Our great mission is to enrich the lives of Seattle residents and visitors through fun community building activities, beautiful cultural events, and interesting educational programs, all without discrimination of any kind.
We are dedicated to fostering a sense of belonging, well-being and increasing compassion for all our neighbors. We are especially dedicated to do this with inclusivity, diversity and equal opportunity for all.
The following information is based on the City of Seattle Landmark Nomination for the Sunset Hill Community Hall, prepared by historian Holly Taylor of PastForward NW Cultural Services, with support from 4Culture.
The Sunset Hill Community Hall is located in the traditional territory of the šilšula’bc (“Shilshole-absh”), a band of Duwamish Indians whose primary winter village was located on the north side of Salmon Bay near the present location of the Ballard Locks.
For more information on Indigenous land ownership prior to non-native settlement, see The Burke Museum’s Waterlines Project Map.
Settlement of Ballard
In the 1850s, land claims north of Salmon Bay marked the beginning of non-native settlement in the area now known as Ballard. Growth accelerated through the 1920s, and business and construction boomed. The entire western edge of Ballard became known as Sunset Hill, named for its expansive views west across Puget Sound. In 1922, telephone exchange prefixes for the whole Ballard area were changed to “SUnset” (SU representing 78- as the first portion of local numbers).
Neighbors Join Together
A Home for Community
After meeting for two years at Webster School, club leaders began to publicize plans to construct a club house, explaining that club membership had “grown to such proportions that we feel the need of a home of our own – a Community House which will provide a suitable auditorium for our meetings, and space where we may entertain ourselves and our friends.”
The club purchased four lots totaling 10,000 square feet at the southwest corner of NW 66th Street and 30th Avenue NW from Richard Brown for $800 in 1924. In 1925, the Sunset Hill Improvement Club Building Committee released a one-page letter addressed “To Whom It May Interest” describing plans for construction of a community club.
Community Hall Opens
Following two years of fund raising, and a lengthy design process, the Plans Committee comprised of three women and three men accepted architect Charles Bennett Thompson’s plans. The estimated cost of construction was $8,939.20. The club received Permit #273210 from the Seattle Department of Buildings on December 27, 1927 to build a Community Club House with a capacity of 250 persons.
Construction began in early 1928. Invoices and receipts for labor and materials held in the Sunset Hill Community Hall archives reveal a remarkable level of detail regarding the construction process. Most materials suppliers were located in Ballard, and some remain in business in 2024.
Growing the Organization
The 1940s brought administrative changes for the club and clubhouse, as the Sunset Hill Improvement Club was dissolved and replaced by the Sunset Hill Community Club, which filed Articles of Incorporation as an educational and social corporation with the State of Washington on May 30, 1940. The end of the twentieth century brought another transition for the organization, with the adoption of the name Sunset Hill Community Association, in an effort to convey the organization’s welcoming and inclusive identity.
In 1998, association leaders began planning for a major capital improvement project to the community hall, including new front and rear entries, modifications to the downstairs restrooms and meeting hall to provide wheelchair accessibility, lighting and heating repairs, interior and exterior painting, and installation of an ADA compliant elevator.
A New Era
In 2024, board members applied for and received reclassification as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, updating the mission statement and by-laws to reflect a greater emphasis on stewardship of the historic club house, along with community-building activities, cultural events, and educational programs, all intended to foster a sense of belonging, well-being and inclusion.
On July 1, 2024, the building and financial assets were transferred by quit claim deed to the newly established Sunset Hill Community Hall nonprofit corporation. The deed included a covenant to protect the building’s status as a historic community asset, declaring, “The property described herein shall always be maintained and utilized as a nonprofit community hall.” The building continues to serve as a beloved community gathering place.
