Seattle Religious Institutions - Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill is an old and very interesting Seattle neighborhood, located on the heights above downtown Seattle, although perhaps it wasn't originally "above" downtown before the amazing (by today's environmental standards) Denny Regrade was perpetrated on land between Capitol Hill and Puget Sound in the early 20th century. Capitol Hill was originally named in 1901 by a real estate developer who wanted the state capitol to move to Seattle from Olympia. At one point known locally as "Catholic Hill," it has a diverse religious history epitomized by this tour of religious structures in the southern portion of the neighborhood. The walk is 2.7 miles and has a lot of terrain changes.

The walk starts at the intersection of Broadway and Howell At this time you will need to find nearby available street parking to start the walk here, but soon this location will be on the south edge of the Capitol Hill Subway Station, part of an extension of Seattle's light rail line north from downtown to the University of Washington. The tracks visible in the picture will be the route for another new rail line to this location, the Seattle First Hill Streetcar, set to open later this year.

From the intersection of Broadway and Howell proceed east one block to Nagle Street, and then enter Cal Anderson Park, Continue straight across the park. Formerly Lincoln Park, it was renamed in honor of Washington State's first openly gay state legislator. There is an interesting fountain that you will pass on your left.

After crossing Cal Anderson Park you will reach 11th Avenue, where you will cross the street and turn right. On the corner of 11th and Howell is the German United Church of Christ, in this location since 1909. It is the last church in the Pacific Northwest to conduct its services in the German language. The building is, in the architecturally Spartan mode of congregational churches generally.

Continuing south on 11th Avenue, right beyond the German Congregational Church is the Central Lutheran Church parish house, providing extra facilities for the Central Lutheran parish located one building beyond on 11th. Of note is the banner, which refers to a successful campaign in the City of Seattle to raise the minimum wage to $15. It is a sign of the social and moral priorities of the Central Lutheran congregation.

At the corner of 11th and Olive, to the left, is the Central Lutheran Church, clearly from its website one of the more "liberal" Lutheran congregations. The congregation emphasizes issues of social justice and inclusivity in its religious program. While the congregation dates from 1890, this beautiful brick building was constructed in 1932.

At Central Lutheran turn left onto Olive Street. Go two blocks to 13th Avenue, then turn left. On the right side of the street is St. Nicholas Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox congregation. The congregation was founded in 1932 by Russian emigres escaping, as the church's website puts it, "the scourge of Bolshevism." They were also escaping from the established Russian Orthodox church in Seattle, St. Spiridon, for reasons which have been obscured by the passing decades. The cathedral, built in 1937, is dedicated to St. Nicholas of Myra, the religious inspiration for today's thoroughly secular Santa Claus. The building is also dedicated to the "martyred Tsar Nicholas II, his Royal Family and all the Russian soldiers and people who died defending their faith, tsar and country." (from the Cathedral's website) The onion domes are typical of Russian Orthodox churches in Russia and around the world. 

After one block on 13th turn right onto Howell Street. On the left, at the corner of 13th and Howell, is the Assumption Greek Church. This Greek Orthodox congregation is part of a different national church from the Russian Orthodox down the block, but share the same Eastern Orthodox theology, which is well-summarized here. This congregation split from the older St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox church, located several miles to the north, in 1939. This particular building's history is unclear, but it is obviously much more modern than its Russian Orthodox neighbor St. Nicholas.

Continue three blocks east on Howell Street, then turn left onto 16th Avenue. At the corner of Howell and 16th is a small city park. Beyond the park, on the left, is the monumental 1909 First Church of Christ, Scientist, Seattle. The controversial church, founded by Mary Baker Eddy and best known for its belief in faith-healing, was a booming and well-funded organization in the early 20th century. However the number of congregations have declined by almost half in the U.S. in the past half-century, and this building was sold to a housing developer in 2006. It is now a condominium development titled "The Sanctuary." After some problems related to the Great Recession, the 12 condominiums are apparently sold and occupied.

Continue on 16th Avenue another block to John Street. On the left is the Group Health Hospital Campus, while on the right is the former Capitol Hill United Methodist Church building, constructed in 1906. In 1991 the Methodists vacated the building, and its fate was uncertain. However instead of being torn down it has been repurposed as a pretty cool office building for Catalysis, a "digital marketing" firm working with Seattle's (and the world's) tech businesses.

Turn right from 16th onto John Street. Across the street from Catalysis is a striking apartment building, the Anhalt Apartments. This English Tudor style building was designed and built by noted Seattle residential builder Frederick Anhalt. After 40 years in service as offices for the hospital across the street, it was repurposed as an apartment building again in 2009.

After one block on John Street turn right on 17th Avenue, and then after one block on 17th turn left onto Denny Way. After one block on Denny turn right onto 18th Avenue. On the left is this large old mansion which now serves as the headquarters of Save Seattle, a ministry of the Seattle Union Gospel Mission. The program offers year-long missions for young adults to serve the needy in the Seattle area and also enjoy life in the Pacific Northwest.

After one block on 18th turn left onto Howell, and then after one block turn right onto 19th Avenue. Once you cross busy Madison Street look up to see that 19th Avenue is also Rev. Dr. S. McKinney Avenue. Samuel McKinney was the pastor of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church for 40 years and was a major leader of the African-American community in Seattle.

Continue on 19th Street and on your left is the Rev. McKinney's church, Mt. Zion Baptist. It is the oldest and largest African-American congregation in the State of Washington. It has been located on this site since 1920, although the building underwent a major "African-style" redesign in the 1970's. The "black churches" of the United States have a long tradition of serving the spiritual needs of African-Americans, at first by necessity, due to segregation as strong in Christian denominations as it was in the rest of American society, but now by tradition and perhaps choice.

Continue on 19th Avenue. To the right is Peace for the Streets, This organization ministers to homeless youth in the Seattle area. While the group's website doesn't have any religious messages other sources indicate that it is in some sort of partnership with Mt. Zion Baptist Church across the street. Under any auspices, it appears to be a worthy organization with a worthy mission.

After two blocks on 19th Avenue you will see a stairway heading up a short hill to the right. Take the stairway and once at the top continue forward. You will be on Pike Street. Continue for three blocks, passing a playground and school on the left, and at the corner of 16th and Pike is Temple de Hirsch Sinai. This large established congregation serves Seattle's reform Judaism community - the most "liberal" of the three main strands of the Jewish faith in the U.S. The large temple facility, taking up an entire city block, was completed in 1960. As the result of a merger with a Bellevue congregation in 1971 the congregation has a second temple in that city.

Continue on Pike Street to Madison Street, which cuts diagonally across the street grid in this area. Veer slightly left on Madison to the stop light at 14th Avenue, which you will use to cross Madison. Then cross Pike to the north side of the street. Halfway up the block is another long-time (since 1886) Seattle African-American congregation, the First AME Church. The African Methodist Church in the United States was founded in 1816, by Methodists alienated by segregation and discrimination they suffered at the hands of established Methodist congregations in the Northeast. The building the congregation occupies was constructed in 1912.

Walk back to Pike Street and turn right. At the corner of 13th and Pike is the Elysian Brewing Company. Founded at this location in 1995, beer production now happens south of downtown Seattle. But you can duck in here and taste the brews, either now or by returning at the end of the walk.

Pike Street has some interesting sights as you continue west. This colorful mural on the left is indecipherable unless you happen to know that Closed Knuckle Jaw is a band, and "The Grizzled Mighty" is one of their albums.

Continue along bustling Pike Street to Summit Avenue. On the right, at the corner of Summit and Pike, is the Summit(on E. Pike), a meeting hall operated by the adjacent First Covenant Church. While the nondescript building is open for rental to any private party, it also hosts the Breakfast Club, a ministry of the church that provides meals for homeless and low-income Seattle residents.

Continuing on Pike Street, on the right side of the street at Bellevue Avenue is the First Covenant Church. The church building was consecrated as the Swedish Tabernacle in 1909. The congregation began in 1889 as the Swedish Christian Mission Church, not changing its name until the mid-20th century, by which time the Swedish character of the congregation had become diluted. The congregation belongs to the national Evangelical Covenant Church, formed in 1885 with roots in the Pietist movement that started in the 18th century as a German Lutheran "reform" movement. From Germany it traveled to Sweden, and then into the New World with Swedish immigrants.

After viewing the First Covenant Church turn right onto Bellevue Avenue. Go two blocks, then turn right again onto Olive Street. After four blocks traveling uphill on Olive Street turn left onto Harvard Avenue. On the right side of Harvard is the Seattle Central Community College campus. On the left, after one block, is Capitol Hill Presbyterian. This majestic structure was consecrated in 1924 as the Westminster Presbyterian Church. The current Presbyterian congregation is the result of a merger in 2006 between the building's existing congregation and the Church at the Center, formed in 1993 as a non-traditional "progressive" church using rented space elsewhere in the city.

At Howell Street turn right and use the walkway between buildings at Seattle Central College to reach the starting point for the walk at Broadway and Howell.