Historic Preservation & Landmarks in Seattle#

Seattle’s historic preservation program protects over 450 individually designated landmarks and eight historic districts. The program is administered by the Department of Neighborhoods through the Landmarks Preservation Board, an 11-member body established in 1973. Preservation policy in Seattle involves balancing the protection of architecturally and culturally significant buildings with the city’s need to build housing and accommodate growth. (Seattle DON: Historic Preservation)

How landmark designation works#

Designation criteria#

To be designated as a Seattle city landmark, a building, object, or site must be at least 25 years old and meet at least one of six criteria defined in the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance (SMC 25.12.350):

  1. Associated with a historic event significant to the community, city, state, or nation
  2. Associated with the life of a historically important person
  3. Associated with a significant aspect of cultural, political, or economic heritage
  4. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural style, period, or construction method
  5. Is an outstanding work of a designer or builder
  6. Is an easily identifiable visual feature of its neighborhood due to prominence, siting, age, or scale

The designation process#

Any person can nominate a building for landmark status by submitting an application to the Landmarks Preservation Board. The Board reviews nominations at public meetings and votes on whether the property meets the designation criteria. If approved, staff negotiate a Controls and Incentives Agreement with the property owner that specifies which features are protected and what incentives apply. The agreement and a designating ordinance then go to the Seattle City Council for final approval. (Seattle DON: City Landmarks)

Certificate of Approval#

A Certificate of Approval is required before any changes can be made to a designated city landmark or to the exterior of any building within one of Seattle’s eight historic districts. The process involves application submission, staff review (28 days), Board or district review committee hearing (within 30 days), and a decision (within 45 days). (Seattle DON: Certificate of Approval)

Landmarks Preservation Board composition#

The Board’s 11 members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. By ordinance (SMC 25.12.270), the Board must include two architects, two historians, one member of the City Planning Commission, one structural engineer, and one member each representing finance and real estate management.

Seattle’s eight historic districts#

Since 1970, Seattle has established eight historic districts, each with its own review board or committee and design guidelines. (Seattle DON: Historic Districts)

Pioneer Square Preservation District (1970)#

Seattle’s first preservation district, covering approximately 88 acres of the city’s original downtown. The neighborhood was rebuilt after the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 and contains one of the nation’s largest collections of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. By the 1960s, city plans called for a ring road that would have demolished many of these buildings. Architects Ralph Anderson and Victor Steinbrueck led efforts to document and protect the district. In 1970, the City Council designated it as a preservation district and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The boundaries were expanded in 1978 and 1987. (Seattle DON: Pioneer Square | HistoryLink)

Pike Place Market Historical District (1971)#

In 1971, Seattle voters approved an initiative creating the Pike Place Market Historical District, blocking a city urban renewal plan that would have demolished much of the market. Victor Steinbrueck was a leading advocate for preservation. The district protects the market’s historic structures, uses, and character, with review of both exterior and interior changes by a 12-member Historical Commission. (Seattle DON: Pike Place Market | HistoryLink)

International Special Review District (1973)#

The historic center of Seattle’s Asian and Pacific Islander community, with many buildings dating from the early 1900s. The district was established to protect the neighborhood’s cultural and architectural character during a period of pressure from stadiums and highway construction. A seven-member board (five elected, two appointed) reviews changes in the district. (Seattle DON: International Special Review District | HistoryLink)

Ballard Avenue Landmark District (1976)#

A two-block commercial corridor in the former independent city of Ballard, designated to preserve its turn-of-the-century commercial architecture. Ballard was annexed by Seattle in 1907. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. (Seattle DON: Ballard Avenue | HistoryLink)

Columbia City Landmark District (1978)#

The historic commercial core of Columbia City, another former independent city annexed by Seattle in 1907. The district was designated in 1978 and added to the National Register in 1980. It is one of the most racially diverse neighborhoods in Seattle. (Seattle DON: Columbia City | HistoryLink)

Harvard-Belmont Landmark District (1980)#

A residential district on Capitol Hill containing early 20th-century homes, including some of Seattle’s most architecturally significant residential buildings. Designated in 1980. (Seattle DON: Harvard-Belmont | HistoryLink: Capitol Hill)

Fort Lawton Landmark District (1988)#

The best-preserved collection of early buildings from Fort Lawton, a U.S. Army post established in 1900 in Magnolia. The fort was largely decommissioned in the 1970s and much of the land became Discovery Park. Designated in 1988. (Seattle DON: Fort Lawton | HistoryLink)

Sand Point Naval Air Station Landmark District (2011)#

Seattle’s newest historic district, covering the former Naval Air Station at Sand Point (now Magnuson Park). The station operated from 1920 to 1970 and contains mid-century military buildings. Listed on the National Register in 2010 and designated as a Seattle landmark district in 2011. (Seattle DON: Sand Point)

History#

1966: National Historic Preservation Act#

The federal National Historic Preservation Act established the National Register of Historic Places and created the framework for state and local preservation programs. It spurred preservation consciousness nationwide, including in Seattle. (NPS: National Historic Preservation Act)

1970-1971: Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market saved#

Citizen campaigns led by Victor Steinbrueck, Ralph Anderson, Bill Speidel, and others blocked demolition plans for Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market. The City Council designated Pioneer Square as Seattle’s first preservation district in 1970. Voters approved the Pike Place Market initiative in 1971. These were among the first National Register districts in the country. (Seattle DON: Pioneer Square | HistoryLink: Pike Place Market)

1973: Landmarks Preservation Ordinance#

The Seattle City Council adopted the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance (SMC 25.12), establishing the Landmarks Preservation Board and a formal process for designating individual landmarks and historic districts.

1975: Office of Urban Conservation#

The city created the Office of Urban Conservation within the Department of Community Development to coordinate historic preservation programs. When DCD was abolished in 1992, the program moved to the Department of Neighborhoods, where it remains. (Seattle DON: Historic Preservation)

1976-2011: Six more districts designated#

Between 1976 and 2011, Seattle established six additional historic districts: Ballard Avenue (1976), Columbia City (1978), Harvard-Belmont (1980), Fort Lawton (1988), and Sand Point (2011). The International Special Review District was established in 1973. (Seattle DON: Historic Districts)

In response to concerns that landmark nominations were being used to block housing projects, the Washington Legislature passed Substitute House Bill 1576 with near-unanimous votes (95-0 in the House, 47-2 in the Senate). Governor Ferguson signed the bill on May 12, 2025. The law prohibits cities from designating a property as a landmark without the owner’s written consent if the property is less than 125 years old and the designation would restrict its use. Properties within existing designated historic districts are exempt. Cities must adopt complying regulations by July 26, 2026. (The Urbanist: Legislature Wants to Rein In Historic Landmarking | SHB 1576 Final Bill Report)

Preservation and housing density#

Historic preservation and housing production are among the most contested intersections in Seattle land use policy. The tension centers on whether landmark designations can effectively block new housing construction, particularly the missing middle housing legalized by state law HB 1110.

Before SHB 1576, Seattle was one of roughly a quarter of Washington cities where anyone could nominate a building for landmark status without the property owner’s consent. Housing advocates argued this created a tool for predatory delay: even if a nomination ultimately failed, the uncertainty and timeline of the landmark review process could deter builders. The Sightline Institute documented cases where the risk of landmarking alone was enough to cause small-scale housing developers to abandon projects. (Sightline Institute: When Historic Preservation Clashes with Housing Affordability)

A high-profile example involved a fully permitted 49-unit affordable housing project in the Central District where a neighbor initiated a landmark nomination after seeing the construction sign, stalling the project for years despite completed design review and a master use permit. (The Urbanist: Legislature Wants to Rein In Historic Landmarking)

Preservation advocates’ perspective#

Preservation organizations, including the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, opposed SHB 1576, arguing that fewer than 0.5% of parcels in Seattle are designated landmarks (individually or within a historic district), and that the law removes communities’ ability to protect resources significant to their history. Advocates also point out that preservation can serve anti-displacement goals: maintaining existing affordable buildings and neighborhood character rather than demolishing and rebuilding. (Washington Trust: SHB 1576 Updates)

Ongoing tension#

The 2025 citywide rezoning under the One Seattle Plan expanded housing capacity across Seattle, doubling theoretical zoning capacity from roughly 165,000 to 330,000 units. As density increases, the question of which buildings merit permanent protection and which should be available for redevelopment will continue to shape neighborhood change. (The Urbanist: Seattle Just Rezoned Entire City)

Preservation incentives#

Seattle offers several financial and regulatory incentives to encourage landmark preservation. (Seattle DON: Preservation Incentives)

Transfer of Development Rights (TDR)#

Owners of designated landmarks can sell their unused development rights to developers building in downtown and other receiving zones. This generates revenue for preservation while allowing density elsewhere. Seattle launched its TDR program in 1985. A portion of bonus floor area in downtown projects must be obtained through Landmark TDR if any are available in the city’s TDR Bank. (Seattle DON: Preservation Incentives)

Special Tax Valuation#

Under RCW 84.26, owners of designated landmarks or contributing buildings in National Register or local historic districts can subtract approved rehabilitation costs from their assessed property value for up to 10 years. The rehabilitation must equal at least 25% of the assessed improvement value. (Seattle DON: Preservation Incentives)

Federal Historic Tax Credit#

A 20% income tax credit on rehabilitation costs for buildings listed on the National Register, available for commercial, industrial, or rental residential uses. This can be combined with the state Special Tax Valuation. (NPS: Historic Preservation Tax Incentives)

Building and zoning code relief#

The Director of SDCI can modify building code requirements for landmark buildings and authorize uses not otherwise permitted in a zone to encourage preservation and adaptive reuse of historic structures. (Seattle DON: Preservation Incentives)

4Culture Landmarks Capital Grants#

4Culture, the cultural funding agency for King County, offers competitive annual grants for preservation projects on designated Seattle or King County landmarks, National Register properties, and contributors to National Register districts. (4Culture: Preservation)

Advocacy organizations#

  • Historic Seattle: Founded in 1974 as both a nonprofit and public development authority, Historic Seattle has helped protect and preserve 45 buildings. They offer educational programs, advocate for preservation policy, and accept preservation easements on historic properties.
  • Washington Trust for Historic Preservation: Statewide nonprofit founded in 1976 that advocates for preservation legislation, publishes an annual list of most endangered properties, and provides technical assistance.
  • 4Culture: King County’s cultural funding agency, provides Landmarks Capital Grants, preservation planning support, and the Equity in Historic Preservation internship program.
  • Historic South Downtown: Community organization focused on preservation and community development in Pioneer Square and the Chinatown-International District.

Data sources#

The Department of Neighborhoods maintains a searchable database of designated landmarks and surveyed historic properties.

Access: Seattle Historical Sites Search

Historic and Special Review Districts (GIS)#

Spatial data showing the boundaries of Seattle’s eight historic districts and special review districts, available for download or interactive viewing.

Access: Seattle GeoData

WISAARD (Statewide)#

The Washington Information System for Architectural and Archaeological Records Data is DAHP’s statewide database of historic properties, including those on the National Register, Washington Heritage Register, and Heritage Barn Register. Public access available without an account.

Access: WISAARD | DAHP: Find a Historic Place

Key statistics#

MetricValue
Individually designated city landmarks450+
Historic districts8
National Register properties in Seattle~225
Landmarks Preservation Board members11
Year Landmarks Preservation Ordinance adopted1973
Oldest district (Pioneer Square)1970, ~88 acres
Newest district (Sand Point)2011
Minimum age for landmark nomination25 years
Minimum age for designation without owner consent (SHB 1576)125 years

Sources: Seattle DON: Historic Preservation | Seattle DON: City Landmarks | SHB 1576 Final Bill Report

Last updated: February 2026