A Stage with a Legendary Guest List
Step into a room with a guest list few Seattle venues can match. Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois both gave talks here, and the upstairs stage has hosted musicians including:
- Duke Ellington
- Billie Holiday
- Jimi Hendrix
The hall also served as the first home of On the Boards, a presenter of contemporary performance that later moved to Lower Queen Anne.
The Sons of Haiti Years
A new chapter opened in 1973, when the Sons of Haiti, an African-American Masonic group, bought the hall. They kept the first-floor rooms for their own organization and rented the second floor out as a performance venue, carrying out a number of repairs along the way. By 2007, though, the building had fallen into poor shape and its future looked uncertain.
How Historic Seattle Brought It Back
Historic Seattle stepped in and purchased Washington Hall in 2009, planning the restoration in four phases. The first phase wrapped up in 2010, the same year a $90,000 grant was secured toward the renovation. Among the main architectural and construction contributors were Ron Wright and Associates/Architects PS, Coughlin Porter Lundgren and Lydig Construction.
With all four phases complete, the building reopened to the public in May 2016. Recognition arrived along the way, as Washington Hall joined the National Register of Historic Places in December 2010, and it is designated Seattle city landmark number 325 under ordinance 123346.
What to Look For Outside
Take a moment on the sidewalk to admire the building's three stories, built on a double wood frame and wrapped in a brick veneer. Mission Revival touches mix with a plainer commercial style, a combination that makes the hall easy to spot along 14th Avenue. If old buildings are your thing, browse more protected sites around the city in our guide to all Seattle landmarks.
Catch an Event and Plan Your Visit
Washington Hall now operates as a space for events and performances, so the best way to see inside is to grab a ticket and attend something there. Programming changes, so check the hall's official website for the current calendar, ticketing and access details before you head over.
You will find the hall at 153 14th Ave, in the Minor area of the Central Area district. To get to know the surrounding streets, explore our Minor neighborhood guide.
Stroll Around the Corner
Several other landmarks and green spaces sit within a short walk, so it is easy to pair a show with a stroll:
- Squire Park community garden, less than 0.1 mile away
- Victorian House, a city landmark about 0.1 mile away
- Seattle Buddhist Church, another landmark about 0.2 mile away
- Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center, a landmark about 0.2 mile away
- Horiuchi Park and the Hinoki community garden, each about 0.2 mile away
- Yesler Playfield, about 0.3 mile away
Keep in mind that these distances are straight-line, so your actual walking route may run a bit longer.
