The intersection of Rainier and Alaska marks the southern boundary of the Columbia City historic district, and is the site of two of our neighborhood's iconic landmarks: the Columbia City branch of the Seattle Public library, and Columbia Park.
The stately Colonial Revival building alongside the gently sloping "village green" have anchored the Columbia City area for nearly a century. They are front and center in any discussion of the area's rich history and are dear to residents and visitors today.
The library and the park seem to stand for what endures, even as the area waxes and wanes around them....
But do they, really?
The picture above showcases the most recent changes to these CC icons. Most obvious is the addition to the library, completed in 2004, a $3.5 million dollar project that roughly doubled the size of the building--much needed for the heavily-used facility.
The path that runs alongside the building is an even more recent renovation, the result of a $350,000 Pro-Parks project completed in early 2007.
But even the seemingly-eternal orca-fin sculpture that is our blog's figurehead--the kids in the pic are playing on the rock at its base--is a recent addition, in the grand scheme of things. Entitled "Spirit of Washington", created by amazing local artist Marvin Oliver, the statue was added to Columbia Park only as recently as 1991.
You know what they say: the more things change, the more they stay the same. Or maybe it's the other way around?
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