The Gaslight Inn
Treiger
Inspired by her new book exploring the paths of five families through the shaping of modern Seattle, the Capitol Hill Historical Society is hosting a special event with the author at a 15th Ave Capitol Hill landmark at the center of one of the stories.
The Capitol Hill Historical Society will host author Karen Treiger for an evening of local history and storytelling. The event, titled “Jewish Seattle in the Gilded Age,” will take place on Sunday, September 21st from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at The Gaslight Inn, the historic bed and breakfast at 1727 15th Ave.
You can learn more and purchase tickets here.
“In her book, Karen shares the stories of five different families, including her own (The Singermans, the original owners of the Gaslight Inn), and how they shaped Capitol Hill and the city of Seattle,” the society’s announcement reads.
Treiger will be presenting her new book, Standing on the Crack: The Legacy of Five Jewish Families from Seattle’s Gilded Age. Her presentation will delve into the stories of the five families and attendees will have a unique opportunity to learn about the rich, and often overlooked, Jewish history in the city.
This event promises to be an enlightening look at a pivotal period in Seattle’s development. Treiger’s work sheds light on the challenges and triumphs of the families and their lasting impact on the community. The evening will be a chance for history enthusiasts and community members to connect with the past and celebrate the legacy of these foundational families.
The Gaslight Inn became an officially protected Seattle landmark in 2015. The three-story, 7,700-square-foot house was built for $7,000 in 1907, a time when Capitol Hill was primarily the neighborhood of choice for city Seattle’s wealthy entrepreneurs. It was built by Paul Singerman, a business owner and philanthropist who was also a notable character in the Central Area’s Jewish history. By the 1920s, the building had become a rooming house — a precursor to the boom of multi-unit dwellings that would popup during the Great Depression.
The Gaslight’s reflection of Capitol Hill’s changing role in the city over the past century– especially the city’s LGBTQ history — was integral to the landmark designation.
In addition to its role in Seattle’s Jewish history, the house can be seen as the embodiment of the blood, sweat, and tears that queer residents and allies put into the neighborhood. Longtime Gaslight employee John Fox told CHS in 2015 that many gay couples bought similar rundown houses to fix them up as their own In the formative years of the Capitol Hill gayborhood.
“It’s how the gay community used to live,” he said back then. “We remember a time when you weren’t necessarily welcomed everywhere and this was our way of making something nice in our neighborhood.”
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