Beacon Hill Branch Highlights
A canopied stone entry welcomes visitors to the Beacon Hill Branch. It has protected seating and bicycle racks.
Neighborhood writers have filled the library with haikus, prose and fiction. Their work is featured throughout the branch and outside on quarry rocks. Above the plaza, a boat sculpture called "Dream Ship" moves with the wind.
History
The first Beacon Hill Library opened Oct. 23, 1945. Beacon Hill community members contributed time, money, materials, and labor to starting a library. Founding contributors included the Beacon Hill Community Club, Beacon Hill Parent-Teachers Association, and Jefferson Park Ladies' Improvement Club.
On Dec. 6, 1962, the library moved to a larger, rented space. The building was originally a grocery store and later a retail store. In 1968, a fire destroyed a neighboring property, but heavy rain kept the library from burning. The Seattle Public Library bought the space it had been renting as well as the adjacent property in 1975. The Beacon Hill Branch remained in a storefront building until the 21st century.
The Beacon Hill community wanted a larger library. In 1998, Seattle voters approved a Libraries for All building program. Their vote funded a new Beacon Hill Branch. The Library purchased a site previously occupied by Wells Fargo Bank. The new 10,400-square-foot
Beacon Hill Branch opened July 10, 2004. The branch has designated areas for children and young adults, adult reference reading areas, and a parking lot.
The voter-approved 2012 Library Levy financed improvements at the Beacon Hill Branch in 2017. Workers installed more power outlets and upgraded technology access. Laptop bars with charging outlets were added to the young adult area and lobby. The children’s area was redesigned to provide more flexible space options.
Architecture
A sweeping roof allows natural light to flood the building. Wood and stone are used throughout the building. Mark Ricketts of Medici Architectural Finishes LLC donated plaster and interior finishes.
Many stones in the building came from the Tenino Quarry. The same quarry supplied stone for Seattle’s first Carnegie library in downtown Seattle.
A canopied entry offers protected seating, bicycle racks, and large quarry stones for landscaping and seating. Green garden areas provide a visual buffer to the streets and parking areas.
Architects: Carlson Architects, 2004.
Neighborhood writers shine
Eleven Beacon Hill-area writers and poets have haikus, prose or fiction throughout the branch and outside on quarry rocks. Also outside, a boat sculpture called "Dream Ship" moves with the wind.
Named Spaces
Spaces named for donors include:
- Friends of The Seattle Public Library Meeting Room