A new Kenmore hotel turns a historic seminary into high-end accommodations on Lake Washington.
By
Allison Williams
5/11/2021 at 9:30am
The Saint Edward Seminary was designed by John Graham Jr., father of the architect behind the Space Needle.
For years, the old seminary building in Kenmore's St. Edward State Park posed a strange conundrum. The 90-year-old facade is a stunning sight, five floors of romanesque revival architecture that demanded a huge influx of cash just to keep the building from crumblingâmoney the state park system couldn't spare. Designed by architect John Graham Sr. and used to educate priests for 46 years, it was sold it to the state for $7 million in 1977 and became a gem of a building no one could handle. On Friday, the solution finally materialized: a boutique-style hotel complete with a star chef restaurant and luxury spa.