It's hard to imagine when you look at the neighborhood today that South Lake Union was once the trailhead for pioneers setting out for Elliott Bay and the Duwamish River. Where today scientists are searching to unlock the mysteries of disease and residents can enjoy café life, elk and deer once grazed the land and Indians camped along the lake shore.
The history of South Lake Union is a major part of Seattle's story. The Cascade community, one of the original Seattle residential communities, is the eastern flank of the SLU neighborhood. David Denny, an original pioneer settler, staked a claim in 1853 that extended from what is now Mercer St. to Denny Way. The heavily wooded area was cleared and a sawmill began operations on what is now the corner of Mercer and Westlake.
Eventually, sawdust began filling the lake and the small bay at the lake's southwest corner was filled. The lake was once one-third larger than it is today. At the turn of the century manufacturing began to grow, and warehouses were built for manufacturing, storage and service.
You can see in the architecture how the buildings transitioned from brick to timber-framed buildings to concrete. Some of Seattle's first reinforced concrete structures were built in the SLU neighborhood. The eclectic blend of decoration including a refreshing variety of terra cotta, ornate brick patterns, and multi-pane industrial windows are still part of the neighborhood's character. Many examples of post and beam construction have proven adaptable to reuse, preserving part of the neighborhood's history.
