Archives West Finding Aid

Minutes and agendas documenting meetings of the Landmarks Preservation Board. The minutes report on issues discussed, tasks assigned, and actions taken, and include lists of board members and Office of Urban Conservation staff present. Board business primarily concerned consideration of applications for approval of architectural modifications to city landmarks, as well as landmark nominations and designations.

Correspondence, memos, clippings, and other materials relating to the work of the Landmarks Preservation Board. A significant portion of the collection deals with appointments to the Board and its procedures and guidelines. Another issue documented in detail is the creation and revision of the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. Other topics covered include Latona, Seward, and Stevens Schools; the proposed Seattle Commons project; historic ships, and terra cotta in Seattle.

Materials relating to special tax valuation agreements for rehabilitated historic properties. Files contain agreements as well as backup material. Photos are often included, many times showing before and after shots of the rehabilitated property.

Photographs taken for the book Apartments by Anhalt by Larry Kreisman of the Office of Urban Conservation. Fred Anhalt constructed distinctive apartment buildings in Seattle in the 1920s and 1930s, often in the Tudor Revival style. Series contains both negatives and prints. Not all negatives have corresponding prints, and vice versa.

Records document the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board's decisions to deny a building, object, or structure historic landmark status. Series includes nomination forms, news clippings, correspondence, reports, Board agendas, photographs of nominated properties, and additional background information related to the nominated properties. Some properties documented in the collection include Franklin High School, the Music Box Theatre, the Newhalem buildings owned by Seattle City Light, and the Olympic Hotel. The Blue Moon Tavern files contain many interesting items of note including letters of support from authors Tom Robbins and Calvin Trillin and an audio cassette containing a KRAB radio station interview with Blue Moon regulars. Some properties represented in the records were granted landmark status but lost their designation due to fire damage, property neglect, loss of insurance or lease. These properties include the Jolly Rodger Roadhouse, Kelleher House, the San Mateo Ferry and the Temple de Hirsch Sinai.

Originally built in 1929, the Music Hall Theatre was demolished in 1992 after a protracted battle between the property owners and local arts and preservation groups. The building was given landmark status by the city, but the property owners appealed the decision to the Hearing Examiner, who overturned the designation and allowed demolition to proceed. Records in this series were collected during the landmark nomination and appeal process, and include Landmarks Preservation Board correspondence and minutes, legal documents, news articles, and photos. Series also contains records relating to the Downtown Theater Task Force.

This series documents renovation of historic buildings approved by the Landmarks Preservation Board. Records include drawings, certificates of approval, correspondence, and images of pre and post rehabilitation.