Type Local history Established 1998 | Website www.historyhouse.org Phone +1 206-675-8875 | |
Location 790 N. 34th St.
Seattle, Washington Address 790 N 34th St, Seattle, WA 98103, USA Similar Coast Guard Museum, DuPont Museum, Renton History Museum, Karshner Museum, Quinault Cultural Center an | ||
The ' Founded in 1998, the History House of Greater Seattle is a historical museum dedicated to the history and heritage of Seattle and its neighborhoods.
Contents
History House of Greater Seattle is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. It is supported by foundations, grants from the City of Seattle and King County, and tax-deductible donations from the public.
The History House is a member of the Association of King County Historical Organizations (AKCHO).
History House is currently closed as it plans to move to a new location in 2017 at 3400 Stone Way N. in the Fremont neighborhood.
History
The museum opened in September, 1998 and was founded by Suzie Burke, "The Land Baroness of Fremont," with the purpose to celebrate Seattle's neighborhoods. The stories and photographs of her mother, Florence Burke, were the centerpiece of the museum when it first opened.
Mission
The mission of the History House is "to seek out and empower individuals and groups to display the history, heritage and art of Greater Seattle's diverse neighborhoods."
The museum offers each unique Seattle neighborhood an opportunity to showcase its evolution from small towns into distinct community cultures, and how the neighborhoods contributed to the development of Seattle.
Exhibits
The History House gives "every neighborhood a place to tell their story." The museum spotlights one to two geographical regions of the city each year. Residents of those neighborhoods are encouraged to tell "YOUR story YOUR way" as a contribution to the exhibit.
Unlike traditional exhibits put together by curators, the History House lets residents define their neighborhood's history and evolution.
History House representatives are available to help guide community members through the process of telling that story. The museum also provides a participant's packet that includes ideas, information and possible resources to be used when creating their display.
May 2009 Exhibits
Exhibits include pictorial histories of the Fremont, Wallingford, Georgetown, Madison Park, Queen Anne and Ballard neighborhoods.
The museum is also featuring the histories of the Woodland Park Zoo, the Great Northern Railway, and the B. F. Day Elementary School.
A special exhibit, created in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, presents a step-by-step pictorial history of the construction of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard.
Past exhibits
34 Unique Museums of King County (2007): an exhibit designed to introduce visitors to 34 unique King County museums.
Late for the Interurban (2008): The History House organized a celebration of local legend J.P. Patches with the unveiling of a new statue honoring J.P and his girlfriend Gertrude in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. The bronze statue is called "Late for the Interurban" by sculptor Kevin Pettelle and features J.P. Patches (Chris Wedes) and Gertrude (Bob Newman). The statue is located in Solstice Plaza (N 34th Street just east of the Fremont Bridge).
Strength and Stamina: Women of the Seattle Fire Department (2009): "The story of the courage, hard work, and perseverance it took for women to enter the all-male world of firefighting in Seattle." There is a companion online exhibit on the Seattle Municipal Archives website.
Other Community Projects
Seattle High School Senior Project
All Washington state high school students are required complete a "Senior Project" as a requirement for graduation. The project generally involves creating and completing some sort of project - usually related to the community.
In 2001, the History House created a pilot program that involves researching, verifying and creating a display that reflects an aspect of the history of a Seattle neighborhood.
Students have completed projects that have shed light on the Native American experience, covered the settlement of neighborhoods by pioneers, economic and social development of neighborhoods and specific neighborhood contributions to the larger Seattle community.
Some projects have been put on permanent display in banks, fire houses, libraries and high schools.
Organizational structure
The Board of Directors currently has 23 members and is headed by museum founder Suzie Burke (as of 5/5/09). Board members are closely involved in the day-to-day operations of the museum. Members share responsibilities such as coordinating student field trips to the museum, concerts and other museum activities and events.