The Denny Regrade Regrading in Seattle

a postcard shows washington hotel atop denny hill before denny regrade no. 1 , new washington hotel (the dark building in lower picture, josephinum) built on newly leveled land.



the 1884 denny school (depicted here in 1900) on battery street between fifth & sixth avenues demolished in 1928, 1 of many major buildings demolished part of denny regrade no. 2.

the denny regrade began before jackson , dearborn regrades, last stage not completed until decades later. before regrading, much-admired denny school , upmarket washington hotel stood atop hill, along numerous residential buildings.

although in retrospect referred denny regrade (and name has become name of neighborhood), there were, in fact, several separate regrades of former denny hill, beginning private-sector efforts. around 1900, property owners along relatively low-lying first avenue took upon cut through pike street cedar street. similar cut (but initiated city) lowered second avenue in 1904; around same time, south part of hill shaved off pike , pine streets regraded between second , fifth avenues.

the more dramatic denny regrade no. 1 (1908–1911) sluiced away entire half of hill closest waterfront, 27 city blocks extending pine street cedar street , second fifth avenues. 20,000,000 gallons (75,708 kl) of water day pumped lake union, aimed @ hill jets of water, run through tunnels elliott bay.

much of motivation regrade had been increase land values, area opened up—the heart of today s belltown—was left strip cut off of rest of city remaining eastern half of hill, western face offered no route of approach. meanwhile, property-owners , investors hesitated build on remaining portion of hill, because considered buildings destroyed in next phase of regrading process, under way.

the result denny regrade no. 2, begun in february 1929 , lasting 22 months. time, technology power shovels rather sluicing, earth carried waterfront conveyor belts, placed on specially designed scows , dumped in deep water. scows intentionally designed capsize in controlled manner. symmetrical top-to-bottom , side side; seacock opened fill 1 side water. in 3 minutes capsize, dump load, bob up, empty tank, , right itself.

one of buildings demolished in denny regrade no. 2 denny school on battery street between 5th , 6th avenues. opened in 1884, had been described architectural jewel... finest schoolhouse on west coast.

while 38 blocks being regraded, country entered great depression, radically reducing demand land. of new lots sat vacant 1940s; area (especially east of sixth avenue) remained gray zone 21st century, when began gain urban or suburban identity west edge of new growth of south lake union.