Ballard was an incorporated city until it was annexed by Seattle in 1907.  The Ballard neighborhood suffered bland and insensitive development during the 1970s and again in the 90s.  Community activists organized and challenged the changes.  In the process they/we became perpetual, angry, land use whiners.  In the early 1990s our Central Ballard Community Council realized that we could also do community projects to make ourselves and others HAPPY!  This project involved extending a well loved set of historic street name sidewalk mosaics.  Old timers told us that the original mosaics were in the sidewalks throughout Ballard.  Many were destroyed as sidewalks were replaced.  The CBCC applied for and received a $2428 Dept of Neighborhoods Small and Simple Grant, matched by community sweat, to place new mosaics in the walks at 11 intersections along 24th Ave NW, from NW Market St  (55th) to NW 65th.  That’s only $110 per location! The new mosaics, installed in 1995, bear the historic street names from the City of Ballard.  NW 60th was named Baker St.   Market St was Broadway.   In 2009, Ballard resident Conwyn photographed old and new mosaics throughout Ballard and created a clickable Google map with photos of all the tile locations.

Ballard Street Name Mosaics

24th Ave NW  Seattle WA

Seattle Dept of Neighborhoods and Ballard Neighborhood

© 1995 Benson Shaw

Central Ballard Community Council

Seattle Dept of Neighborhoods

Page updated:

26 May, 2013

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