| Historic Name: |
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Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Modern - Northwest Regional |
Neighborhood: |
North Rainier Valley |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1963 |
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| Significance |
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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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The Japanese branch of the First Presbyterian Church of Seattle was one of several Japanese Christian groups in Seattle, when it was dedicated in June 1907 and a mission for Bible classes began. In the early 1900s, Dr. Mark Mathews of Seattle’s First Presbyterian Church was interested in converting the Japanese people in Seattle, and he worked with Reverend Orio Inouye who came to Seattle from Japan in 1906 to raise funds to rebuild his church in Tokyo. Rev. Inouye decided to stay in Seattle and develop the mission church here. Rev. Inouye spearheaded the drive for a new church building in 1918. The Japanese Presbyterian Church building was completed in 1920 at Ninth Avenue and Weller Street. The church has remained active since 1907, except for a hiatus between 1942 and 1945 when Seattle’s Japanese residents were evacuated to internment camps.
In 1947, the church was reorganized as an independent entity, the Japanese Presbyterian Church of Seattle. The old church building was located in the path of the planned Interstate 5 freeway in the early 1960s, and the congregation voted to locate a new building in Seattle’s North Rainier Valley Area. The church purchased the property at Grand Street and Twenty-Fourth Avenue South and hired architects Kirk, Wallace, McKinley & Associates. The groundbreaking took place on February 17, 1963, and the new church was dedicated on November 3, 1963.
The design is attributed to David McKinley, Jr. by Smith Nakata, an architect who worked on the project for Kirk, Wallace, McKinley& Associates, and who designed later additions to the church. Architect Morris Jellison also worked on the Japanese Presbyterian Church project for Kirk, Wallace, McKinley & Associates, and also attributes the design to McKinley. The intent of the design of the sanctuary was to create a rectangular box with only top light that would isolate the space from the exterior surroundings and create a sense of light coming from within, lending the building a spiritual quality. According to Reverend Kiyoshi Noji, pastor, the shape of the sanctuary was intended to be reminiscent of the Ark of the Covenant, and the entire building suggested the form of someone kneeling in prayer (For the Glory of God, 1963).
The architect’s comment in the dedication program brochure stated that the creation of a religious structure for the Japanese Presbyterian Church posed intriguing architectural problems: to produce a building that would satisfy the philosophical aspirations of the congregation, and to bring forth a Christian symbol inspirational to the community. Another comment was that the natural characteristics of the sloping site inspired the contrasting vertical form, and the subtly curved textured walls of the lower narthex and upper sanctuary masses were designed to recall the distinctive designs reminiscent of Japanese architecture. The architect stated that he hoped that the quiet simplicity of textures created by the native shingles would produce an ageless quality for the shapes of the building. The brochure also stated that the contrast of spaces that had been designed, together with the variety of lighting from courtyards and skylights, was intended to create an inwardly-directed environment of sanctity – truly conducive to religious inspiration.
The design shows the influence of traditional Japanese architecture, with the use of shoji screens as interior partitions and the extensive use of wood. The church has a more formal appearance on the exterior and is sided with different patterns of wood shingles. It also reflects elements of the Northwest style found in many designs by Paul Kirk and his partners, with its emphasis on wood and its modernist simplicity. In the original plan, two light courts flanked the entrance to the sanctuary (only the one to the right of the narthex still remains). The original landscape design was prepared by landscape architect Robert W. Chittock.
This building received a national AIA Merit Award in 1965, and it was recognized for its “modest, serene quality.”
In 1984, the church started a building program to add new classrooms and a library. The Christian Education wing located west of the main sanctuary was dedicated in June 1985 and was designed by architectural firm, Smith Nakata Associates. Further additions were made between 1992 and 1994, also designed by Smith Nakata Associates. These included a second floor addition to the west of the sanctuary above the classrooms. The addition included a multipurpose room and kitchen area as well as space for expansion of the sanctuary on the west side. The sanctuary was expanded on the east side with the enclosure of one of the original light courts. Further interior remodeling took place at this time. These additions were in keeping with the design of the original building.
The Japanese Presbyterian Church is significant for its design that integrates traditional Japanese elements with a more contemporary Northwest style. Despite alterations and additions, it retains its basic integrity. It is also important as an example of a Japanese Christian church in Seattle that has a long history in the community.
The North Rainier Valley consists of a depression created by glaciation between the ridges of Beacon Hill and Mount Baker. The valley derives its name from Mount Rainier because of stunning views of the mountain. The area’s growth followed the early streetcar line, which was completed to Columbia City in 1890. The North Rainier Valley includes the area north of Columbia City and contained many early vegetable farms. Commercial development followed along the streetcar line, with housing built nearby.
During the first decades of the 20th century, the area between Massachusetts and Atlantic Streets was home to Seattle’s largest Italian enclave, “Garlic Gulch.” Dugdale Ball Park opened on the corner of Rainier Avenue and McClellan Street in 1913, and was succeeded by Sick’s Stadium in 1938. World War II precipitated a surge in housing development, including the public housing project, Rainier Vista, in 1943. Following the war, the area attracted a mix of African-Americans, Asians, and Filipinos. Today this diverse, low-to-middle income neighborhood is unique within Seattle with its long narrow form focused on the Rainier Avenue transportation corridor.
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| Appearance |
| Built in 1963, this substantial, Northwest Modern style, Japanese Presbyterian Church stands on an irregular corner lot. The building is oriented to Twenty-Fourth Avenue South on a sloping site above street level. This 9432 square foot, two-story church with a full basement features a rectangular plan, measuring approximately 70’ by 96’. A poured concrete foundation supports the concrete frame, brick-clad first story and wood frame, shingle-clad second story superstructure. The designing architect, Paul Kirk, utilized three different shingle types on the upper story: scalloped, rectangular and a smaller rectangular version. The roof is set below the outer parapet walls. The outer building wall corners flare outward slightly where they meet at the corners. The first two stories form a base for the central wood frame, shingle-clad tower that rises above. The upper ends of the tower flare outward. Entrances and windows punctuate the first story, leaving the upper story and central tower windowless. The first story interior features an axial court with large, primary rooms on one side and smaller, secondary rooms on the other side of the court. The second story maintains this overall layout. The primary sanctuary and fellowship spaces lie directly above the primary first floor spaces. In addition, the second floor contains the narthex and a small parlor adjacent to the stairway. A south court opens onto the sanctuary. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Shingle |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
| Building Type: |
Religion - Religious facility |
Plan: |
Irregular |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
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| Unit Theme(s): |
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| Integrity |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
Intact |
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Changes to Plan: |
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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Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
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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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City of Seattle. Survey of City-Owned Historic Resources. Prepared by Cathy Wickwire, Seattle, 2001. Forms for Ravenna Park structures.
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Tobin, Caroline. (2004) "North Rainier Valley Historic Context Statement."
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Brubeck, Don. Personal E-mail communication based on his 1997 interviews with architects Smith Nakata and Morris Jellison. February 17, 2004.
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Japanese Presbyterian Church, "50th Anniversary, Japanese Presbyterian Church, 1907-1957." Seattle, 1957.
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Japanese Presbyterian Church of Seattle, "For the Glory of God." Program for new building dedication, November 3, 1963. Seattle, 1963.
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Japanese Presbyterian Church History," prepared for the Historical Committee of the Presbytery of Seattle; submitted by Elder George Ohgi. Seattle, February 9, 1998.
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