Landmark
Peggy Corley

Photo (upper left): Volunteer Park Conservatory / Credit: Eugenia Woo

National Preservation Awards

• November 20, 2014
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• Awards

The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced its 2014 Richard E. Driehaus National Preservation Awards last week during the National Preservation Conference in Savannah, Georgia. The awards celebrate the best of preservation.

Three of the seventeen award recipients were from Washington state! Here’s a brief description of the local awards:

John H. Chafee Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Policy
Green Mountain Lookout – Darrington
Our friends at the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation were instrumental in saving the lookout.

Trustees’ Emeritus Award for Excellence in the Stewardship of Historic Sites
Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience – Seattle

National Preservation Honor Award
King Street Station – Seattle

Learn more about all seventeen award recipients. Congratulations to all!

Photo: Green Mountain Lookout

14th Annual John D. Spellman Awards – May 15

• May 14, 2014
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• Awards

Historic Seattle’s 6th Annual Preservation Awards – May 13, 2014

• May 08, 2014
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• Awards

On Tuesday May 13, 2014, Historic Seattle hosts its Sixth Annual Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford to acknowledge recent successes in the preservation and heritage fields locally.

The event begins at 5:30 pm and ends at 8:00 pm. Enjoy an evening of food and drink and celebrate the award recipients. Join with old and new friends and colleagues who share a passion for preservation. Seattle native Knute Berger, writer, journalist and editor, is the keynote speaker and MC of the 2014 Preservation Awards. Big thanks to the event’s Lead Sponsor KeyBank, with additional support from 4Culture.

Register for the awards event online by Friday, May 9 (4pm); telephone us to order tickets, 206.622.6952; or pay at the door.

Congratulations to the 2014 Award Recipients!

King Street Station – The Beth Chave Historic Preservation Award for Best Restoration Project goes to the Seattle Department of Transportation and supporting partners for the outstanding achievement in the restoration of King Street Station in the Pioneer Square Historic District.

Supply Laundry Building – The Sustainable Preservation Award goes to Vulcan Real Estate and supporting partners for the outstanding adaptive reuse of the Supply Laundry Building in South Lake Union.

Lightship No. 83, “The Swiftsure” – The Historic Vessel Preservation Award goes to Northwest Seaport Maritime Heritage Center and its supporting partner for blending maritime history, education and public outreach through the restoration of the heritage vessel and museum, Lightship No. 83.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church – The Exemplary Stewardship Award goes to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and supporting partners for the longstanding commitment to preserving the modernist church building while responding to the needs of the congregation and lower Queen Anne community.

Capitol Hill Seattle Blog – The Communications and Technology Award goes to Justin Carder (aka jseattle) for his contribution to communicating preservation news through the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog.

Ada’s Technical Books – The Preserving Neighborhood Character goes to Danielle and David Hulton and supporting partners for preserving and transforming a humble house into an inviting, community gathering place for a unique neighborhood business.

Friends of the Market, Pike Place Market – The Community Advocacy goes to the Friends of the Market, recognizing their 50 years of advocacy for the historic Pike Place Market.

John Bennett – The Community Investment Award goes to John Bennett for his long-term investment in the restoration and revitalization of Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood.