EVERETT — The National Park Service recently listed the Hewitt Avenue Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.
The district includes buildings that represent development in Everett.
A total of 42 buildings are part of the district.
So, too, are one railway tunnel and one site known as the Speaker’s Corner.
Speaker’s Corner, located at Hewitt and Wetmore, is where locals used to pontificate. It’s where members of the International Workers of the World, also known as the Wobblies, planned to meet the day of the Everett Massacre of 1916, the bloodiest labor battle in Pacific Northwest history.
Boundaries of the district are Hewitt Avenue from Wetmore to Lombard and portions of Wetmore, Rockefeller, Oakes and Lombard.
The city has other historic gems scattered throughout downtown but not an entire district.
The city limited the district to this area because it had the highest percentage of historic buildings in one area.
City officials have said the move is largely symbolic, but such designations can boost tourism.
In Everett, property owners within the proposed district would still be able to build or renovate under the same rules as before. The only exception would be if those building owners use federal money for historic rehabilitation projects.
The designation would also make some building owners eligible for federal tax credits.
The district was added to the state’s list of historic properties last year.
Reporter Debra Smith: 425-339-3197 or dsmith@heraldnet.com
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