TagHistoric Preservation(15)

This King County Archives guide outlines ten steps for researching the history of a house in Seattle and King County, covering sources such as historical building photographs, property records, atlases, subdivision maps, building permits, census data, and city directories. Researchers can access materials through institutions like the Puget Sound Regional Archives, Seattle Public Library, and University of Washington Libraries, as well as various online databases. While the guide focuses on general property and occupant history, it provides a useful framework for tracing land use and development patterns relevant to regional planning and noise policy research.

Hillgrove Cemetery is a small, historic community cemetery located near Sea-Tac Airport at approximately 1651 S 200th St in Sea-Tac, WA, established around 1900 on land donated by early settler Fred Kinkling. Designated a King County Community Landmark in 1982, the 0.92-acre site contains an estimated 350 burials dating from 1889 to 2001, representing pioneers and Civil War veterans from the surrounding Highline/Des Moines area. The cemetery, situated just west of the planned southern route of SR509 on land surrounded by Port of Seattle-owned parcels, has experienced ongoing challenges including vandalism, neglect, and overgrowth.

The King County Landmarks Commission formally designated Hillgrove Cemetery, located on 200th Street South between 15th and 16th Streets, as a community landmark on August 12, 1982. The cemetery, owned by the Hillgrove Cemetery Association, was recognized for containing the graves of settlers and pioneers significant to the development of the Highline area near what is now the Sea-Tac region. The designation protects the cemetery's plots, gravestones, entrance, trees, and landscape features from alteration without Commission approval.

In late 1979, community discussions around Sea-Tac International Airport's north clear zone focused on repurposing approximately 240 acres of noise-impacted land into a multi-use recreational park, featuring soccer fields, tennis courts, nature trails, a golf course, and a motorcycle training area. The Highline Recreation Council unanimously endorsed the North Sea-Tac Park Plan (Sunset Plan), while a separate initiative proposed converting the closed Sunset Junior High School into a regional government records and archives center. Both plans reflect broader efforts to find productive uses for land rendered uninhabitable by airport noise, with funding and community engagement identified as key challenges.