Historic Name: |
JAMES MONROE JR. HIGH SCHOOL |
Common Name: |
SALMON BAY K-8 SCHOOL |
Style: |
Colonial - Georgian Revival |
Neighborhood: |
Crown Hill/Ballard |
Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1930 |
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Significance |
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Residential Ballard is generally described as extending from the 8th Avenue NW to the east and the bluff to the west, and from NW 85th Street on the north to NW 65th Street to the south. The area primarily contains single family houses, but also includes a collection of mutli-family dwellings, commercial buildings, schools, churches, and other buildings. Most of the historic buildings in Ballard are modest cottages and builder's houses, and were not architect-designed. Building styles include, but are not limited to, Victorian (primarily Queen Anne), vernacular, Craftsman, American Foursquare, Colonial Revival (including variations), Tudor Revival, Minimal Traditional, and Ranch. The historic building fabric of Ballard is threatened by a rapid pace of development.
The City of Ballard was incorporated in 1890. It was the first community to incorporate after Washington achieved statehood in 1889. Although population increased rapidly, north Ballard was still relatively rural. In 1907, primarily due to lack of adequate water for its population of 15,000, Ballard citizens voted to be annexed to Seattle to ensure a good water supply for the area.
After annexation Ballard’s street names were changed to conform to Seattle’s: Ship Street turned into 65th Street, Main Street became 15th Avenue. During the Great Depression and World War II, construction in Ballard nearly ground to a halt, with the exception of some houses built by Earl F. Mench. However, following World War II, fueled by the G.I. bill and the rise of the automobile, Ballard boomed again, and new housing followed. In recent years, the demand for new housing has spurred a tremendous amount of change in Ballard, with old, modest houses being replaced by large box houses and multi-family units. These changes threaten to alter the character and feeling of this historic neighborhood.
Salmon Bay K-8 school was designed by Floyd A. Naramore (1879-1970). Naramore was born in Illinois
and educated in engineering at the University of Wisconsin. He began his career at the Chicago &
Northwestern Railroad as a bridge draftsman. He later (1907) got a degree in architecture from
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He moved to Portland soon after, and became Architect and
Superintendent of Properties for the Portland School System. In 1919, he became the Seattle School
District’s architect. He designed several schools to accommodate growing enrollment, including
Highland Park Elementary, John Hay Elementary, Roosevelt High School, Columbia School, Garfield High
School, Dunlap Elementary, Bryant Elementary, Hamilton Junior High School, Cleveland High School,
Bagley Elementary, and Salmon Bay. The schools were designed in a variety of styles, including Georgian,
Mission Revival, Jacobean, and even Art Deco. He was active in the AIA in the 1930s, and in the 1940s
(most notably with Bain, Brady, and Johnson, who would become NBBJ) formed a number of
partnerships with other architects and builders to design federally-commissioned houses, schools, and
other facilities (BOLA 2013: 13; Ochsner 2014:198-203).
References:
Ballard Historical Society Classic Home Tour guides.
Crowley, Walt. Seattle Neighborhoods: Ballard--Thumbnail History. HistoryLink File # 983, accessed 6/1/16.
King County Tax Assessor Records, 1937-2014.
McAlester, Virginia Savage.
A Field Guide to American Houses (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Alfred A> Knopf Press, 2013.
Oschsner, Jeffrey Karl
Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle, WA: University of
Washington Press, 1994.
Passport to Ballard: The Centennial Story. Seattle, WA: Ballard News Tribune, 1988.
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Appearance |
Constructed in 1930, the school now known as Salmon Bay K-8 was designed by Floyd A. Naramore in
the Georgian style. It is three stories tall, clad in red brick with buff accents. It sits on a concrete
foundation and has a flat roof. This building features a symmetrical entry with arched doors, a running
cornice, inlaid pilasters, and arched and rectangular multi-paned vinyl windows (replaced). Although the
windows are not original, the building retains a high level of integrity.
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