National Register of Historic Places

Home of the Good Shepherd

Seattle, King County, Washington
Listed
May 22, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78002753

About this property

Meridian Playground (also known as Meridian Park) is in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. The site features a building called the Good Shepherd Center, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Home of the Good Shepherd and is a city of Seattle designated landmark. The center was built in 1906 as a Catholic School for wayward girls and operated until 1973. The building is now run by Historic Seattle, while the remainder of the site is run by Seattle Parks and Recreation. The building includes space for the Wallingford Community Senior Center, Meridian School, Tilth Alliance, community organizations, and low cost housing for artists. The old chapel in the center of the top two floors has been converted into a performance space that features experimental performances organized through the Wayward Music Series. The gardens and the apple orchard of the old school largely remain. The pool has been filled in and converted into a garden, and the bath house has been converted into a picnic shelter. Amid the orchard are a playground and two playfields, and to the south side is a demonstration garden operated by Tilth Alliance, and a P-Patch community garden. Community involvement with the site occurs through the Good Shepherd Center Advisory Board. The playground at the site was revamped in 1998 and then upgraded in 2007, both times with matching grants through the city. The sculptures at the back of the playground are based on children's book characters and the two sculptures at the entry are designed to recall past use of the Home of the Good Shepherd, with a nun in front of the GSC and a school girl picking an apple. There is also a niche sculpture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd over the front entrance to the Center. The play equipment includes a water run (now shut down), swings, and some spinning Kompan play structures for older children.

Location

Seattle, King County, Washington
47.66421, -122.33238

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Interlake Public School
Industrial
0.3 mi
Wallingford Fire and Police Station
Industrial
0.3 mi
Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Priory, and School
Industrial
0.6 mi
Seattle Public Library
Industrial
0.7 mi
Hawthorne Square
Industrial
0.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Puget Sound War — Battle of Seattle (January 26, 1856)
1856Indian Wars
4 mi
Yakama War — Battle of Seattle
1856Indian Wars
4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Home of the Good Shepherd listed on the National Register?

Home of the Good Shepherd was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 22, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Home of the Good Shepherd?

Home of the Good Shepherd is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Home of the Good Shepherd?

The period of significance for Home of the Good Shepherd is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Home of the Good Shepherd?

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