Wallingford has its own grassroots historical organization, called Historic Wallingford.
Launched in 2018, this volunteer non-profit neighborhood organization fosters an awareness of and appreciation for Wallingford’s history and architecture. Historic Wallingford regularly sponsors activities and circulates communications to further its mission of advocacy and education.
From 2019 to 2022, volunteers led by Historic Wallingford and consultant Northwest Vernacular conducted feasibility studies and research to list parts of the Wallingford neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places. Five areas in the neighborhood met the criteria, and one area, bounded by I-5 and Interlake Avenue N, and N/NE 50th and N/NE 46th Streets, was successfully designated as the Wallingford-Meridian Streetcar Historic District in December of 2022. 
As a follow-up to this significant milestone, Historic Wallingford is proud to announce an exciting new project to make the rich history of the Wallingford-Meridian Streetcar Historic District more accessible and engaging for the public.
This project, generously funded by a Preservation Special Projects grant through 4Culture, transformed the comprehensive 359-page National Register nomination form produced by consulting firm Northwest Vernacular into a more user-friendly and attractive in-depth webpage. This new webpage highlights the extensive research behind the nomination, including the history and significance of the neighborhood, architectural styles found in the district, and demographic information about past residents.
A key feature of the new webpage is an embedded interactive map of the historic district. This map allows users to explore district boundaries, zoom and pan across the area, and access detailed property-level data, such as address, contributing status, construction date, and architectural style.
“We believe this project will significantly enhance public understanding and appreciation of the Wallingford-Meridian Streetcar Historic District,” said Vanessa Chin (pictured below), the project’s managing consultant. “By providing an interactive and engaging way to explore the district, we hope to foster a deeper connection to Wallingford’s unique history and encourage greater stewardship of its historic fabric.”
In addition to the interactive map, the project has produced three themed rack cards to be displayed at local businesses, community centers, and outreach events. Each rack card will invite readers to learn more on Historic Wallingford’s website via a QR code. Themes include a summary of the National Register of Historic Places, social history highlights, and examples of architectural styles within the district. Special thanks go to volunteer Annie Doyon for her help on these rack cards and social history content.
All are welcome to celebrate National Historic Preservation Month with Historic Wallingford at the Wally-Home Resource Fair, which will be held at the Wallingford Center on Saturday, May 31st from 10 am – 3 pm. Here you can learn from local experts on multiple subjects, such as:
- How to care for your older home
- Meet with contractors and finance teams to finally get that renovation project going
- Chat with City of Seattle reps about permitting and planning for ADU development to develop gentle density
- Listen to a discussion of the styles and characteristics of vintage homes found in Wallingford by architectural historian Sarah J. Martin
- Learn from Lars Everlund about recommended maintenance projects to protect your home
- Donna and Kirk Gronvold of Blue Water Design Build will also be there to discuss how to modernize your home while preserving its historic character.
Historic Wallingford graphics are designed by Heidi Favour and Linda Sewell.
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