Seattle Landmarks: West Queen Anne Walls (1913)

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Address: 8th Place W between W Galer Street and W Highland Drive, Seattle. In 1906, members of the Queen Anne Community Club peititioned the Seattle Parks Board for a scenic boulevard around Queen Anne Hill. Supporters included James W. Clise (1855-1939), and George F. Cotterill (1865-1958). But this plan did not conform to the system of parks and boulevards designed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1903. Finally, the Park Board agreed, but the acquisition of property was delayed by litigation. As a result, the boulevard and its retaining walls were completed in six sections, over three years.

The retaining walls along 8th Place W were designed by Walter W. R. B. Wilcox. They vary in height from 4 to 22 feet and are distinguished by stairways connecting different street grades, decorative brickwork, balustrades, and street lights.

The walls were named a Seattle Landmark on December 13, 1976. The walls, sidewalks, and lights were upgraded beginning in the 1990s.

Sources:
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, Landmarks Preservation Board, 700 Third Avenue, 4th Floor, Seattle, Washington.

By Dave Wilma, April 15, 2001

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This essay made possible by:
The SCHOONER Project:
The Hon. Jan Drago
Seattle City Council
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods

West Queen Anne Walls, Seattle, 2001
Photo by David Wilma