Historic Seattle

05/05/2026

Spring has sprung! That means two things here at Historic Seattle. One, our horticulture staff are busy. Really busy.


It’s impossible to imagine Historic Seattle’s landmarks—the Good Shepherd Center, the Garden House, and the Dearborn House—without the acres of publicly accessible grounds that surround them. Like these historic buildings, the grounds hold history and make space for community connection—and they need special care to flourish.

Two, it’s time for Washington’s annual GiveBIG day of giving. It’s a perfect match! Check the link in our Instagram bio to GiveBIG today!

This GiveBIG, we’re raising $10,000 to create a new garden at the Garden House and to provide special seasonal care for the gardens, grounds, and orchards surrounding all Historic Seattle properties.

Make your GiveBIG gift before midnight tonight and your donation will DOUBLE, up to $4,000, thanks to a special challenge from our staff and volunteers.

It’s worth remembering that when Historic Seattle purchased the Garden House at the end of 2022, the southwest corner of the grounds was densely overgrown with Himalayan blackberry and Italian arum, two invasive and aggressive weeds.

Beneath the weeds were giant concrete blocks partially buried in the ground. After 3 years of clearing and preparing the area, Historic Seattle’s horticulture team has begun to bring their vision for a new garden to life.

Your gift today will help complete the transformation of this once-unruly corner into a beautiful, welcoming space for visitors like you.

Together, we’ll create a new community space at the historic Garden House on Beacon Hill and ensure all Historic Seattle’s public gardens and grounds are at their seasonal best.

04/23/2026

The City of Seattle recently issued a permit for partial demolition of historic features on the iconic towers at Gas Works Park, a designated Seattle landmark and National Register of Historic Places-listed public gathering place. The City fast-tracked permitting, making an end run around the Landmarks Preservation Board and the Certificate of Approval process for landmarks.

Is this Seattle’s own East Wing? How did this happen? Learn more in our piece on our website HERE: https://historicseattle.org/seattles-own-east-wing/

And if you care about what is happening at Gas Works Park, take action! City leaders need to hear from you, and they need to know it’s not OK to treat Gas Works Park and other public landmarks as disposable impediments. Details on whom to contact are near the end of our write-up. Make your voice heard today! Thank you!

Plan Set drawings credit: Seattle Parks and Recreation and OAI Architecture + Planning.

Contemporary photos by Eugenia Woo

03/27/2026

We had a fantastic second Awards Series program at the Metropole Building last night. We were honored to be one of the first large groups to tour the building, and it was truly an experience. A huge thank you to the Metropole team, the Satterberg Foundation, and BuildingWork for making this possible. We heard all about the rehabilitation and renovation of the historic Metropole Building at the corner of Yesler and 4th, including the challenges the team faced and the success that followed. The tour of the building was nothing short of impressive. The project blends new and old in a thoughtful, intentional way while prioritizing environmental performance throughout the process. The team has done an exceptional job creating one of the most energy‑efficient and low‑carbon adaptive reuse projects in Pioneer Square. It is a strong reminder that one of the most sustainable approaches to the built environment is preservation.
 
We encourage you all to follow on Instagram and stay up to date with the building and organization.

03/17/2026

Can't pass up the opportunity to hear Taha Ebrahimi talk!

Catch up and look ahead with CHHS and learn about trees in Seattle from expert Taha Ebrahimi.

03/17/2026

Did you know Green Lake was almost turned into an 18 hole golf course? Hard to imagine now, with its tree lined paths, abundance of recreational activities, and the absurd amount of geese and other city-acclimated wildlife. Green Lake is one of Seattle’s most beloved pockets of nature. The lake is a living reminder of the lush landscape that once covered the city, and a place countless Seattleites return to again and again. So, how many laps around the Green Lake loop do you think you’ve done in your lifetime?

03/12/2026

Ever wondered about the history of Wallingford’s iconic landmark, the Good Shepherd Center? Listen in as Linus shares what came before Historic Seattle’s acquisition of the property in the mid‑70s. Today, the GSC stands as a thriving example of the power of preservation and community. We encourage folks to visit the gardens and grounds this spring to see the hard work of Historic Seattle’s Horticulture Team!

If you like this video, check out Linus's reel on Pioneer Square and how a 50-year-old fire lead to the abandonment of much of Seattle's natural housing stock.

03/03/2026

Historic Seattle firmly believes in the importance of engaging young people about the power of our historic built environment. To that end, we were thrilled to host Bush School student, Linus Darvas, of class 2027, to our organization for a 2 week internship this past January.

For his internship, Linus created four social media "Reels" - short, entertaining, and digestible videos - for Historic Seattle. Over the next few weeks, we're excited to share these videos with you.

As for Linus, it was an absolute privilege to have him as an intern. He inspired us and left us feeling optimistic about our work being carried on by the next generation.

In Linus' own words: "He can often be found furiously studying an hour before his calculus exam or methodically researching his next history paper. His weekends can range from winning awards at Model United Nations, to not winning awards at Ethics Bowl tournaments. He dreams of one day visiting the real UN, not as a guest but as a delegate. In his free time, he enjoys playing and listening to music–especially that of bands local to the city. A passionate Soundgarden and Alice in Chains fan, you can find him exploring the same venues that once hosted them. He hopes to one day work for the city he loves!"