Overview of the Collection
Historical NoteThe Office of Urban Conservation was created in 1975 as part of the Department of Community Development (DCD). It was founded in an era of citizen protests against a proposed urban renewal program that would have demolished Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market. The office’s mandate was to coordinate Seattle’s historic preservation programs and administer the city’s landmark boards and historic districts. When DCD was abolished in 1992, the office became the Historic Preservation Program in the Department of Neighborhoods. From 1852 onward, Pioneer Square was the center of Seattle’s commercial activity. The Great Fire of 1889 destroyed 25 blocks of downtown, but the city immediately began rebuilding, using fire-resistant stone and brick. The neighborhood flourished during the Alaska gold rush, but as the central business core began to move northward, Pioneer Square became host to rough taverns and seedy hotels. A city plan to raze the district in the 1960s generated a grass roots preservation movement led by architects Ralph Anderson and Victor Steinbrueck. In 1970 they succeeded in having the neighborhood designated as a national historic district as well as Seattle’s first preservation district. The Pioneer Square Historic Preservation Board was instituted in 1971, and the Pioneer Square Special Review District Board in 1974. The two boards began holding joint meetings in October 1979, and continued this practice until September 1981 when they were consolidated as the Pioneer Square Preservation Board. The Office of Urban Conservation, and later the Historic Preservation Program, provided staffing to the boards. The Architectural Review Committee was a Board subcommittee. Content DescriptionMinutes, correspondence, reports, memos, and other materials related to the Pioneer Square Preservation District. Series are described more fully below. Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access :
Records are open to the public. Preferred Citation :[Item and date], [Title of collection], Record Series 5754-E[X]. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives. Administrative Information
Arrangement :
The Pioneer Square Preservation District Records are arranged into two series: 5754-E1: Pioneer Square Preservation Board Minutes, 1971-1997 5754-E2: Pioneer Square Preservation District Subject Files, 1970-1996 Detailed Description of the CollectionThe following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection. 2.4 cubic feet ( 6 boxes)
Minutes and agendas documenting regular and special meetings of the various boards overseeing the Pioneer Square Preservation District. 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 and signage in the District. Other subjects include the Downtown Alternative Plan, sidewalks, zoning, social problems, and liquor licenses. The materials are arranged into the following series:
4.4 cubic feet ( 11 boxes)
Correspondence, memos, reports, clippings, and other materials relating to issues affecting the District. Many of the records deal with METRO transit projects, including the waterfront streetcar and the bus tunnel. Another significant portion of materials relate to the work of CAFE EDGAR (Committee to Assess the Feasibility of Establishing Economic Development Guidelines and Regulations), a group that surveyed other historic districts in the United States and developed recommendations for Pioneer Square development guidelines. Also of particular interest may be records relating to the Pioneer Square Intergovernmental Summit, which brought together government officials from the city, county, and state, along with property owners, residents, and human services organizations, to discuss issues facing the neighborhood. Other topics covered in the collection include social services and homelessness, Union Station redevelopment, park and tree maintenance, areaways (light wells), and appointments to the various boards overseeing the District.
SubjectsThis collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Finding aid prepared by Julie
Kerssen
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