Seattle in King County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)

Mrs. Hannah Newman

Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, May 15, 2026

1. Mrs. Hannah Newman Marker

Inscription. with courage and faith in the development of our city owned this ground from pioneer days until the erection of this building.

Erected 1930.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers • Women.

Location. 47° 36.599′ N, 122° 20.015′ W. Marker is in Seattle, Washington, in King County. It is at the intersection of 6th Avenue and Union Street, on the left when traveling north on 6th Avenue. At the Washington Athletic Club. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1325 6th Avenue, Seattle WA 98101, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Washington’s Puget Sound Region.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast,

in the Pacific Northwest,

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Cascade Range,

in the Inside Passage,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Seattle Ice Arena (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Victory Square (about 600 feet away); Site of University of Washington (about 600 feet away); Original Site of the University of Washington (about 700 feet away); Women's University Club of Seattle (approx. 0.2 miles away); Father William Sullivan (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman (Sub Pop Records) (approx. 0.2 miles away); Gerard Schwarz (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Seattle.

Also see . . . Club Heritage: The Hannah Newman Family (Washington Athletic Club)

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. Excerpt:

Hannah Newman, born in Ireland in 1838, arrived in Seattle in 1860 at just 22 years of age. She married William Barry in 1867. The couple had five kids, including David Dennis Barry, the great-grandfather of Kip and his siblings, Michelle, Scott, and Kimberly.

Two years after William Barry’s death, Newman purchased the land at the corner of what is now Sixth and Union. The corner was “a veritable wilderness,” according to a local newspaper. So isolated was the wooded block, it was said, that a horse-and-buggy trip to the Yesler general store took an entire day’s travel.

Fast forward 14 decades and you’ll see a completely different scene. Rising 21 stories above the corner, the Washington Athletic Club stands as one of the city’s last early skyscrapers. Newman ran a boarding house on the site before selling to W.D. Comer. She died at the age of 96, but not before the WAC rose to the sky.

(Submitted on May 17, 2026.)

Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, May 15, 2026

2. Mrs. Hannah Newman Marker

The marker is mounted on the exterior of the club building.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 15, 2026, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. This page has been viewed 14 times since then. Photos: 1. submitted on May 15, 2026, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. 2. submitted on May 16, 2026, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.