Pioneer Hall turns 100

Madison Park’s oldest waterfront structure, Washington Pioneer Hall (1642 43rd Avenue E.), will be celebrating its Centennial tomorrow. Home of the Pioneer Association of the State of Washington, the building was opened in 1910 and may be the longest surviving commercial structure located in the neighborhood. It was built on land donated in 1902 by Madison Park founder, Judge John J. McGilvra, whose family home, Laurel Shade, was located to the south of the site (in what is now known as the Reed Estate). Loretta Denny of the famous Seattle pioneer family (Denny-Blaine, Denny Regrade, Denny Way, Denny Hall) bequeathed $20,000 for the construction of the building, which was dedicated on June 7, 1910.

The Hall is reputedly the only remaining structure in Madison Park that sat directly next to Lake Washington before the Lake was lowered in 1916 as the result of the building of the Ship Canal. When the Lake decreased in elevation by 8.8 feet that year, the building suddenly found itself sitting on a beach lot rather than waterside. This is the scene in the early 1900s (apparently post Lake lowering):

And this is what the back of the site looks like today:

Local historian Junius Rochester, who lives in Madrona, has a nice overview of the Pioneer Association on HistoryLink.org. The bylaws of the Association make membership available to “lineal descendants of Pioneers who were residents of Washington Territory prior to statehood.” I’m sure we all remember that statehood occurred in 1889 (November 11, to be exact). I am told that there are approximately 900 members of the Association at the present time.

Pioneer Hall primarily serves as a museum of the history of Washington Territory and early Washington State, with exhibits of paintings, photos, clothing, furniture, and other memorabilia of pioneer families on display. There are also books, recordings and biographical material housed there; and since 1992, the Fiske Genealogical Library has been located in the basement of the Hall. In 1970, Pioneer Hall was entered into the National Register of Historic Places, a fact memorialized by the bronze plaque on the front of the building.

The Hall is open to the public on the second Sunday of each month, from 1 until 4 p.m. The Pioneer Association will be celebrating the building’s Centennial on Saturday, June 19 with a Salmon Bake at Madison Park. Information is available from PioneerPicnic@aol.com or from Jeff Christensen (206-390-6810). Technically, the deadline for reservations (at $24 per person) was on Friday; but perhaps if you want to attend they will still let you in if you blame your recalcitrance on the Madison Park Blogger for failing to notify you in time.

[Historic photo courtesy of the University of Washington Libraries.]

Tile artists arrive for big show Saturday

Pioneer Hall was packed with art enthusiasts this evening as Artisan Tile Northwest hosted a reception featuring the artists who will be participating in tomorrow's Northwest Handmade Tile Festival.

The show begins at Pioneer Hall at 10 am and continues through 5 pm.

Madison Park's own Barbara Clark (Agapanther Tiles) will be displaying her hand-carved nature tiles, examples of which are shown here. She and the twenty or more other participating tile makers demonstrate a wide range of styles and techniques in their work. Nature, however, is definitely a common theme of many of these Northwest artists. If you like what you see at the Festival, you can bring it home with you. Everything is for sale.

The intimacy of the Park draws tile artisans back to Pioneer Hall

They could have gone anywhere. They'd held their past shows in different locations every year, and they'd already done Madison Park. The plan this year was to move the event to a bigger venue; but when the tile artists came to make a decision, Madison Park won out as the place they'd most like to have host their Fourth Annual Northwest Handmade Tile Festival. Hoping to repeat their success here last year at Pioneer Hall, the tile artisans will be back in the Park next weekend, hot on the heels of MadArt's conclusion this Sunday.

The Festival will run one day, Saturday, October 10, in Pioneer Hall (1642 43rd Avenue E.). Over 25 tile makers, all members of Artisan Tile Northwest (ATN), will be showing their works in two separate shows. One will be a curated show in which each participating artist will submit a work on the theme "Submerged." There will also be a display show, where the tile makers will set up tables and sell their art.

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According to tile artist Marie Root, "we decided to come back to Madison Park because we so enjoyed it last year. There's a certain intimacy there." She says the artists liked the Pioneer Hall venue, appreciated the support of the community, and enjoyed the people in the Park. She noted that there was a high volume of foot traffic last year, and the organizers are hoping for a similar level of interest this time around.

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ATN is a non-profit artist collective consisting of tile artisans from throughout the Pacific Northwest. The group is "dedicated to the creation, promotion and preservation of the art and craft of handmade tile." The annual festival is designed not only to help the artists sell their work but also to raise awareness by the public that handcrafted custom tile work in a wide range of styles is available from artists based right here in the region.

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The Saturday show will begin at 10 am and end at 5 pm. Admission is free. There will also be an artists' preview reception held at Pioneer Hall the previous evening, October 9th, from 5 until 8 pm.

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For information on ATN's artists, visit ArtisanTileNW.org. Not all ATN members will be participating in the Festival, but all of the artists whose works are shown here definitely will be. Madison Park's own Barbara Clark (Agapanther Tiles) will be showing her tiles as well.

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[Upper photo: hand painted tile, Moons, by Bob & Iris Jewett, Wilburton Pottery; Middle photo: nature print tile by Claudia Riedener, Ixia Tiles Tacoma; Lower photo: nature tile by Bellevue Artist Sallie Herling. Photo below: border tiles by Maria Root, Primitiva Pottery & Tile.]

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Revolutionary Battle scene in Madison Park?

It was a grand idea, and if carried to fruition would have created quite a spectacle in the Park this Saturday: a large-scale battle re-enactment as part of American History Day. The will was there; but, alas, the money was not. So instead of watching a staged battle scene in the Park this weekend, event goers will be treated to a “living history encampment.” Not quite the same as soldiers skirmishing, but fun for history buffs nonetheless.

Organizers, including the United Daughters of the Confederacy’s local chapter, promise there will be knowledgeable re-enactors in period uniforms from both the Civil and Revolutionary Wars, colorful displays, and lively demonstrations. It’s all timed to coincide with the Alaska Yukon Exposition Centennial celebrations currently underway in Seattle. American History Day participants will include the 2nd Connecticut Colonial Reenactors, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Philippine Scouts of 1899, the Washington State Sons of the American Revolution, and the Snoqualmie Nation.

While some of the re-enactments will occur in the Park, much of the day’s activity will be across the street at Pioneer Hall (1644 43rd Avenue E.). The Hall will be open from 9am until 6pm, and the public is definitely invited (a “small donation” is requested).
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[Photo: 5th Connecticut Regiment reenactors shown in 2006 Battle of Yorktown reenactment by Jeanette Dussell.]