Frances Anderson Center Joins Edmonds Register of Historic Places

The Frances Anderson Center has been added to the Edmonds Register of Historic Places.

Edmonds Mayor Mike Cooper received a plaque at a ceremony this morning to recognize the building's new status. The City of Edmonds and the Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission worked together to identify the property for inclusion on the Register. 

The Frances Anderson Center dates back to 1927, when it opened as Edmonds Elementary School. The building replaced a former, aging school building and accommodated the growing number of students in Edmonds' core.

In subsequent decades, families began to move out of central Edmonds and into the suburbs, where new schools were built. As a result, Edmonds Elementary School closed in 1972.   

In 1978, The City of Edmonds bought the building, and it opened a year later as the Frances Anderson Cultural and Leisure Center. The name honors Anderson, a Edmonds Elementary principal and classroom teacher from 1924 to 1959, and an advocate for recreation and sports in Edmonds. 

In a statement, Cooper said that he's happy to recognize a building named for Anderson.

“One hundred years ago in 1911, Frances Anderson was in the first graduating class of the new Edmonds High School," Cooper said. "She served our community with boundless energy and dedication throughout her life.  I am proud to see the building that bears her name added to the Edmonds Register of Historic Places.”

For more on the building and its history, read Larry Vogel's piece on the topic.