This history of Mercer School is taken from the second edition of Building for Learning: Seattle Public School Histories, which includes histories of every school building used by the district since its formation around 1862. The original essay was written for the 2002 first edition by Nile Thompson and Carolyn J. Marr, and updated for the 2024 edition by HistoryLink contributor Rita Cipalla.
Mercer School
Mercer School was named after Seattle pioneer Thomas Mercer, one of the early directors of the Seattle School District, who provided the land upon which the school was built. The school had an identical floor plan to Minor, Columbia, and Rainier, although each was designed in a different architectural style. Mercer, considered Seattle’s finest school in 1892, was built in the Italian Renaissance style. It was included in the city’s exhibit at the International Columbian Exposition in Chicago to showcase Seattle’s modern educational facilities.
A four-room addition opened in 1892. From January 1901 until spring 1903, Mercer Annex operated in rented space at 401 5th Avenue N for a single 1st grade class which could not be accommodated at Mercer. Mercer’s enrollment began to decline in 1902 when the Warren Avenue School opened, and the school was phased out when the Denny Regrade was completed. Most students were sent to Warren Avenue and John Hay at the end of the 1930-1931 school year. From 1931-1933, a few 1st through 3rd grade classes were left at Mercer.
In the 1940s, the building was used as a training site for custodial workers and then a vocational school. The building was demolished in 1948 and the school district’s Administrative and Service Center was constructed on the site. The site was sold in 2003. At the request of the former Seattle School History Fund and in cooperation with Merrill Gardens, a historic marker was added in 2008 to commemorate the site. In 2010 the building was sold again and is now a senior living community called Cogir of Queen Anne. The marker is still located at the base of the Cogir sign at 805 4th Avenue N.
History
Mercer School
Location: 4th Avenue N & Valley Street
Building: 8-room wood
Architect: Saunders & Houghton
Site: 1.41 acres
1890: Opened
1892: Addition (n.a.)
1903: Renamed Jefferson on March 7; renamed Mercer on March 23
1931: Became annex to Warren Avenue in September
1933: Closed as regular school in September; operated as Mercer Adjustment Center
1940: Closed as a school; used as training site for district custodians
1942: Edison Vocational School
1948: Closed and demolished
1949: District's Administration and Service Center opened at 815 4th Avenue N
2002: District vacated building for John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence
2003: Sold to SRM Development
