History of Hamilton

With the influx of new residents, schools were necessity. Planning began in 1923 for a new intermediate school on the site of the Wallingford playfield. When completed in 1927, this became the Hamilton Junior High. To replace the play field, two city blocks just to the north were pruchased by the city and the homes there razed to the ground. The new and current play field was dedicated May 14, 1925, with 2500 citizens in attendance at that ceremony. A community center planned for the space never materialized

From column by Roberta Zook, Windemere Real Estate.

Actual excavation commenced on January 2, 1926. A little more than a year later, on January 31, 1927, some 724 seventh and eight grade students from Interlake, B.F. Day, Latona, Ross, and F.A. McDonald schools filed into the new $378,000 building named for Alexander Hamilton.

From Jim Warren's 1964 Seattle PI article

The school was completed on January 28, 1927 and opened three days later. Beginning a new semester in their spacious new accommodations were 725 seventh and eighth graders from Interlake, Day, Latona, Ross and McDonald. Principal George Austin moved from Interlake to head the new school. The following year the next class of 7th graders arrived and the school housed all three intermediate grades. That year enrollment reached 1,274, which remained the peak until the early 1950s when nearly 1,400 students attended the school.

Hamilton's building was designed for a large capacity and has changed little in its exterior appearance. A 1970 remodeling project added a new learning resource center, updated auditorium, physical education facilities, new lockers, and student services offices.

Thompson, Nile and Carolyn J. Marr. Building for Learning: Seattle Public School Histories, 1862 -2000. Seattle: School Histories Committee, Seattle School District, 2002.

(In 1927) the brand new Hamilton Junior High School, George R. Austin Principal, opens for the first time. Austin had been principal of Interlake Elementary previously. Seventh and eighth grade students will study the same subjects as in the grade schools, with the exception of electricity, gymnasium, and several others...

From Stan Stapp, "STAN'S LOOKOUT: 1927: The year that 'was' in North Seattle." SEATTLE SUN - VOL 6, ISSUE 8, AUGUST 2002.

... Which reminds me of Hamilton's first principal, Goerge R. Austin, who was my principal (three years at Interlake Elementary and another three at Hamilton , 1924-1930).

I have written about him several times in the past: how if Mr. Austin came across a scrap of paper or other garbage in the school hall he'd yank open the nearest classroom door, roaring like a bear, and a scared teacher would send a scared kid out to pick it up. At first I thgout it was unfair, neither the pupil nor the teacher having been responsible. But the longer I thought about it, the more it seemed OK. Why should the principal have to be the one to do it. Anyhow, Hamilton had clean halls in those days, too.

One of his rules I never had the opportunity of testing: That a boy couldn't walk to school with a girl unless he had a note from home. Unfortunately, living right across the street from Hamilton, the only girl I might have walked with would have been my sister, Pat. Neither she, nor I, would have gotten any fun out of that!

And Mr. Austin also had a rule about walking on the grassy parking strips. "Don't do it!" And to this day, I don't.

From Stan Stapp, "STAN'S LOOKOUT: Mystery pic, 'tough love' principals..and playing ball with Tiger. JET CITY MAVEN - VOL 4, ISSUE 6, JUNE 2001