In the 1936 photo you can see that 5th Ave NW is still present in front of West Woodland School. At the time this photo was taken, the school was K- 8 and the trolley stopped right in front, letting teachers and students off for class. On the right side of the photo, Greenwood Park is present and had yet to be completely logged for the homes, apartments and condos that currently occupy the site.

The Baist Map provides a unique look back at the boundaries of Greenwood Park. A remnant of this park is still in use today and known as the Greenwood Triangle Park. For more information on this “pocket park” please visit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenwood-Triangle-Project/327273640753705

In the “Now” photo you see that 5th Ave NW, and the homes that once lined the street, are no longer visible. This area was buried under the West Woodland play field prior to the opening of the new West Woodland School in 1991. In 2003, the Seattle School District completed Phase I of the installation of a ground source heat pump at the school. That summer I spoke with Steve Cole, Project Manager overseeing the construction of the project. Steve told me that several of their drills had broken due to old home foundations and re-bar being present under the play field. These old homes don’t want to be forgotten.

If you have old photos, please share them with your West Woodland Neighbors by posting on this site, or emailing a JPEG copy to westwoodlandneighbors@gmail.com.

Resources:

Baist’s Real Estate Map of 1912:  http://pauldorpat.com/2010/11/17/introduction-to-the-gift-1912-baist-map/