information from SWSHS

The “We (Heart) The Junction” task force will hold its first Town Hall Meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, 2016, at the West Seattle Library, 2306 42nd Ave. S.W.

Anyone who values the historic charm of West Seattle’s primary business district is encouraged to take part. Attendees will learn about the recently completed Junction historical survey and find out what they can do to help preserve historically significant buildings in West Seattle’s primary business district.

Launched on March 5, the “We (Heart) The Junction” campaign is working to nominate the Campbell Building (built in 1918; home of today’s Cupcake Royale) and the Hamm Building (built in 1926; home of today’s Easy Street Records) for designation as city landmarks by the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board.

In just over a week, the effort has gained a strong following. As of March 14, dozens of people have signed their names to the group’s “Statement of Support,” 607 have joined the “We Love West Seattle” Facebook community, and the Southwest Seattle Historical Society has sold more than 240 “We The Junction” buttons.
“People really do love The Junction. That message has been coming through loud and clear since we started the campaign,” said Brad Chrisman, a lifelong West Seattle resident who co-chairs the task force along with Southwest Seattle Historical Society board members Peder Nelson and Crystal Dean.

Nelson, also a lifelong resident, notes that the campaign is getting support from people of all ages. “The Junction is changing, with a lot of new buildings and new people,” he said. “What hasn’t changed is that people are attracted to the Junction’s small-town charm and old-fashioned, neighborhood feel. We want to preserve that for future generations.”

A relative newcomer, Dean said she “immediately felt at home in the Junction” when she moved to West Seattle just two years ago. “That’s why I wanted to get involved in the campaign,” she said. “It’s a way to embrace the future while honoring the past.”

Newcomers and old-timers alike will find opportunities to get involved through the “We (Heart) The Junction” campaign. One of the goals of this Wednesday’s Town Hall is to find volunteers for a variety of activities, including button sales, public outreach, fundraising and historical research.

The landmark effort grew out of the comprehensive West Seattle Junction Historical Survey, whose results were released Wednesday, March 2, in a press conference at Husky Deli. The survey identified the Campbell Building and the Hamm Building at the top of the list of potentially eligible Seattle landmarks in The Junction.
Supported by a unanimous vote of its Board of Trustees, the historical society plans to nominate those two buildings this year. The task force is also evaluating several other buildings that were identified in the survey as potentially eligible for landmark status.

For more info, visit www.loghousemuseum.info or www.welovethejunction.org.