History of Yesler Terrace

Some of the members of the BE Lab gave a presentation on the history of Yesler Terrace today. Below is a summary of the information they found, and there is an annotated bibliography on the catalyst page. Look through it if you want more in-depth information.

Yesler Terrace History Summary:

The area known today as Yesler Terrace was originally inhabited by wealthy Seattleites wishing to distance themselves from the immediate downtown area. These citizens took advantage of the land that had been cleared for Henry Yesler’s mill and built a collection of mansions on the hill throughout the late 19^th century. However, after decades of dilapidation and the Great Depression, the once affluent Yesler Terrace area was identified as the worst slum area in Seattle. For a combination of reasons including frustrations of locals as they climbed the steep grade from downtown to the presence of eighteen brothels in the area, Yesler Terrace was for a time known as “Profanity Hill.” But this was to change thanks to national changes due to Roosevelt’s New Deal. In December of 1939, the newly created Seattle Housing Authority was awarded a bond of three million dollars from USHA, and it was decided that this money would be used to create affordable housing upon Yesler Terrace once the slum was cleared. By November of 1941, the first tenants were moving into Yesler Terrace, a 690-unit community on 43 acres.

Yesler Terrace was a milestone in low-income housing both for Seattle and the nation at large. For Seattle, it the first low-income housing community the city attempted. For the nation, it was the first racially integrated low-income housing community in the United States. The development faithfully served the community for many years, and by 1966 SHA had paid off the initial bond that was used to create Yesler Terrace. At this point the buildings were beginning to fall into disrepair, and a redevelopment study was initiated, but never implemented due to trying economic times in the 1970s. The greatest facelift the majority of Yesler Terrace buildings have seen over the years was a modernization in 1980 that included new porches, sidewalks, fences, and paint. In 1999, Seattle voters adopted a levy which dedicated $6.3 million to a new community center, which was completed in 2004.

Of course, one of the most important parts of Yesler Terrace is who lives in the community and is served by SHA. At its inception, SHA only accepted applications from U.S. citizens in family units, excluding both immigrants and single people. This trend has certainly been reversed, as in 2008 over 30% of the residents were non-U.S. citizens, and immigrant representation in the Terrace is sharply increasing each year. Also, ethnic distributions have changed significantly over the years. In its first year, 1941, 94% of the residents were white, 3.5% black, and 2.5% Asian. By 2008, 43% of the residents were Asian, 41% black, 12% white, and 4% Native American. Two of the most quickly increasing populations currently within Yesler Terrace are Somali and Vietnamese.