Old Woodinville School

Background

The Old Woodinville School sits on the City's Civic Campus and is located at 13203 NE 175th Street in downtown Woodinville. As the site of Woodinville's first public school, it is one of Woodinville's only historic buildings. In 1881, Woodinville's first school was established in the home of Ira and Susan Woodin. In 1892, the Calkins family donated the land on which the school is sited, with the stipulation that it be used for school purposes only. A two-room, wood frame school building was constructed on the site and served until 1908 when it was destroyed by fire. It was replaced by a brick masonry building. Built in 1909, the new two-story, four-room school is believed to have been the only brick schoolhouse in King County outside of Seattle.

As the community grew during the 1920s and 1930s, a larger grammar school became necessary. With the Great Depression underway, funding for a remodeled school was provided through the Works Progress Administration (WPA). A stipulation attached to the WPA funds required that it be used for remodeling or expansion of an existing structure. Thus, the old 1909 building was technically "enlarged" in 1936 with a building designed by Fred B. Stephen. A small portion of the original 1909 brick school was retained, although the majority of the old building was entirely integrated into the 1936 construction. A remnant of the original building remains visible at the east end of the south elevation.

Following the Second World War, more classroom space was needed. In 1948, the east wing was constructed, providing four additional classrooms. The design work was again undertaken by Fred B. Stephen. The 1948 addition essentially balanced the asymmetrical façade design of the 1936 building.

After serving as a primary school, the building later became the first Woodinville City Hall (1993 to 2001). The building, along with adjacent grounds, is designated as a City of Woodinville Landmark. The building sustained structural damage from the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake and is currently unoccupied.

UPDATES

Open House: Wednesday, October 14: Woodinville citizens and businesses are invited to provide comments and suggestions for possible use options for the Old Woodinville School House site at an Open House, on Wednesday, October 14, from 6:00-8:00 p.m., in the Carol Edwards Center , Evergreen Room, located at 17401 - 133rd Avenue NE , Woodinville. A model of the current building and information about similar historic rehabilitation projects from around the area will be on display at the meeting to help citizens visualize reuse opportunities. Design team members will be available to answer questions, and provide more information about the project. At 6:30 p.m., there will be a short presentation which will provide an overview of the project and additional information.

If you would like to be on an email list for future updates or emails regarding the Old Woodinville School House, please email Zach Schmitz at zachs@ci.woodinville.wa.us

On August 11, 2009 the City Council approved a contract to begin Phase 1. The consultants will complete a field survey and building assessment of the Old Woodinville School House. During this time, the City will be soliciting input from the public on possible reuses of the building. Once the building assessment is complete and the City has received public input, the City and consultants will develop 4-6 development options for the site. The options will be presented to the City Council for their review and selection of a preferred option.

In August, 2008, the City Council approved a multi-phase project to determine the status of the Old Woodinville School House. This includes four phases; Phase 1: Fact finding and development of options, Phase 2: Identify funding options, Phase 3: Secure funding, and Phase 4: Design and construction.

 

City Contact: Brian Meyer, Parks Dept., 425.877.2287, or Zach Schmitz, Executive Department, 425.877.2266

Page last modified: February 22, 2010!-- #EndDate -->