Ballard Avenue Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Ballard Avenue Historic District is a section of downtown Ballard
in Seattle, Washington, that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1976 (ID #76001885). The district consists of Ballard Avenue N.W. between N.W. Market Street and N.W. Dock Place, and is located near to and along Salmon Bay
. After initial work by the Ballard Avenue Association and the city of Seattle's Urban Conservation Division, former Seattle mayor Wes Uhlman signed the ordinances that led to the national recognition of the area. The neighborhood of Ballard is known for a large historic population and presence of immigrants from Sweden
, and King Gustaf
of Sweden read the proclamation inducting the district to the historical registry in 1976, and at the same time dedicated the new bell tower at Ballard's Marvin's Garden Park, which housed the original bell from Ballard's old city hall. The historic markers that can be seen on 26 of the buildings were created and erected by the Ballard Historical Society.
All the commercial buildings in the historic district face towards Ballard Avenue. Other locations in Ballard that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places include the old Ballard Carnegie Library
on N.W. Market Street, the Ballard Bridge
, Fire Station No. 18, the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
, and the Lake Washington Ship Canal
.
Ballard, Seattle, Washington
Ballard is a neighborhood located in the northwestern part of Seattle, Washington. To the north it is bounded by Crown Hill, ; to the east by Greenwood, Phinney Ridge and Fremont ; to the south by the Lake Washington Ship Canal; and to the west by Puget Sound’s Shilshole Bay. The neighborhood’s...
in Seattle, Washington, that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1976 (ID #76001885). The district consists of Ballard Avenue N.W. between N.W. Market Street and N.W. Dock Place, and is located near to and along Salmon Bay
Salmon Bay
Salmon Bay is that part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal--which passes through the city of Seattle, linking Lake Washington to Puget Sound--that lies west of the Fremont Cut. It is the westernmost section of the canal, and empties into Shilshole Bay, which is part of Puget Sound. Because of the...
. After initial work by the Ballard Avenue Association and the city of Seattle's Urban Conservation Division, former Seattle mayor Wes Uhlman signed the ordinances that led to the national recognition of the area. The neighborhood of Ballard is known for a large historic population and presence of immigrants from Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and King Gustaf
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him...
of Sweden read the proclamation inducting the district to the historical registry in 1976, and at the same time dedicated the new bell tower at Ballard's Marvin's Garden Park, which housed the original bell from Ballard's old city hall. The historic markers that can be seen on 26 of the buildings were created and erected by the Ballard Historical Society.
All the commercial buildings in the historic district face towards Ballard Avenue. Other locations in Ballard that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places include the old Ballard Carnegie Library
Ballard Carnegie Library
The Ballard Carnegie Library, also known until 1963 as the Seattle Public Library – Ballard Branch, is a historic library in the Ballard neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. The library was predated by a freeholders' library in the 1860s, which eventually gave way to a reading room that was...
on N.W. Market Street, the Ballard Bridge
Ballard Bridge
The Ballard Bridge, also known as the 15th Avenue Bridge, is a double-leaf bascule bridge in Seattle, Washington, United States. It carries 15th Avenue NW over Seattle's Salmon Bay between Ballard and Interbay. Built in 1917, it has an opening span of and a total length of . It was added to the...
, Fire Station No. 18, the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks are a complex of locks that sit at the west end of Salmon Bay, part of Seattle's Lake Washington Ship Canal. They are known locally as the Ballard Locks after the neighborhood to their north...
, and the Lake Washington Ship Canal
Lake Washington Ship Canal
The Lake Washington Ship Canal, which runs through the City of Seattle, Washington, connects the fresh water body of Lake Washington with the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound. The Ship Canal includes a series of locks, modeled after the Panama Canal, to accommodate the different water levels...
.
External links
- "Nordic Knits And Lutefisk In Seattle"
- "One day in Seattle: How to see the top spots"
- "Fight looms over replacing Ballard's old Sunset Hotel"
- "Ballard hopes its old spirit can endure condo onslaught"
- Ballard Avenue Historic District--Seattle, Washington: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary
- Seattle.gov, Ballard Avenue Landmark District
- Historylink.org Ballard tour