The City of Kenmore is conducting a survey during January and February of historic buildings, primarily residential structures built during the mid-20th century.
The project is funded by a national park service grant administered by the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.
Approximately 100 properties, most of which are located in the Uplake Terrace Plat, will be documented.
The area, which borders Lake Forest Park on the west and 61st Avenue N.E. on the east, contains a number of houses built in the 1950s and 60s, representing mid-20th century architectural design.
According to Nancy Ousley, Kenmore assistant city manager, the purpose of the project is to provide a framework to guide future planning and preservation efforts in Kenmore.
She says, “The information we gather gives us an idea of what’s here. The last time we did a survey of this kind was back in the 70s. Our goal is to update the properties surveyed previously, as well as add others to the list. It’ll be a good resource for the city and it’s the first step to future preservation efforts. It’s a foundational activity.”
Kenmore’s previously surveyed architectural heritage includes Saint Edwards Seminary and the Thomsen Estate.
The former is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the latter is designated as a City of Kenmore Local Landmark.
Project coordinators were excited to discover during initial preparations for the survey that the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer (built in 1964 and located at 6211 NE 182nd St. in Kenmore) was designed by Roland Terry, a renowned Northwest architect known for, among other things, his design of the Canlis Restaurant in Seattle.
The church is listed among Terry’s accomplishments in Jeffrey Karl Ochsner’s “Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects.”
Unique features of mid-twentieth century architecture abound in various residential properties in the area.
According to newspaper accounts from the 1950s and 60s, two houses in the Uplake Terrace neighborhood were built with protection from nuclear attack.
In 1955, Dick Bjorklund designed a house that boasted a concrete bomb shelter with metal doors.
In 1960, Seth McCallen Fulcher designed a home with a fallout shelter.
Along with the Uplake Terrace properties, the scope of the survey includes looking at 12 houses identified through the State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation’s “Nifty From the Last 50” initiative that studied post-World War II architecture.
Seven properties in this survey were identified in the Kenmore Heritage Society publication, “Kenmore by the Lake: A Community History,” by Priscilla Droge.
The results of the survey will eventually go into a report and be made available to the public in the future.
“I think Kenmore residents will be interested in the findings,” comments Ousley.
“Communities take pride in their historic resources. And if and when properties are listed as local, state or federal landmarks, owners of those properties can be eligible for incentives and tax credits.”
She adds, “I do want to underline the fact that there are no regulatory implications for property owners from this survey. It is a documentation effort only.”
Those interested in providing information for the project or who have questions are asked to contact Lee O’Connor at (206) 296-7409 or Lee.oconnor@kingcounty.gov, or Julie Koler, King County preservation officer, at (206) 296-8689 or Julie.koler@kingcounty.org.
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