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Ravenna-Cowen North Designated a National Historic District

Ravenna-Cowen North Historic District is the newest historic district in Washington state. This historic district, roughly bounded by NE 65th Street on the north, Ravenna ravine on the east, Ravenna and Cowen Parks on the south, and 12th Avenue NE on the west, was officially entered on September 13, 2018 into the United States Department of the Interior’s National Register of Historic Places.

The application was unanimously approved by the WA Advisory Council for Historic Preservation (ACHP) on June 29, 2018, and was added to the Washington Heritage Register, which includes historic and cultural properties that have been recognized for their unique contributions to Washington’s heritage.

The Ravenna-Cowen North Historic district includes 443 homes, most constructed prior to the early 1930s. Architectural styles mainly include Craftsman, Tudor Revival and Colonial Revival. Many designs were taken directly from pattern books and kit home catalogs dating from the early 1900s to the 1930s.

The application for historic designation was prepared by the Friends of Ravenna-Cowen, an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. They recently received a $5,000 Neighborhood Matching Fund award to post special street signs to highlight the historic district.