Doesn’t the name Georgetown evoke images of stately homes and cobblestone streets? Well prepare to have your expectations delightfully subverted! Georgetown in Seattle is a neighborhood where industry and art collide. It has a gritty charm that sets it apart from Seattle’s more polished areas. Georgetown is arguably Seattle’s oldest neighborhood. Its first settlement dates back to September 27 1851. Luther Collins Henry Van Asselt and the Maple family arrived. They intended to farm the Duwamish delta’s rich alluvial lands.
Although the Denny Party arrived at Alki Point two days earlier the Collins Party established permanent structures. They built a successful farming community within a year. The Collins farm was near the present-day First Avenue Bridge. It ran north to South Idaho Street on the Duwamish River’s east bank. Farms in the Duwamish Valley supplied lumber to Seattle. Boatwrights set up shop along the Duwamish estuary. This happened as land was cleared for farming.
Before land transport links existed the economic hub was a boat landing. It was near the South Lucille Street and East Marginal Way junction. In 1869 a Seattle saloon keeper rented part of the Collins homestead. He ran a horse track. This made the area a destination for all sorts of manly fun. Julius Horton a developer purchased land in 1871. He began to plat the lots that would become Georgetown. The Duwamish community transitioned to a rail-centered economy.
On March 7 1877 the first run occurred on a new rail line. It ran between Steele’s Landing and coal mines in Renton. By 1889 transcontinental service came to Georgetown. Georgetown became the site of the rail yard. It serviced the new freight traffic due to an abundance of flat land. The freight hub fostered the development of industries. These industries included breweries lumber mills brickyards and foundries. Reconstruction after the Seattle fire of 1889 boosted demand for building materials.
With access to hop-growing areas and a large German population Georgetown became the sixth-largest beer producer in the world. A Georgetown brewing company began in 1882. It acquired the Seattle Brewery with its Rainier brand in 1888. The old Georgetown brewery was used for warehouse and cold storage. Recent years have seen the opening of microbreweries with pubs. This is a nod to the neighborhood’s roots.
Julius Horton named the unincorporated community Georgetown after his son in 1890. Seattle streetcar service came to Georgetown in 1893. The King County Hospital was built near Orcas Street and Corson Avenue. Georgetown’s first local school was established in 1898. The Seattle-Tacoma interurban line came through Georgetown in 1902. The Georgetown Steam Plant brought electric power in 1906. It provided power for streetcars and the interurban line.
Georgetown existed as an independent city from 1904 to 1910. It incorporated to avoid Seattle’s potential prohibition. Georgetown annexed to Seattle in 1910. The Old Georgetown City Hall and the Georgetown Steam Plant are on the National Register of Historic Places. Straightening the Duwamish waterway in 1916 made it more accessible for maritime commerce. Boeing established itself across the Duwamish from Georgetown.
Following industry growth came a decline in the residential neighborhood. Dated housing congestion and pollution made it unattractive. The library closed in 1948 and the movie theater in 1952. By the 1990s only remnants of the old residential neighborhood remained. Georgetown has experienced a revival since the 1990s. New bars coffeehouses and art galleries have opened. Georgetown’s merchants create warm imaginative interiors. You’ll want to visit and never leave. So next time you think of Georgetown remember it’s not just a name. It’s a place where history industry and art intertwine.