Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 7312 W Green Lake DR W / Parcel ID / Inv # DPR034

Historic Name: Green Lake Park West Concession Common Name: Style: Vernacular Neighborhood: Green Lake Built By: Year Built: 1930   Significance The construction date of this small utilitarian structure is not known at this time, however it may have been built by 1930. Within thirty years of the first settlement at Green Lake in 1869, the area had been transformed from dense forests to an attractive residential neighborhood served by a streetcar line, which connected it with downtown Seattle. In the late 1880s, entrepreneur William D. Wood acquired more than 600 acres of real estate around Green Lake and then platted and promoted his holdings. In order to stimulate development, Wood convinced Dr. Edward C. Kilbourne, one of the founders of Fremont, to extend his streetcar line from Fremont to Green Lake in 1891. Together, they organized the Green Lake Electric Railway, which Wood managed, and developed a ten-acre amusement park at its terminus on the northwestern corner of Green Lake. The same year, the City of Seattle annexed the Green Lake area along with other northern suburbs. In 1903, the city hired the Olmsted Brothers landscape firm to prepare plans for a comprehensive park and boulevard system, including suggestions for improvements to existing parks. This move was largely brought on by the public interest generated for the planned Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition and through the purchase of Woodland Park and the acquisition of Washington Park, two large tracts of mostly undeveloped land. The Olmsted Brothers recommended the acquisition of Green Lake and the creation of a park and boulevard surrounding the lake. Unfortunately, settlement had reached to the shoreline by this time, providing little opportunity to create the park economically. As a solution, the Olmsted Brothers recommended lowering the level of the lake and filling in the wetlands to create more usable parkland. In 1905, the State of Washington deeded ownership of the lake bottom to the city, which proceeded to acquire the remainder of the shoreline through purchase and condemnation, including the former amusement park site. Beginning in 1911, the level of the lake was lowered seven feet, which added 100 acres of dry land once it had been graded and filled. This process was completed by the early 1930s with the filling of the southern end of the lake using material excavated from Woodland Park during the construction of Aurora Avenue in 1932. By 1909, the amusement park at the northwest corner of the lake had long ceased to operate and had become known as the "Old Picnic Grounds." In 1914, the Parks Department constructed the first frame bathing station at the southwest corner of the lake where Guy Phinney had developed his Woodland Park. Within a year, it was necessary to enlarge the structure due to its popularity. However, its location proved to be problematic due to frequent water stagnation, which tended to attract waterfowl. As a temporary solution, the Parks Department moved the structure to the northern end of the lake in 1922. Five years later, the first phase of a new brick bathhouse was completed at the site of the "Old Picnic Grounds." Initially, only the north and sound ends containing the dressing room and restroom facilities for men and women were constructed. The following year, the central portion was completed, which contained a public lobby and locker room. At the same time, the Parks Department constructed identical bathhouses at Madrona and Seward Parks. However, the central portion of the Seward Park Bathhouse was not completed until 1940. It may have been at this time that the small concession stand was constructed just to the north of the bathhouse to serve swimmers who frequented the West Green Lake Beach. A 1930 photograph in the municipal archives appears to show this building on the western shores of Green Lake near the bathhouse. In subsequent years, additional concession facilities were constructed at the northeastern and southwestern corners of the lake. This building is significant for its association with the development of Green Lake Park.   Appearance Believed to have been built c.1930, this small wood frame building occupies a site along the northwest shoreline of Green Lake near the northern end of the Bathhouse Theater. The one-story structure has a rectangular plan, which measures 20 feet by 10 feet. The overhanging side gable roof has exposed rafters along the north and south elevations. On the principal south elevation, a long narrow opening lines nearly the length of the façade. Three plywood hatches cover the opening, which has a shallow counter extending along the bottom edge. Originally, a narrow flat roof extended over the façade below the roofline and covered the opening. Evidence of the location remains on the stucco exterior. The west and north elevations present blank walls while the east elevation contains a single entrance door into the building. Some graffiti has been painted over, however some still remains visible. There is also evidence of rising damp in the cracking of the exterior walls, especially at the base. Despite these conditions, this building retains good physical integrity.

Detail for 7312 W Green Lake DR W / Parcel ID / Inv # DPR034

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Stucco Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Gable Roof Material(s): Wood - Shingle Building Type: Other Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: one Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Commerce, Community Planning/Development, Entertainment/Recreation Integrity Changes to Windows: Intact Changes to Plan: Intact Changes to Original Cladding: Intact Major Bibliographic References King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives. Sherwood, Don. Seattle Parks Histories, c. 1970-1981, unpublished. Fiset, Louis. "Green Lake -- Thumbnail History," The Green Lake News, July-August 2000, p. 4-5.

Photo collection for 7312 W Green Lake DR W / Parcel ID / Inv # DPR034

Photo taken Jul 18, 2000