Category Archives: Historical Archaeology Class Blog (Winter ’17)

History Through Cemeteries

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When walking through the tranquil, almost silent cemetery sitting just above U Village one gets a micro glimpse into the history of this part of Seattle. You get to see the names, the births, and the deaths of so many people over the many decades who are now interred  at Calvary Cemetery. As a class, we took note on many of grave stones that can be found here and each of us analyzed the data to see what could be learned from these aging marble markers. I decided to look at the frequency of deaths when compared to years. The results are as follows:

When looking through the data, the two 5 year increments that contained the highest number of deaths were the years 1930 and 1945 with the years leading up to 1930 increasing and the years following 1945 decreasing.

So what can be gained from this? Well, we can clearly see two major events going on. The impact of the first World War with the coming impact of the Spanish Flu, and the onset and impact of the second World War. As soldiers came back home from all over the world, the flu took its impact on many of the populations whose countries were involved in the war. Then with the end of World War II we get the steady decrease of deaths due to the end of the major impacts of the two wars. As well as the impact of these two wars, we also see the surrounding impact of the Vietnam War and other events of the time as well as the ending of a generation with deaths increasing as we leave the 20th century and the war generation.

Though cemeteries are usually a place of quite reflection and respect, much can be learned by simply walking up to and seeing who the marker represents and from what time they came from.

Life, medicine, and death

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In 1889, the Calvary Cemetery was blessed by the local bishop to formally become a Catholic cemetery. Various of the sections are name on behalf of saints, with one section called ‘Our Lady of Sorrows’. It appeared to me the most neatly organized section. However, it was not an area of focus. As a class, we gathered data from various other sections with each individual in charge of collecting information from 15 gravemarkers. According to the site, there are over 40,000 people who have been laid to rest in this particular cemetery. Our data consisted of nearly 200 gravemarkers. Minimal, but there was much to learn. I focused on the number of deaths per year, noticing a gradual increase from the early 1900’s until 1930’s and again from the 1940’s until the 1950’s.

This fits in with not only the end of the world wars, but also before the mass production and availability of penicillin, one of the first antibiotics.Although there is a spike in deaths in 1949, in the years to follow there is never as a high of a spikes with deaths per year averaging our between 2 or 3, compared to prior 1950 the average being 3 or 4. After the accidental discovery of penicillin there was a wave of new medication that occurred that has increased life expectancy. In the 1950’s, for both sexes it was on average 68 years. Today, life expectancy on average is 78.8 years. Our data is an excellent representation of the effect medicine has had on the human population in the past years.

Eternal Resting Places Marked by Familial Ties

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When walking through the Cavalry Cemetery in Seattle, it is hard not to feel something slightly paranormal. Although I was not interrupted by any ghostlike figures, ephemerally passing through, I did sense a noticeable connection to history. Part of this connection came from the personality shown through the different grave markings, specifically when kin relationships were etched into the graves.

The kin relationships I discovered through our class collected data were Mother, Father, Wife, Husband, Daughter, Son, Grandmother, Sister, Brother, Granddaughter, and Aunt. The first thing I noticed was that certain female markers of identity were represented, but their male counterparts were not. For example, there was a grave marked with “Aunt”, but none with “Uncle”. This led me to assume this is because the relationships that women have in their lives are seen as much more essential to their identities, while male identities can be represented more often with just a name, or a type of quote.

I also noticed that grave markers that contained kin relationship markers tended to be slightly more elaborate than graves without kin relationships. I assume if a family wants to use their resources to purchase a grave with a familial connection etched in, they are also more likely to get a stone that is large and regal enough to occupy that etching. Although I assumed graves that had family markers on it would be more likely to have other sorts of quotes, I found that many graves only had one or two family identifiers, a name, and no other type of message written in.

If I had any doubts about the importance of kin relationships before visiting this cemetery, they were all kiboshed once I realized how may eternal resting places were forever marked with the role(s) they played in their family.

The Washington Hall – A welcoming space for immigrants to Seattle

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Courtesy of Wikipedia

The Washington Hall was built in 1908, and designed by Victor W. Voorhees. Commissioned by the Danish Brotherhood of Seattle, it was the architect’s first large project in a career that would eventually span 25 years and over a hundred buildings in the city. The Hall was created to serve as a lodge for the Brotherhood, as well as a dance hall and performance space. In addition, the back of the Hall was a lodging house intended for new immigrants to the city. The Mission style building boasted comforts of a bygone era: the plans include a billiards room, smoking rooms, a parlor, library, and a ladies dressing rooms. It also uses an interesting architectural feature to illuminate called a light well, which was an open shaft flanked by windows in the center of the lodging area.

Courtesy of Special Collections UW

For more than a century, the Washington Hall hosted a variety of people and events. The Danish Brotherhood sponsored plays, dances, and lectures for the community. A particularly compelling speaker was a member of the Danish Resistance during WWII whom shared his experiences in 1946. Multiple fraternal orders, ladies societies, ethnic groups and religious organizations held functions at the Washington Hall from its earliest days. Italians, African American veterans, Serbians, and Druids are just a few examples of the diverse crowds that enjoyed the Hall. Musical greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Fats Domino, and Duke Ellington also performed on the Washington Hall’s stage.

The Washington Hall was sold in the 1970’s and was leased to various organizations. Most notably the religious cult Children of God occupied the building for a couple years, using it as their base in Seattle. Since 2008, the Washington Hall was taken over by Historic Seattle, extensively renovated, and now is on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

The Bus(c)h Hotel

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The “Modern Fireproof” Bush Hotel as seen today

When you come out of the station in International District today and head east, you will probably spot the “Modern Fire Proof” Bush Hotel. Today, it is Section 8 housing for lower income residents, but it did not start out this way.

A clipping from the Seattle Daily Times October 10, 1915

In fact, it didn’t even start out as the “Bush” Hotel. When it was built in 1915, William Chappell named it the “Busch” Hotel, as can be seen in the newspaper clipping advertising the new hotel below.  Beginning the very next year in 1916, women’s clubs began hosting events in the Busch Hotel, including a post card party. After the name was changed in 1921, it was renovated with “local products,” likely local lumber and finishes.

The “Busch” Hotel is seen down the street. Property of the Museum of History and Industry

In 1926, according to an article in the Seattle Times from 1976, one Kemekichi Shibayama leased the building for thirty-five thousand dollars and reconditioned it for sixty-five thousand. However, as the Depression and Second World War came up, Mr. Shibayama had to give up the hotel for a time.

In 1978, articles in the Seattle Times began discussing the renovations of the International District overall. The Bush Hotel (wrongfully referred to as a “pre-1910 building”) was being looked at as a new community center as the upper levels had not been used for years. City officials were concerned about the integrity of the building. As of September, 1978, the Times announced plans to convert the hotel into a mixed purposed building including residential rooms and community spaces as it had been acquired by the city and they had gained federal funding to create more affordable housing developments in the District.

The Bush Hotel c. 1925

Today, the Hotel still stands as one of the most prominent buildings in the International District, having survived through multiple renovations since its original opening in 1915, and now serves as affordable housing.

The Bush Hotel as it underwent innovations in 2005

One Theater, Many Names

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1300 3rd Avenue, Seattle, WA is the site of a Pantages Theater that is no longer standing today. Alexander Pantages, the “king of vaudeville” commissioned Benjamin Marcus Priteca (23 years old at the time) to design and build the theater in 1915. Pantages liked Priteca’s work so much he hired him to create many more theaters and stage houses all across the Pacific Northwest.

Pantages was a beautiful theater designed with classical and Renaissance architecture. The building was lavishly ornamented, but also not as expensive as it was made to look. This was a unique theatre because it hosted traditional plays, vaudeville acts and also played moving pictures (films) with a live orchestra.

Historian Chris Skullerud lists eight name changes for this theater, beginning with New Pantages, Follies (1931), 3rd Avenue (1931), Rex (1935), Mayfair (1935), New Rex (1936), and Palomar (1936-1965). It was unclear if these name changes were due to a change in management, or if these were colloquial terms for the theatre because there were so many Alexander Pantages theaters in the area.
Alexander Pantages died in 1936 and since his death the theater had (somewhat) consistently been called Palomar. In the pictures below the theater is located on Third and University. The map from the 1920s calls the theater Pantages, while the 1930s map calls it Rex Theatre.

As of 1936 the Pantages was officially the Palomar theater. Palomar hosted a number of vaudeville acts and was one of last vaudeville playhouses up until the 1950s. Pantages also hosted African-American musicians such as Bobby Tucker and Sammy Davis Jr., Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. The last public show was “Annie Get Your Gun” performed in April of 1965. The Palomar was gutted and demolished to create a parking garage that year. The parking garage is still standing at 1300 3rd Avenue, Seattle, WA today.

 

Basking in the panorama of the cascades

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In the late 19th century realtors seeking out waterfront property in Seattle named an east side neighborhood Madrona, after the identically-named tree. In 1919 a single floor house was built located at a corner of the Madrona woods, at what is now 38th Ave. and East Columbia St. The house was well located with a fantastic view of Lake Washington as well as the Cascades from Gordon Ridge all the way to Mount Rainier! Being built only 30 years after the first house was erected in Madrona, it has had a long history in the neighborhood and is now a much different building than when it was first created. Aerial photographs from 1936 show a tiny structure obscured in the shadow of neighboring trees. 80 years later similar aerial photographs show a sizable building along with a lot of other development around.

 

1936 Aerial Photo

 

 

2016 Aerial Photo

 

 

1997 Remodeling Plans

 

 

 

 

While it is not clear how many changes happened between 1919 and 1997, remodeling plans from November of 1997 show the addition of an entire second floor with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 2 decks. Remodeling plans from 2002 show the upstairs master bedroom being converted into two separate bedrooms, with the addition of a closet and the removal of one of the two upstairs decks. The small office on the first floor seems to be the only room to be left in its original form from the pre-1997 design of the home.

2002 Remodeling Plans

Sales histories from 1997 to now confirm at least five different owners, including my family. My family bought and moved into this home in late 2011, since then my mother, brother and I have lived here. Pre-1997 documentation of the home is lacking and it seems that there were many address changes as well. I was not able to find mention of the original architect or occupants. I am glad to be enjoying the beautiful home, neighborhood and views just as every occupant previously has done. – RC

3761 E. Columbia St. as it stands today

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from the top deck

How to Survive the Test of Time: By Seattle’s Neptune Theatre

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The Neptune 1929, Courtesy of Seattle Theatre Group

The Neptune Theatre, located on the corner of 45th and 13th ave in the University District, was built in 1921as part of a collection of neighborhood movie theaters owned by the Puritan Theatre Company. Its grandiose organ and accommodation for over 1,000 patrons earned it the reputation as the perfect place for a night out.

With the rapid rate of change in the film and entertainment industry, adaptation is crucial to survival. The Neptune changed ownership from the Puritan Theatre Group to Jensen von-Herberg Theatres, Evergreen State Amusement Corp., Sterling Theatres, Landmark Theatres, Landmark Theatres, and the current owners, the Seattle Theatre Group.

The Neptune 2011 Renovation, Courtesy of the Seattle Theatre Group

One short-coming I noticed with the resources I found was that, while I’m certain each new owner must have made some sort of change (cosmetic, technological, etc.), the only documented changes were more recent and large-scale, like the 2011 renovation that turned the Neptune from a movie theatre to a live, performance center. This lack of context made interpretation slightly tricky.

 

This assignment was good practice for “reading between the lines”. As a member of the present University District dwelling society, I know that is a cool place to be, especially because it has prevailed through many trying times in our nations economy. Coupling my knowledge as a citizen of the present with the historic documents available painted a picture of a hub for entertainment that has, despite all odds, withstood the test of time.

The Neptune, 1984, Courtesy of The Seattle Public Library

The Neptune, 2016, Courtesy of King County Department of Assessments

 

 

 

“Every Room a Corner Room”

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If you’ve visited Seattle’s University District, you have probably noticed Hotel Deca, a towering structure located at the corner of Brooklyn Avenue and 45th Street NE. Its Art Deco style, boutique feel and proximity to the University draw guests today, just as they did when the hotel first opened in 1931.

Postcard advertising the Hotel Edmond Meany, ca. 1934 (Courtesy of UW Special Collections)

The idea for a hotel in the University District came from members of the community and local businesses under the University Hotel Operating Corporation, which raised $297,700 to buy the land and then further financed the construction through the sale of stocks and bonds. After amassing the required capital, the Hotel Corporation chose Robert C. Reamer to design what they envisioned to be a cultural and social landmark for the neighborhood. In keeping with their commitment to community engagement, the Hotel Corporation hosted a contest to name the new hotel, with the ultimate winning entry honoring Edmond S. Meany, a beloved professor, former state representative and local icon of the time.

Hotel Construction, from The Seattle Daily Times, May 3, 1931

Construction of The Hotel Edmond Meany began in 1930 and was extensively covered in The Seattle Daily Times, which featured several photos at various stages of the building’s construction, one of which is shown here. The structure is in the modernist Art Deco style and is primarily made of steel reinforced concrete, which was poured in place. Sixteen stories tall, the hotel featured nearly 150 rooms located around a central elevator shaft and stairwell – allowing the hotel to proudly boast that “every room is a corner room.” When the building opened on November 12, 1931, it was celebrated with a grand banquet and ball. The honored guest of the evening was Edmond S. Meany himself, who was the first person to sign the hotel registry.

House being moved to make way for the construction of a parking garage adjacent to the Hotel, April 1946 (Courtesy of MOHAI)

Lobby of the Hotel after renovation in 1997 (Courtesy of Assassi Productions for NBBJ)

Since its opening, the Edmond Meany has changed hands three times, but has always remained a hotel. While today the external structure looks much as it did in 1931, the interior has been redesigned several times. Notably, a renovation in the 1990s by Seattle architecture firm NBBJ sought to restore the 1930s style of the hotel by revealing older floors and columns to recapture the initial design of the building, which had been plastered over through the decades. The name has also shifted from the Edmond Meany Hotel to the Meany Tower Hotel to the University Tower Hotel – before attaining its current name, Hotel Deca, in 2008, when the building was acquired by Noble House Hotels and Resorts.

Hotel Deca today (Wikimedia Commons)

The hotel has served and continues to serve as an icon of the University District and a popular location for functions and meetings. Today much of the original majesty of this storied hotel still survives, so if you have the chance, go inside and have a look around the lobby!

Walruses Downtown

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Much of the history of modern Seattle can be traced back to the expansion of the town through the Klondike Gold Rush. Years later many veterans of this gold rush would return to Seattle with a golden twinkle in their eye and walruses in their memories. Then in 1908 the wealthy gold diggers would form the first Arctic Club on 3rd Avenue and Jefferson Street. After a short few years they would come to commission their own building a few blocks down on the corner of Cherry and 3rd Ave. The building would be designed by A. Warren Gould in 1916. Here they would put walruses right on the facade!

c.a. 1917 photo of the Arctic Building on 3rd ave and Cherry st.

The building would remain a center for the club until the late 1970s where it would soon become a historic building of Seattle and be registered for the National Register of Historic Places. As of now it stands as an interesting trademark of the “golden” past of Seattle as well as a fancy hotel with cool bar. The building itself has had its own interesting past as a center for the Arctic Club as well as others, but also was the site of the suicide of U.S. Congressman Marion Zioncheck in 1936. The building is also said to be one of the go to haunted locations in Seattle.

The building has nine floors with a beautiful dome room in the back corner, which is commonly used for weddings. The elegance and posh intend for this building continue today while the walruses continue to watch Seattle around it.

The walrus