Site Report 3
An image of campus near Schmitz Hall from Seattle and Environs, Vol. III. Hanford, C. H. (ed.); Pioneer Historical Publishing Co.; 1924.
An article from the Seattle Times in 1965 describing the death of Dr. Henry Schmitz (top right). Seattle Times Company; The Seattle Sunday Times (Seattle, Washington); Jan 31, 1965.
The University District has, in general, been in a state of development for the last 150 years. The land was initially inspected for development in the 1850s. In its early days, it was most likely used for commercial purposes, servicing the railroad that ran a block away and taking advantage of the nearby body of water, Portage Bay. In 1895, the University of Washington relocated from the downtown Seattle area to its current location. In doing so, it purchased land encompassing this block, the area between today’s 15th Avenue, University Way, 41st Street, and Campus Parkway. Since then, the block has presumably served a variety of academic purposes as the university expanded rapidly. A photo of university buildings at this time is included. It may have also been home to multiple small businesses due to its close proximity to the commercial region of the University District. In 1970, a new building was constructed that still stands today: Schmitz Hall. This building was named after Dr. Henry Schmitz, an early professor, administrator, and president at the university who had tragically drowned five years earlier. You can read the attached article from the Seattle Times that covered his death (). The building was clearly built with a heavy Brutalist influence, an architectural style that was very popular for university buildings at the time; it is made almost entirely of concrete with very little ornamentation, if any. The construction of this building took place during a time of extreme expansion by the university as it began to accommodate the Baby Boomer generation of students. Today, this block’s only building is still Schmitz Hall. However, the East side of the block now features a pedestrian bridge for students to cross 15th avenue. Several other public infrastructure features have been added as well, such as bus stops and bike lanes, to help support the growing density of people in the area.