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The Highlands (Seattle)

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The Highlands is a gated community in Shoreline, Washington, United States, 12 miles (19 km) north of Downtown Seattle. The community borders the Seattle neighborrhod of Broadview at northern edge of the Seattle city limits.

Contents

Map of The Highlands, Shoreline, WA 98177, USA

The neighborhood has been the home to the Boeing, Nordstrom, Pigott and Stimson families. Access to the community is through a security gate which is west of North 145th Street and Greenwood Avenue North, an entrance the neighborhood shares with the Seattle Golf Club.

History

Originally developed in 1907 by the Olmsted Brothers, The Highlands sits 450 feet (140 m) above Puget Sound. Prior to the homes being built, tracts in the development were distributed during a draw from a hat. Originally the neighborhood consisted of 50 tracts, currently there are 112 lots and 66 acres (27 ha) set aside for reservation or park property. Businessman Horace Chapin Henry was an original tract owner and donated the Florence Henry Memorial Chapel, which was built in 1911 and is now a part of St. Dunstan's Church of the Highlands Parish, Shoreline, Washington.

The Highlands was once an unincorporated suburb of Seattle and has always operated much like an independent city. In 1995 it became a part of the city of Shoreline. The Highlands boasts its own sewage system and roads which are property of the home owners association. The neighborhood has its own water source, street maintenance, and grounds keepers, making it almost completely independent of all third party utilities.

Highlands residents have hosted numerous dignitaries, including President John F. Kennedy, who was a guest at the home of Theilene Pigott McCone and her husband John McCone, then Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. In 1994, the wedding reception for Bill Gates and his wife Melinda was held in the ballroom of the former Pigott McCone estate, a private home in the community.

Membership

Purchasing a home in The Highlands requires potential residents to submit an application to the Highlands Board, usually provided by the listing real estate agent. As of 2007, the board requires two sponsors; one of the sponsors is usually the seller of the home and the second is another current resident with whom the purchaser has been previously acquainted. If the potential resident of the home does not know a second member, the seller of the home often arranges a cocktail reception with the neighbors to acquaint the potential resident with current members who become the second sponsor. The Highlands HOA requires all major construction or renovation to be approved by the Buildings and Sites Committee of the Board.

Addresses

Until recently, for security reasons, homes in The Highlands did not have physical street addresses. Instead, all mail was addressed to the name of the resident with the rest of the address written as "The Highlands, Seattle, WA 98177". Following the incorporation of the city of Shoreline, Washington, in 1995, Highlands addresses were changed from Seattle to Shoreline.

Notable residents, past and present

  • William Boeing, founder of The Boeing Company; his house in the community is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
  • Malcolm T. Stamper, former president of The Boeing Company
  • John McCone, former Director of the CIA, Chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Deputy to the Secretary of Defense and Under-Secretary of the Air force.
  • Carl Sagan, famed astronomer, rented a home in the community while receiving cancer treatment prior to his death in 1996
  • William McPherson Allen, former CEO of The Boeing Company
  • John McCaw, Jr., former owner of McCaw Cellular
  • Craig McCaw, founder of Clearwire
  • Nick Hanauer, CEO of the Pacific Coast Feather Company and a venture capitalist
  • Virginia and Bagley Wright, daughter and son-in-law of Prentice Bloedel
  • Mike McGavick, former CEO of Safeco Insurance
  • Kerry Killinger, former CEO of Washington Mutual Bank
  • John Fluke Sr., founder of the Fluke Corporation
  • Dorothy Bullitt, a founder of King Broadcasting Company and daughter of lumber and real estate magnate C. D. Stimson
  • Chris Larson, a retired Microsoft executive
  • Frederick Ayer II, grandson of American Woolen Company founder Frederick Ayer
  • Paul and Theilene Pigott, former president of Pacific Car and Foundry (PACCAR) and son of its founder, along with his wife who remarried as Theilene Pigott McCone after his death.
  • References

    The Highlands (Seattle) Wikipedia