SEATTLE—April 4, 2005—By the end of this summer, the Lee House, renamed the Harry Thomas Community Center at Lee House, will be restored to useful life at NewHolly. The center was renamed to honor SHA's past executive director, Harry Thomas. It will be used as a community meeting space and non-profit office space.
Thanks to Polygon Northwest, one of the builders of homes at Othello Station, and Habitat for Humanity, the historic house is on its way to being restored to its original character. Polygon NW has already installed a new roof and will complete all of the exterior finishing work in the next few months. Habitat for Humanity will coordinate the volunteer labor for the interior finish and trim.
“I am so grateful to both Polygon and Habitat for this help,” said Carter Hart, Development Project Coordinator with Seattle Housing. “I am very happy that Lee House will remain a historic bridge across the entire neighborhood history from before Holly Park existed, through all of the years of Holly Park, and now into the new era of Othello Station.”
In its pre-WWII grandeur, the house was home to the family of Seattle police officer Charles Lee for more than 20 years. When World War II efforts expanded, the City needed the land to build housing for defense workers and the Lee family had to leave their home. Although the property was used for defense worker housing, the house itself remained intact as a community hall. In the 1950s Seattle Housing took over Holly Park and used the Lee House to serve the community's needs.