“Maple Leaf Lutheran Church. Only one building still holds the Maple Leaf name. Today we explore its story.
Once the Maple Leaf Elementary School stood across the street at NE 100th Street and 32nd Avenue NE. That school was demolished. Maple Leaf Lutheran Church acquired part of the site for parking.
Maple Leaf’s neighborhood history starts well before the church. Real estate developers dreamed of Maple Leaf in the 1890s. This hilltop community was northeast of Green Lake. But it grew slowly.
Dramatic changes came in the late 20th century. Maple Leaf stayed a stable home for middle-class families. Residents organized politically rather late. Their persistence gained national recognition.
In 2001, Maple Leaf was a rough triangle. It was bordered by Northgate Way, Interstate-5, and Lake City Way NE. The Maple Leaf Addition to the Green Lake Tract appeared on maps in 1894. The name might be from the Maple Saw Mill. It operated east on Lake Washington. Or perhaps from maple trees in the area.
The first residents formed the Maple Leaf School District in 1907. The Seattle Water Department built a reservoir on the hill in 1912. They named it the Maple Leaf Reservoir.
The area stayed a quiet residential community. Politics and geography somewhat cut it off from Seattle. Japanese immigrants found the area attractive. In 1912, Denjiro and Jin Nishitani leased five acres. It was stump land on NE 98th Street. They opened a nursery and oriental gardens. They raised 10 children. By 1920, they bought the property. The family was interned during World War II due to their Japanese ancestry. Hiromu Nishitani’s Caucasian wife stayed behind to manage it. Hiromu sold the property in 1973. It became an office development.
Until 1954, the city limits ended at N 85th Street. Streetcar service also stopped there. Sacajawea School started in 1955 with nine portable buildings. A permanent structure opened in 1959. By 1961, enrollment was 500. The area south of the school became Sacajawea Playfield in 1971.
Monumental changes swept around Maple Leaf in the late 20th century. After World War II, Lake City Way NE became a main corridor. It supported the housing boom. In 1950, Northgate opened. It was the nation’s first regional shopping center designed as a mall. It opened its doors and parking lots northwest of the neighborhood. In the mid-1960s, Interstate 5 sliced along the western boundary of the hill.
Seattle neighborhoods began organizing as early as 1900. They put their interests before the city council. Groups lobbied for everything. This included electric service, parks, and boulevards. They usually got results. Maple Leaf did not become active until 1983. Puni Hokea and Peter Orser led the charge. They formed the Maple Leaf Community Council.
The group quietly and persistently improved services. They also preserved their sense of community. Without confrontation, they scaled back the zoning of Roosevelt Way NE. Businesses had to provide off-street parking.
Neighborhoods USA selected Maple Leaf for distinction in 1986. This Nashville-based non-profit promoted neighborhood organizations. Maple Leaf was one of three finalists for Neighborhood of the Year.
Maple Leaf joined other North End groups in 2000. They opposed the expansion of Northgate into its south parking lot. The expansion would have precluded restoring Thornton Creek. The developers abandoned the expansion plans. They offered the property for sale.
Another church building originally called Maple Leaf Baptist was built in 1954. In 1972 the Brookhaven congregation merged with the Maple Leaf group. They brought their name with them. In 1994 it was decided to change the name to Anchor Baptist as part of a revitalization effort. Ten years later, the Anchor Baptist Church decided to reorganize, and they moved away. The present congregation which bought the building in 2012 is called OneLife.
Maple Leaf Lutheran Church stands as a testament to faith and community. It anchors the neighborhood’s identity. Its story intertwines with Maple Leaf’s evolution. From sawmills to vibrant community activism, Maple Leaf Lutheran has witnessed it all.
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