Old Queen Anne High School takes on historic transformation

SEATTLE - Roughly 80% of polled homeowners and renters in Seattle support increasing housing density, according to a recent study by Zillow.

Mayor Bruce Harrell believes repurposing vacant office spaces and corporate towers could be a solution to the city's housing crisis, but there are other more elementary options.

Real estate agent Emily Anderson with Every Door Real Estate points to the repurposing of historic buildings as one avenue. Citing the former Queen Anne High School which has been renovated into condominiums.

bird's-eye view of old queen anne high school

A bird's-eye view of the old, historic Queen Anne High School in Seattle, Wash. (FOX 13 Seattle)

"I’m not someone who wants to go back to high school, but when I come into this building, the nostalgia is so positive," Anderson said.

Trinkets of the past: yearbooks, trophies, even chalkboards are forever preserved within the halls of the historical monument. The building, designed in the classical revival-style, opened in 1909. Anderson says while it’s pivoted away from scholastics since its closure in the 1980s, the property has maintained its bookish charm.

The former Queen Anne High School in Seattle, Wash. has been renovated into condominiums. (FOX 13 Seattle)

"So it has this really romantic feel," said Anderson. "You’re walking down the hall going to class, but you’re going to your house. These ceilings are huge, the windows are massive, it's natural light everywhere."

Preservationists in the South Sound were energized by plans to transform the old Gault School into affordable housing. However, as time passed, attempts to work with the Tacoma Housing Authority fell flat, and the project flopped during the pandemic. The property fell further into disrepair and eventually also fell victim to arson not long after.

As enrollment drops, Seattle Public Schools is set to close and consolidate some campuses in 2025. Could this present an opportunity for the district to turn a profit through repurposing?

old queen anne high school classroom window

A large classroom window see inside the old, historic Queen Anne High School in Seattle, Wash. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Anderson sees these adaptive reuse projects like this as a way to make homeownership more accessible, especially for young buyers. She thinks more eye-catching options like the ones inside the Queen Anne School could energize hesitant buyers into considering condos as a viable option.

lion statue at old queen anne high school

The old Queen Anne High School in Seattle, Wash., opened in 1909 and was designed in classical revival-style. (FOX 13 Seattle)

"We are not going to be moving into the house that your parents lived in for the next 30 years right now," Anderson said. "Most people are going to need to start with a condo."

To view the listing at 201 Galer Street, visit the Windermere website.