Historic Seattle buys Squire Park's famed Washington Hall

June 13, 10:00 PMSeattle History ExaminerBenjamin Lukoff

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Washington Hall. Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Joe Mabel,
used under Creative Commons license

Historic Seattle — "the only nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the preservation of Seattle and King County's architectural legacy" — has purchased Washington Hall, at 153 14th Avenue (at E. Fir Street) in Squire Park.

The building — built 101 years ago by the Danish Brotherhood and most recently owned, since 1965 or 1973 (reports disagree), by the Sons of Haiti Masonic lodge — is most famous for being a performance and speaking venue. Once home to On the Boards, it earlier hosted such luminaries as Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B. du Bois, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and Marian Anderson.

In 2007, when the Sons of Haiti put the building up for sale, most commenters seemed to think the building's days were numbered, but its purchase by Historic Seattle seems to ensure that Washington Hall will not follow the likely fate of the Bon Marché stables.

Here are some links of interest:

• "Seattle's storied Washington Hall is likely to be sold and demolished" — Crosscut.com, May 29, 2007
• "Washington Hall to be saved?" — VintageSeattle.org, August 23, 2007
• "Washington Hall — Seattle venue for 100 years" — 10 Things Zine, November 15, 2007
• Profile in The Seattle Times, August 12, 2001
• "Washington Hall, where Fats Domino and other black performers played, is for sale" — June 30, 2008
• Landmarks nomination — text, graphics
• "Washington Hall is historic landmark" — Central District News, January 8, 2009