Ravenna Gardens and the Evolution of University Village: A History

Introduction

University Village in Seattle, Washington, has transformed significantly since its establishment. This article explores the history of University Village, focusing on the contributions of Ravenna Gardens and the evolution of the surrounding neighborhood, University Park.

Early Development of University Park

The University District experienced its most significant developmental era between 1915 and 1929, marked by commercial expansion and residential growth. The preceding decade, from 1900 to 1910, was a period of intense subdivision activity. Notably, the 20-block University Park Addition, located north of the University of Washington campus, was established in 1906 and quickly became known as the district's most affluent and exclusive area.

The extension of streetcar lines further spurred housing development north of NE 45th Street. These lines included a trolley line to Ravenna Park developed by W.W. Beck, and the 1907 extension of a line along NE 45th Street from 14th Ave. NE to Meridian in Wallingford. By 1910, virtually the entire district was platted and ready for development.

One notable characteristic of the University Park neighborhood is its narrow lots. The Moore Investment Company, responsible for platting the area, aimed to maximize profits by creating small lots, most of which were under 4,500 square feet.

The Influence of Infrastructure

The construction of the Lake Washington Ship Canal between 1911 and 1917 played a vital role in stimulating development in the University District. The old Latona Bridge was remodeled in 1916 before the ship canal opened and served the area until a new bridge, called the University Bridge, opened in 1919. During the 1920s, a major construction boom swept through Seattle, and the University District flourished.

Transportation improvements during this time included opening of the Montlake Bridge in 1925, a streetcar and pedestrian trestle over Cowen Park built in 1925 and a streetcar loop between Montlake, the University District, and Wallingford added in 1928. The construction of single-family homes in the district continued through the 1920s and the area was almost entirely built out by 1930. Most of the development was concentrated in the area north of NE 50th Street and west of Roosevelt Way, in the Park Home Circle north of Ravenna Boulevard and east of 20th Avenue NE, and in the University Park Neighborhood.

Architectural Styles: The American Foursquare

The American Foursquare style, popular from the turn of the twentieth century until around 1930, was prevalent in the University Park neighborhood. This style offered affordable, utilitarian housing for middle-class families seeking to maximize their modest lots. Simplistic and practical, American Foursquares are among the most common housing types of this period.

Rooted in the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, the American Foursquare shunned asymmetrical late-Victorian pretension in favor of a humbler, boxier alternative for domestic architecture. These homes were often constructed from kits, with pieces trucked or shipped by boxcar to cities across the country, explaining their presence in neighborhoods near rail lines.

A specific residence in the area, built in 1917, exemplifies the American Foursquare style. Past owners include The Prudential Insurance Company in 1935 and George F. Based on field work conducted in October 2014, this historic property retains its relationship to the streetscape, historic building form and a sufficient amount of exterior historic building fabric (design features, cladding and/or window sash/openings) to contribute to the distinct character of the University Park neighborhood. This is a particularly well-preserved historic property that appears to possess architectural and/or historic significance.

The Transformation of University Village

The land that University Village now occupies has a rich history. A 1956 Seattle Times article noted that "If the canal under the Montlake Bridge had never been constructed" to allow navigation to Puget Sound, "there would be no University Village today." The construction of the Locks and the subsequent lowering of Lake Washington made the land available for development.

Before becoming a shopping center, the newly dry lake bed served various purposes, including as the Malmo Seed and Nursery Company. The Village opened in 1956, anchored by Seattle-founded Rhodes Department Store.

Susie Plummer's Vision

Since becoming general manager at U Village in 2000, Plummer has more than doubled the number of businesses there. She’s turned the place from a neighborhood spot that was lucky to get an Eddie Bauer (per an accidentally scathing 1994 Seattle Times article) to the preeminent PNW destination for the nation’s most popular brands. Tenants unfailingly credit Plummer for their success: “I truly feel like the Village is the result of her vision,” says Sally Bergesen, founder of women’s running brand Oiselle.

Plummer tracks sales for every business in the shopping center. In recent years, the 66-year-old lifestyle center-how we’ve come to refer to a mall that’s disserviced by the word-has established itself as a leader in an industry where growth is far from a given. If you can attract successful, primarily online, direct-to- consumer brands to brick-and-mortar retail-during a pandemic, no less-what can’t you do?

The Modern University Village

New shop openings may not draw quite those crowds, but they still generate significant buzz. Since this time last year, the Village has welcomed over a dozen new tenants, including Everlane, a sustainability-focused, direct-to-consumer clothing brand-one of several that have recently chosen the shopping center as their Pacific Northwest launching point. Seattle was one of its top 10 markets for digital sales, per Tara Shanahan, Everlane’s VP of retail.

“They’re very smart about the customer here,” Plummer says of DTC brands like Everlane, Reformation, and Warby Parker, which use online sales figures to determine their most promising markets. But selecting tenants is an art as much as it is a calculation. When an out-of-town brand without that sort of data approaches Plummer asking for space, she tells them to “go sit on a bench and look at what the customer’s wearing.” What they see, these days, are families pushing strollers to the play area, college girls in fashionable sweat sets, couples eating dinner in one of the Village’s expansive outdoor dining areas. “I’m very honest and open with them,” Plummer says.

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For local shop owners, many of them longtime University Village customers themselves, the process of becoming a tenant looks a little different: less of a speed date, more of a date with destiny. “In my mind, that was the only place I wanted to open a store,” says Oiselle’s Sally Bergesen. Robin Wehl Martin, co-owner of cookie shop Hello Robin, brought a plateful of baked goods and a hot-pink Post-it note to the University Village management office asking Susie Plummer to keep Hello Robin on her radar if an appropriate space opened up. Dozens of cookies and casual meetings later, Plummer gave her a call and asked if she was ready.

That’s a reputation the management team meticulously maintains. Business owners at U Village gain immediate access to a killer marketing team and Plummer’s direct line. They become part of a place where the “American dream” can happen, per Vanessa Kimling, who was hired at Ravenna Gardens in 2005 as part-time seasonal help and bought the business at the beginning of this year. They join a community of more than 40 locally owned companies and loyal customers that work together in a way that feels a lot less mall and a lot more small town.

Ravenna Gardens: A Local Gem

Located in Seattle’s University Village shopping center, Ravenna Gardens is known for exuberant container designs and stunning visual displays. The store focuses on the urban, small-space gardener, with container gardening as a core strength. Ravenna Gardens has a container design specialist on staff, who also takes on visual merchandising duties.

Owner Gillian Mathews combines her retail background with her passion for gardening. She is involved in the local horticultural community, serving on the board of the Northwest Horticultural Society and participating in garden tours. Mathews emphasizes the importance of social media, particularly Instagram, in reaching the next generation of gardeners. She notes the growing interest in houseplants and interior plants among younger people.

Ravenna Gardens' Strengths

Ravenna Gardens offers an exclusive plant collection with horticulturist Dan Hinkley called Windcliff Plants that sells well, especially among “plant nerds.”

Mathews believes it’s really important to get out of your own area. Ravenna Gardens’ booth received the 2017 Northwest Flower and Garden Show Outstanding Visual Award.

Reflections on the Past

Neighborhood residents recall the early days of University Village, reminiscing about stores like Lamonts and Rhodes. Some remember when QFC was located where Restoration Hardware is today.

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