i just want to share the following message:
Hello everyone,
I wanted to give you a quick update that just after 6pm this evening the George Washington Carmack House was designated a Historic Landmark by the City of Seattle Landmark Preservation Board.
It was an AMAZING group effort of concerned neighbors, Historic Seattle, the Squire Park Community Council, historians and lots and lots of dedicated citizens.
Thank you EVERYONE for all of your support and help in preserving this great structure. In particular I really appreciate all of the letters of support for the nomination…up to the 11th hour.
Thank you again. When I know more about the next steps I will keep you informed, but in the meantime we have saved this great home from being torn down. Congratulations to everyone!
– Alex Zankich
Photo, anyone?
http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/05/31/profile-1522-e-jeff
http://www.vintageseattle.org/2009/02/05/historic-carmack-ho
This will be a tough move, if it can be accomplished at all: It can’t go to the west (parking garage), it can’t go to the north (Swedish skybridge and emergency room) it can’t go too far east (Metro trolley lines are very complicated and expensive to deconstruct – the same problem that is plaguing the Epiphany School house moves)
It may be able to go south down 15th and find a new landing spot somewhere there (assuming it can make it under the City Light primary lines, which feed Swedish and points east, and pretty much can’t be taken off-line, and require 10′ of clearance) but those residential streets are narrow, with many, many power, phone and cable lines that would have to be disconnected and reconnected as part of the move. (It costs about $300 per line to take them down and put them back up.)
The best option would be if Swedish could somehow be persuaded into buying it and making it a visitors center or guest house or something similar, but I’m not holding my breath on that.
does anyone know if the City of Seattle Landmark Preservation Board issues plaques for historical landmarks? seems odd to be designated, but not labeled so others can know. NY and MA do this sort of thing. do we?