Historic Church to Make Way for High-Rise

SEATTLE, WA-It seems church matters are receiving a lot of press these days and in Seattle the hubbub bubbling up around Seattle First United Methodist Church–a long-standing resident in the heart of Downtown Seattle. Stirring historical controversy are plans to level a 94-year-old house of worship, rare rotunda sanctuary and all, to make way for 590,000 sf of commercial and office space.

Walt Crowley, executive editor of HistoryLink.org, tells GlobeSt.com demolition of the church will be a loss to Seattle, both historically and architecturally. “The congregation is historically significant because it is a direct descendant of Seattle’s first Christian church established in 1853 by David and Catharine Blaine,” says Crowley. As for the architecture, he says the church is the work of Schlack and Huntington, two of Seattle’s most influential turn-of-the century architects.

“It is a landmark by any measure,” says Crowley—and one the City of Seattle wanted desperately to see preserved. “In 1984,” Crowley reminisces, “the city tried to have the church declared a landmark, but the church resisted, saying the government was interfering with its freedom of religion.” Crowley says the case was appealed all the way to the state Supreme Court, where by five-to-four the justices ruled in favor of the church.”