The National Park Service has announced that the Wallingford-Meridian Streetcar Historic District is officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Congratulations Wallingford!
The designation will be a catalyst for community pride and engagement, and we look forward to celebrating Wallingford in 2023.
Historic Wallingford wishes to thank consultant Northwest Vernacular, our many volunteers who contributed more than 2,000 hours doing street review and research, and our supporters who made this nomination possible.
Since February 2021, Historic Wallingford has been the target of a disinformation campaign about our neighborhood’s effort to nominate a portion of northeast Wallingford to the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district.
We again wish toclarify our position and make sure you have good information in case you have questions.
Receiving an honorary historic designation, like the National Register designation this effort is seeking, comes with no restrictions on city land use policies or on a private property owner regarding development, use, maintenance, or alterations. The Washington Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation’s website explains this. We hosted two public meetings in 2021 to discuss this and field questions.
The purpose of the effort is to document the history and architecture of Wallingford, and that includes any negative parts of that history, such as policies that were exclusionary and which continue to impact the community to this day. It includes uncovering stories of past Wallingfordians, including women, immigrants, and working-class residents. Too often they and their contributions have not traditionally been recognized. Ultimately, we hope this historic district designation results in a richer, more inclusive story of our neighborhood and an appreciation for its historic architecture. We particularly welcome any stories you can tell us that you know about Wallingford.
You can read more about the nomination effort here. And if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@historicwallingford.org.
Historic Wallingford is pleased to report that the Washington Advisory Council on Historic Preservation has voted in unanimous support of the National Register nomination for the Wallingford-Meridian Streetcar Historic District. The nomination soon will be forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register for consideration. We hope to learn of a possible final designation by the end of the year or early next year.
Historic Wallingford is grateful to the many volunteers and supporters who made this nomination possible. Thank you!
Historic Wallingford’s nomination of the Wallingford-Meridian Streetcar Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places is scheduled for a public hearing of the Washington State Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Washington State Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP).
The all-virtual hearing will be held on Friday, October 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. via Zoom, with no in-person gathering. The Council’s webpage includes a hearing agenda and Zoom information for those who wish to attend.
Please note that the hearing has been pushed to begin at 9:30 a.m.
The public hearing will take place in Olympia and online from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday, October 14. A hearing agenda will soon be posted to the Council’s webpage and will include information on the meeting location and instructions for those who wish to attend virtually.
