| Historic Name: |
Lincoln Park Colman Pool/Bathhouse |
Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Colonial, Colonial - Colonial Revival |
Neighborhood: |
Morgan Junction |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1941 |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places. |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. |
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This architecturally distinctive outdoor pool complex was constructed in 1940-41 at the tip of Point Williams. The new complex replaced a crude saltwater pool originally created by the Streets & Sewers Department in 1926. West Seattle first gained fame as the landing point of the Denny Party in 1851, however residential and commercial development was slow to come to the area due to its topography and geographic isolation. This problem was partially solved with the establishment of ferry service from Seattle to the east shore of Duwamish Head in 1888. A trolley car line built on trestles replaced the ferry in 1902, and connected with several streetcar lines, which eventually extended service throughout West Seattle. One of the lines extended to the southwest corner of the peninsula following the route of today’s SW Fauntleroy Way and ended south of Point Williams at Endolyne. With improved access, West Seattle developed rapidly and was eventually annexed in 1907.
The 1908 Olmsted Supplemental Plan proposed a "Williams Point Park" as part of the Seattle park system, which would be connected to the rest of the city via an extensive boulevard system. In 1903, the city had hired the Olmsted Brothers to prepare plans for a comprehensive park and boulevard system, including suggestions for improvements to existing parks. This was supplemented by an additional report in 1908 to include the large areas annexed by the city the previous year, including West Seattle. According to the Olmsted Brothers, the proposed "Williams Point Park" should include some 130 acres of comparatively level land between the point and the new electric railway to provide space for athletic fields, lawns, drives, walks, and plantings. The triangular-shaped park would serve both the local neighborhood and the city as a whole. Implementation of the report began almost immediately, however not always as envisioned by the Olmsteds, especially in the outlying areas where there was less residential and commercial development. Land for the park at Point Williams was not acquired by the city until 1922. The new 130-acre park would be called Lincoln Park in honor of President Abraham Lincoln, which forced Lincoln Playfield on Capitol Hill to be renamed Broadway Playfield.
Within a few years of the acquisition, the Parks Department had cleared weeds and downed trees and had constructed a comfort station in 1925. The same year, the Streets & Sewers Department created a large pool fed by saltwater at high tide on the level area of land at Point Williams. Essentially, the pool was a swimming hole with muddy sides and a muddy bottom. Despite its condition, the pool became a very popular feature of Lincoln Park, and there were many petitions for the construction of concrete sides and bottom. During the 1930s, workers of several federal unemployment relief agencies periodically patched the pool while making other improvements at the park. In 1940, Kenneth Colman, son of the prominent area resident Laurence Colman, gave over $150,000 to the city for the construction of an outdoor saltwater pool and bathhouse at Lincoln Park in memory of his father.
The architecture firm of Loveless, Fey & Lamont used Colonial Revival stylistic features to design this complex, which included a large bathhouse, a pool, and a filter house. After his arrival in Seattle about 1907, Arthur Loveless briefly partnered with Clayton D. Wilson and later with Daniel R. Huntington before embarking on an independent practice after 1915. Loveless became well known for his residential and commercial projects, especially his 1930-33 Studio Building on Broadway. After 1930, Lester P. Fey, who had worked for Loveless since the early 1920s, became an associate in the practice. The design of this project was largely the work of Daniel Lamont, who joined the partnership in 1940. However, Arthur Loveless had completed a number of projects over the years for Laurence Colman, including the design of his Tudor Revival residence in 1922-23, and the Colonial detailing was typical of the firm’s work in the 1930s. The firm dissolved with the onset of the Second World War shortly after the completion of this project in 1941. With its distinctive Colonial Revival detailing, this building is significant for its design and for its association with the development of Lincoln Park.
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| Appearance |
| Completed in 1941, this outdoor pool complex occupies a site near the tip of Point Williams along the western margin of Lincoln Park. Situated along the eastern side of the complex, the brick veneer bathhouse measures 165 feet in length and 47 feet in width. With its distinctive Colonial Revival stylistic features, the 1½-story side gable main block at the center has one-story side gable wings and one-story front gable end pavilions. On the northern end, the one-story brick veneer filter house has a side gable roof over a rectangular footprint, which measures 52 feet by 22 feet. Measuring 60 feet by 165 feet, the outdoor saltwater pool along the western side has eight lanes and depths ranging between 3 feet and 12 feet. A brick wall of varying heights encloses the complex. Most of the western wall and half of the southern wall have Plexiglas windows to allow for views towards Puget Sound. When the pool is closed, metal panels cover the windows. The same buff colored wire cut brick clads the bathhouse and the filter house, giving unity to the appearance of the complex.
On the principal east elevation of the bathhouse, the main block has a full height hip roof porch supported by four slender Doric columns and two pilasters set on concrete plinths. The recessed opening at the center contains a large multi-paned transom over the double wood and glass entrance doors and single pane sidelights. Large wood sash windows frame the center entrance porch with a projecting brick course aligned with the lower edge of the two windows. The adjacent wings each have a band of six wood sash pivot windows centered within the upper wall clad with horizontal board. The lower walls of brick feature projecting courses, which create decorative bands. The end pavilions each have a band of three wood sash pivot windows set high on the wall below the gable ends clad with vertical board. On the identical north and south elevations, single window openings flank a horizontal opening at the center with a band of three windows. At the western end of each elevation, decorative wood panels frame a restroom entrance below a transom. The women’s restroom is located within the northern pavilion, while the men’s restroom is located in the southern pavilion.
On the rear west elevation of the bathhouse facing the pool, the main block has a full height canted bay with a hip roof. In contrast to the brick veneer cladding, horizontal wood siding covers the bay, which features double entrance doors. Windows at both levels fill the rest of the bay. Large wood sash windows frame the center bay at the upper and lower stories. The adjacent wings each have three single window openings along the upper wall sheathed with the same horizontal board on the east elevation. Sheltered by a brick wall, an entrance to the women’s dressing room and restroom is located within the northern wing north of center. This wing also has double metal entrance doors at the southern end. The entrance to the men’s facility is located within the southern wing south of center. This wing has a single entrance door at the northern end. The end pavilions each have a single window flanked by brick piers centered below the gable end clad with vertical board. The south elevation of the filter house also faces the pool and contains double entrance doors at the eastern and western ends and a horizontal window at the center. The east and west side elevations present blank brick walls. The rear north elevation has a large horizontal window at either end. Well maintained, this architecturally distinctive pool complex retains excellent physical integrity. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Vertical - Boards, Wood - Clapboard |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Gable |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Recreation and Culture - Sports Facility |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
Unknown |
No. of Stories: |
one & ½ |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Community Planning/Development, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
Intact |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records.
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King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives.
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Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, ed. Shaping Seattle Architecture, A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.
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Sherwood, Don. Seattle Parks Histories, c. 1970-1981, unpublished.
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