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West Seattle, A Good Investment

June 13th, 2007 @ 2:15 am by Cliffe | Sorted Vintage Adsborder
Today’s item is from a 1902 edition of the weekly Seattle Mail And Herald. This vintage ad proclaims West Seattle to be a good investment complete with graded streets, good water piped in, and grand views. And look at those lot prices. $150 to $400 — not too bad! Anyone have any intel on whatever happened to the public school house and flour mill? Couldn’t quite fit the newsprint on the scanner, don’t hold it against me. Click on the image for a larger view:
west_seattle_property.jpg
West Seattle Property Is A Good Investment. The Seattle Mail And Herald, 1902.

7 Responses:

  1. Todd wrote:

    To answer one of your questions, I think the school was named “West Seattle School” and was on the site where Lafayette Elementary is now (California Ave). According to MOHAI, it was used as a school for all grades in the late 1890’s/early 20th century until a high school was built basically across the street where it still stands today. The high school has been added on to etc.. West Seattle School was renamed The Lafayette School, which I think is Lafayette Elementary now. It looks extremely different as it was rebuilt after an earthquake or something damaged it. It looks like a 50’s brick rambler now.

  2. Mark wrote:

    The $150 - $400 isn’t a monthly mortgage. It’s a full purchase price. REALLY not too bad!

  3. Cliffe wrote:

    Hmm, now that I loook at it, this must just be for the lot. So, that price makes sense.

    I’ll correct the post.

  4. Eric wrote:

    Indeed it is the old West Seattle School. There is a good history and a picture (from a different angle, but clearly the same tower) at the Seattle Public Schools archive
    http://www.seattleschools.org/area/historybook/lafayette.pdf

  5. Todd wrote:

    Thanks Eric. Are you Eric from the WSB? Cheers.

  6. Cliffe wrote:

    Nice, Todd and Eric. Thanks for the information — very interesting.

    Cliffe

  7. Elizabeth wrote:

    Could that be the old Fisher Flour Mill on the west side of Harbor Island ?
    Also, Railroad Avenue is the old name of Alaskan Way, north of Spokane Street (used to be a high trestle there, I believe).

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