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Overview

Architect Earl W. Morrison designed this notable, Art Deco-influenced junior high school complex, the first to operate in Bothell, WA, completed in 1931. Additions were made to the campus in 1941 and 1959, the latter designed by architect Ralph H. Burkhard.

Building History

The Seattle architect Earl W. Morrison designed the W.A. Anderson Junior High School working with the local building contractors Alfred (A. J.) Sundholm and Guy Person. Originally, the building had nine classrooms, each with its own thermostat for independent temperature control and maple floors. Classroom clocks operated within a centralized, automatic system, which would become standard in 20th-century schools. Student lockers were built into the hallways, another feature that would become typical.

According to the City of Bothell, "Eventually the building ceased to function as a junior high school, later serving as an overflow building, special education center, an alternative high school, and administrative support offices." It was sold to the Portland-based McMenamins Restaurant/Hotel chain in 2010. After a long period of renovation to turn the former school into a hotel and restaurant, the McMenamins Anderson School complex opened in 10/2015.

Building Notes

The City of Bothell added the the W.A. Anderson Junior High School to its Local Register of Historic Landmarks in 2013. As noted in its Register of Bothell Historic Landmarks: "The building is significant for its association with secondary education in Bothell, serving as the first dedicated junior high school for Bothell students and operating during a remarkable time of growth. It survives as the oldest extant school in Bothell in its original location. Morrison’s design is illustrative of the Art Deco-Zigzag Moderne style with its contrasting red and white brick diapering and cast concrete zigzag patterning. Morrison gained a reputation for his numerous apartment building designs in Seattle, as well as his school commissions." (See City of Bothell.us, "City of Bothell Historic Register Properties, June 2013," accessed 02/23/2021.)

Alteration

Funding from the Works Project Administration enabled the construction of an addition on its south side of six classrooms in 1941.

Seattle architect Ralph H. Burkhard (1908-1993) designed an added ensemble of three buildings--a gymnasium, home economics space, and multi-purpose addition in 1959.

Investors pooled $26 million to renovate the former school and its 5.5-acre property into a restaurant, brewery and hotel complex owned by the McMenamins chain based in Portland, OR. In 2016, the McMenamins group consisted of 54 brewery-restaurants located throughout the Pacific Northwest. The renovation of this former middle school was part of a larger urban redevelopment program in Bothell, WA, that also included the construction of $47 million city hall, two new hotels, a new grocery store and 86 townhouses. Bothell's City Manager, Bob Stowe, was instrumental in realizing this redevelopment, working closely with local developers. Stowe worked as the city manager from 2005 until being fired on 05/04/2016. (See John Langeler, KING-5.com, "Bothell city manager firing draws sharp criticism," published 05/11/2016, accessed 09/11/2017.)

Ankrom Moisan Architects supervised the school's renovation into the McMenamin's Hotel and Brewpub. Ankrom Moisan had had a long-standing relationship with the McMenamin Brothers, designing many facilities for them. The Andersen Construction Company of Portland, OR, served as the building contractor for the school's remodeling.

PCAD id: 21455