‘There are generations of residents with fond memories of the building’

As the demolition crews hammered away at the old East Seattle School on a recent day, one man drove by to snap some photos. Two men sat in the parking lot near the entrance to witness parts of the buildings crumble to the ground.

A piece of the past was leaving Mercer Island as dirt from the demo site wafted in the air and then blew away in the breeze.

Built in 1914, school was in session on the site — 2825 West Mercer Way — until the mid-1970s, when the building became the home of the Boys & Girls Club.

Last Oct. 28, the city issued a demolition permit for the school with its decision informed by an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Completed by EA Engineering, Science and Technology, the EIS’s architectural assessment report notes that, “for the most part the buildings have reached the end of their architectural lifespan without extensive, and costly rehabilitation.”

“Watching the demolition of East Seattle School is a sad reminder of the fragility of our Island history,” said Terry Moreman, co-president of the Mercer Island Historical Society. “There are generations of residents with fond memories of the building. For one generation, it was the first school they attended; it was the gym where the next generation played Boys & Girls Club basketball; it was where preschoolers went to Rainy Day Gym; and it was the polling place where many generations of Islanders voted and chatted with loyal poll workers they saw every Election Day.”

The school was a landmark and the Island’s oldest public building, according to the historical society. “In time, there will be a historical marker on the site, but for now, we should treasure our memories,” Moreman said.

Demolition began on Nov. 19 — indoors first and then the structures — on the approximately 2.87-acre site and is expected to be finished sometime in January, said Bill Vandewater, the city’s utilities and site improvement inspector. According to the city website, the property will be subdivided into 14 residential lots.

The Reporter reached out to owner Michael O’Brien of OB Mercer Island Properties, LLC for a comment but hadn’t received a response at post time. Michael and Billie Jo O’Brien, auto group owners, purchased the site in 2007 for $6 million and had planned to convert it into ball fields, according to Reporter archives, which added that they spoke about holding on to the land for 10 years. They submitted a demolition permit for the school in 2017, reads a Reporter article.

“Issuance of the demolition permit was the final step in an 18-month review process, and as the applicant had completed the required process and met the code requirements, the city issued the permit. As a part of the permit requirements, the property owner must salvage materials and document the historic significance of the East Seattle School,” said Alison Van Gorp, the city’s deputy director of Community Planning and Development.

The East Seattle School had four classrooms and a play space. The main entrance to the school, built in 1914, was originally on the west side, as shown above. Photo courtesy of the Museum of History and Industry

FOND MEMORIES

Owen Blauman attended classes at East Seattle School from kindergarten through third grade, his mom went to school there and his grandmother whipped up meals in the school cafeteria.

He has loads of fond memories of being in the building and on the playground at what he calls the nucleus for the East Seattle neighborhood. He remembers kids gathering at the playground to participate in basketball, softball, skateboarding and more.

“It’s sad to see and it’s unfortunate that it had to be razed,” he said of the demolition. “There was a great group that came together and just was too little too late. It’s too bad that there wasn’t support from the city to save a portion of it. The architecture on that building was unbelievable. It’s just part of Mercer Island heritage. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Period. You’ve got pictures and that’s it.”

Blauman said the teachers were stellar and the days of his youth were indelible.

“There’s people I bump into that were in kindergarten with me that I still see from the Island, and we talk about the good old days,” he said.

An East Seattle School student for grades 1-5, Cynthia Flash Hemphill enjoyed the intimacy of the public school.

“I can still name nearly all of the classmates I had and many of us are still in touch via Facebook. We also all knew each other’s parents. It was just a very special place,” she said.

She imagines what her father, the former co-president of the historical society, would think about the school being suffocated under the weight of the demolition machines.

“My father, Phil Flash, tried hard to save it years ago. He has since passed away and was probably rolling over in his grave today as the wrecking crew did their thing,” she said.

Steve Demmert’s father, Embert, took his first teaching job at the school when the family moved down from Alaska in 1961. Steve, a Mercer Island High School graduate in 1975, didn’t attend East Seattle School, but remembers taking his kids to various activities at the Boys & Girls Club.

On the school demolition, the Camano Island resident noted: “It’s a natural progression. It’s over 100 years old. It’s kind of amazing that it’s been there that long. The whole Island’s changed so much.”

The city noted in October that conditions of approval have been added to the demolition permit, requiring the applicant to take measures to mitigate the impact of the demolition on historic resources, as well as other standard measures such as protecting trees, installing erosion and sediment control and more. The final EIS adds that areas outside of the demolition area onsite would be maintained as is under existing conditions, including retention of trees, lawn and landscaped areas.

“Following a multi-year permit review process, the city looks forward to working with neighbors and the applicant to ensure a well-regulated redevelopment process,” City Manager Jessi Bon said in October.