By Monica Wooton
Magnolia Historical Society Board member
Fifty years ago, another of the tug-a-war controversies that plagued Fort Lawton from its inception began with the call by the city for a historic district to preserve the original buildings. This came about as the Army began to surplus the property and buildings in the 1960?s. Just as the establishment of the Fort brought forth different agendas and wills in the many years of getting it established; so, too did the undoing of it begin another long battle.
Discovery Park was already in existence and Friends of Discovery Park (Friends) was actively working to defeat any proposals that would put uses in the Park that were more assertive than open space, protection of habitat and trails.
From the beginning there was a concerted effort to keep this Park, as the Master Plan says and is often quoted by Friends, a place of ??open space of quiet and tranquility?a sanctuary?[to] escape the turmoil of the City and enjoy the rejuvenation which quiet and solitude and an intimate contact with nature can bring.? Friends did not want a Central or Stanley Park here and were adamant in their fights to prevent that from happening. A city-wide initiative to put a golf course in the park in 1975 was defeated in large part because Friends fought it. Coming off that victory, the Fort Historic District was just another fight Friends would take on in their effort to uphold the Master Plan to the strictest interpretation.
Park activist Bob Kildall said: ?It would be very difficult to carry out the Master Plan if parts of the property are cut up as islands earmarked for other uses?and, if various buildings are used in such a way as to attract larger amounts of traffic into the park.? Some disagreed. One proposal was for a low-income district for artists who could use the buildings as homes and studios.
As the debate raged on, Herb Robinson, editorial writer for the Seattle Times?wrote of the conflict in many editorials over the years. On December 1, 1975, Herb Robinson on the editorial page of the Seattle Times, called it ?the long running ?battle of Fort Lawton? an effort that began a decade ago.? Robinson further expressed that the fight was not over.
It continued being debated with no resolve and the buildings sat unused and decaying. In 1983, a building proposed to be used as an environmental learning center burned down and The Seattle Times said it was ?under possibly suspicious motives.? Robinson again wrote in 1984: ??deciding what place, if any, the ancient Fort Lawton buildings have in the Park?s future has been at an impasse for far too long. While the issue was simple enough, its resolution has been stymied by a variety of factors?government bureaucrats, historic preservationists, and park purists?the prolonged pulling and tugging?is typical in the public policy arena these days?too cumbersome, too expensive and too vulnerable to political manipulation??
Historian and Preservationist Mimi Sheridan explains: ?There was more to the story. Federal law required that the Army consider impacts on historic buildings when turning over the property. In 1980, the city had signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) requiring it to “take any action required to prevent further deterioration” of the historic buildings and to enact an ordinance to manage the historic district. The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, sued to enforce the agreement. In February 1988, the Federal District Court halted demolition, finding that “irreparable harm would occur if demolition of the historic buildings proceeded and the MOA remained unfulfilled. ? (Washington Trust for Historic Preservation v. City of Seattle, No. C87-1506C)
The city council still could not make up their minds on the matter. In the end, in the words of a Times article of June 14, 1988: ?six historic military buildings surrounding the Fort Lawton parade grounds will stand as empty-silent memorials to the old Army base.?
Left to languish unused, the buildings are deteriorating slowly – the World War II Chapel on the Hill (added to the district in 2005) desperately needs new paint, refurbishing and landscaping. Peeling paint and needed repairs are evident on the other structures. Recently surplused, now protected by local historic district status as well, are Officer?s Row and the Non-Commissioned Officer?s houses. The exteriors and landscaping are being restored and preserved. Private owners, who will be in a homeowner?s association bound by city historic guidelines, will be able to buy them.
The Chapel on the Hill and other historic buildings show obvious signs of deterioration and disrepair. Photo Monica Wooton 2015
On Thursday, April 16, the Magnolia Historical Society will hold its Annual meeting on the: “History of the Fort and the Historic District and Where It Is Going.” The meeting will be held at 7 PM in the Fireside Room at Magnolia Lutheran Church (2414 31st Avenue West). There will be a presentation by historian and preservationist Mimi Sheridan; and, THRIVE Communities, Gary Blakeslee, will also speak about plans for the privatization, rehabilitation and restoration of Officer?s Row and the Non-Commissioned Officer?s houses in the Historic District. This program is free to the public and refreshments will be served. For more information on the meeting, to volunteer or to buy Magnolia?s award-winning history books with the history of the Fort and Discovery Park click here.
Drawings of two views of the Fort Lawton Post Exchange and Gymnasium, which was completed in 1905 at a total cost of $20,700. This building, which still stands on theparade grounds, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Historic American Buildings Survey, Fort Lawton Recording Project, Page 12. 1981