National Register of Historic Places

Queen Anne Public School

Seattle, King County, Washington
Listed
July 29, 1975
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
75001858

About this property

The West Queen Anne School was a Seattle public elementary school located in the Queen Anne, Seattle neighborhood from 1896 to 1981 and is now high-end condominiums. The School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 as Queen Anne Public School and two years later became a Seattle landmark. The old sign "West Queen Anne Public School" still hangs over the former Galer Street main entrance. Designed in the popular Richardsonian Romanesque style by Warren P. Skillings and James M. Corner, construction on the Queen Anne School began in 1895 and classes opened in the fall of 1896. As the neighborhood grew, several additions were added to the school. Classrooms were added in 1899 and again in 1902; in 1916, an additional 10 classrooms and an auditorium were added on the south end, and the school's main entrance, originally facing Lee Street, was moved to Galer Street. Until its renovation in 1984, the last major addition to the school was the principal's office, added in 1920. Originally the Queen Anne School, in 1908 the school's name was changed to the West Queen Anne Elementary School to avoid confusion with Queen Anne High School. In 1974, after the Boeing Bust and subsequent Seattle recession, Seattle School District staff recommended closing the school due to declining enrollment. A grassroots effort of parents, teachers and local residents worked together to keep the school open and nominated the building for historic status as part of their effort. It was the first Seattle school to receive National Register of Historic Places status. The school remained open through 1981. In 1983, the Seattle School District gave Historic Seattle a 99-year land lease on the school's 1.76-acre (7,100 m2) property, with an option to renew for another 99 years. Historic Seattle transferred the site to the West Queen Anne Association, formed for the condominium conversion, and in 1983-84, the architectural firm of Cardwell/Thomas and Associates renovated and converted the school into 49 condominium units. West Queen Anne School's classrooms-to-condominiums conversion was the largest privately financed rehabilitation-and-reuse project of its type in the Northwest and is now a national model for salvaging surplus schools.

Location

515 W. Galer St.
Seattle, King County, Washington
47.63193, -122.36391

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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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Native Heritage
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Nearby Historic Sites

Seattle Public Library
Industrial
0.1 mi
Matzen, George and Irene, House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Chelsea Family Hotel
Industrial
0.3 mi
Ballard-Howe House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Queen Anne Club
Industrial
0.4 mi

Nearby Battles

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

Questions about this property

When was Queen Anne Public School listed on the National Register?

Queen Anne Public School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 29, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Queen Anne Public School?

Queen Anne Public School is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Queen Anne Public School?

The period of significance for Queen Anne Public School is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Queen Anne Public School?

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