Queen Anne's Beginnings

After an exploration in December, 1852 of Smith's Cove and on to Salmon Bay, David T. & Louisa Boren Denny placed a claim on 320 acres in what is now lower Queen Anne, generally the area between today's Denny Way and Mercer St. from Elliott Bay to Lake Union. Married in January, 1853 in his brother Arthur's cabin, David built his new wife Louisa a one-room log cabin on the bluff overlooking Elliott Bay, near Denny Way and Western. Built of nearby trees without a single nail, Louisa planted Sweetbrier roses outside the front door. The roses were found still there growing wild in 1931, when they were uprooted for a new commercial building on the site.

Around 1860 the Dennys cleared an area near 2nd Ave. North and Republican Streets (now Seattle Center) for a farm, and built a new home, living in it until 1871, when they moved to a new home at Republican and Dexter.

In the spring of 1853, Thomas Mercer settled on a land donation claim just north of David & Louisa Denny, in an area roughly bounded by Lake Union on the east, Mercer St. on the south, 1st Avenue North on the west, and Highland Dr. on the north, while Dr. Henry Smith settled in 1853 in western Queen Anne in the area that came to be known as Smith's Cove, or Interbay.

The Queen Anne name is derived from the 1880's when Rev. Daniel Bagley, an early Seattle settler, asked folks jokingly if they were 'going out to Queen Anne Town?'--for by that time, many homes in the area were in the Queen Anne style. Several still exist today, more than 100 years old. Interestingly, the Reverend and his wife lived with their son Clarence, and his family, in this house located in Queen Anne.

Beginning in 1960 part of lower Queen Anne was reshaped into Century 21, the Seattle World's Fair, where you can still ride up in the Space Needle, Seattle's most recognized landmark.

We invite you to visit our site to see a glimpse of Queen Anne and its history. From our registered landmarks, the terrific views, to our cemetery--there are some great places and wonderful history to visit on Queen Anne Hill.

About the Society

The Society was formed in 1971 by the History Committee of the Queen Anne Community Council, and since that time has worked in many areas to advance its mission of preservation of the community's historic heritage. An independent non-profit organization, we maintain a community history archive and hold five meetings each year which feature programs emphasizing community and Washington history. Check out our Upcoming Events page for the latest happenings.

Click here for a thumbnail history of Queen Anne, courtesy of Historylink. Or click here to view a short video on Queen Anne, courtesy of Historylink and the Seattle Channel.

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  “A page of history is worth a volume of logic.." — O.W. Holmes