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.