Historic Wallingford: 2023 Community Advocacy Award
Congratulations to Historic Wallingford!
Historic Seattle’s Annual Preservation Celebration is coming up on September 28, 2023. We’ll celebrate the projects and people that help amplify our mission. Today, we feature the Community Advocacy Award recipient, Historic Wallingford.
Founded in 2017, Historic Wallingford is a grassroots organization that fosters awareness and appreciation of Wallingford’s heritage through education, publications, and community activities. The nonprofit organization has done a remarkable job of celebrating and sharing the history and architecture of the Wallingford neighborhood in just six short years. Historic Wallingford has been instrumental in creating a historic district, organizing walking tours, hosting educational events, and advocating for the protection of historic buildings and landmarks. It is a shining example of how local groups can make a positive difference in preserving the past, celebrating the present, and shaping the future of their neighborhoods.
Historic Wallingford’s recent effort to sponsor the successful listing of the Wallingford-Meridian Streetcar Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places is a notable achievement in the organization’s short history. Beginning in 2019, Historic Wallingford hired Northwest Vernacular to conduct a feasibility study (with grant support from 4Culture) on potentially qualifying areas in the Wallingford neighborhood for a National Register historic district. To aid in this effort, volunteers were trained to survey the neighborhood and conduct archival research. The organization conducted fundraising via direct mail and support from 4Culture. After three years and over 2,000 volunteer hours by Historic Wallingford board members and volunteers, with the skillful completion of the nomination by Northwest Vernacular, the area which subsequently became known as the Wallingford-Meridian Streetcar Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 9, 2022. The district showcases the development of streetcar transportation in Seattle, as well as the architectural and social diversity of the neighborhood areas along the historic routes. The district benefits the residents, visitors, businesses, and environment by providing a sense of place, identity, and pride, as well as promoting walkability and building maintenance.
Historic Wallingford continues to advocate for its community, promoting the historic district, publicizing the value of the historic architecture, and collaborating with local businesses to produce self-guided activity brochures—”Exploring Wallingford” and “Where in Wallingford?” This year, the organization celebrates Wallingford with a second self-guided tour brochure, a locally focused live radio show at the farmers market with Feliks Banel, and neighborhood beautification efforts such as Earth Day cleanup and historically themed utility box wraps.
Historic Wallingford exemplifies community and preservation. We honor them with the 2023 Community Advocacy Award!
Image courtesy of Historic Wallingford – street signs at N 45th St and Wallingford Ave N