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The Hydro House
The Hydro House, 1914
In 1905, City Light
in Seattle built the first of its hydroelectric dams in Cedar Falls, the nation's first
municipally owned hydroelectric project. The plant performed well and produced enough
electricity that the City Council voted to offer the surplus for general sale at 8.5 cents
per kilowatt-hour (kwh). The going rate of electricity sold by privately owned companies
at that time was 20 cents/kwh. Today that same electric power, given technological
advancements and market economics, can be purchased from Seattle City Light at 4
cents/kwh.
Due to the demand for power, approval was given in 1910 to upgrade the dam's generating
capacity. The project started in 1912 but was not completed until 1914. During this time,
City Light proposed a new hydroelectric plant be constructed within the city limits, due
to the high probability of deterioration with the existing dam and frequent problems
within the 45 miles of wiring.
The construction of the Steam Plant received voter approval in 1911. While financing
for the Steam Plant was secured, another solution was needed to address the city's
immediate power needs. The Hydro House (originally called the Power House) was introduced
and built in less than 11 months on the shores of Lake Union at a cost of approximately
$30,000.
The Architect
The Hydro House was designed by Daniel Huntington, the city architect. Mr. Huntington
was also responsible for the design of numerous other buildings in Seattle including: the
Tuscany Apartments on First Hill, the Seventh Church of Christ on Queen Anne, and the
D.A.R. Building that houses the Harvard Exit on Capitol Hill. Huntington's work, and
particularly his concrete constructions, were considered quite advanced for the time.
The location of the Hydro House on Lake Union was chosen because it allowed for the
direct fall of water from Volunteer Park's reservoir running through a 40 inch pipe at a
412 foot vertical drop. The force of the water spun the turbine powering the generators
located in the basement. The Hydro House was actually intended to run for only a short
time in the event of an emergency. Taking only seconds to start up, it could generate full
capacity for one half hour or more.
By 1914 the Steam Plant was in full operation and the need for the Hydro House was less
important. At this time modifications were made to the Hydro House. A darkroom for the
Engineering Department's photographers was added, and the north wall was extended to
provide a lunchroom for Steam Plant employees.
In 1932 the Hydro House was taken out of use and the generators sold. Rumor has it that
the generator was bought by a Christian radio station in Ecuador and is still being used
today. The building itself became a storage room for the batteries of the adjacent Steam
Plant.
Decommissioned
In September of 1987, the Steam Plant was finally decommissioned. After years of no
use, except for occasional firing of the boilers, the time had come. Resolution 27686
reads: "Seattle City Light's Lake Union Steam Plant (LUSP) should be decommissioned
as soon as possible and a process set in motion to surplus the property. In order to
reduce the magnitude of City Light's next rate increase, the executive should attempt to
structure the terms of any sale such that City Light will realize revenues during the 1989
calendar year.
By July, 1987, the Eastlake community, the City of Seattle, surrounding communities and
various interested individuals were already at work gathering support for the nomination
of the Steam Plant and Hydro House as a historical landmark. On March 2, 1988, the
Landmarks Preservation Board officially designated them as Historical Landmarks.
The Hydro House Cafe
ZymoGenetics has kept the Hydro House as a private lunchroom for the company's
employees, but the Hydro House Deli is open to the public and offers numerous soups,
sandwiches, drinks and, of course, espresso. In the evenings the Hydro House is available
for community meetings and other events.
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