Leschi: Diverse heritage near the lake

Every once in a while when the weather's good, Douglas Barnett, 75, climbs on a bus on Seattle's Capitol Hill and visits the Leschi neighborhood.

From a bench in Powell Barnett Park, Barnett likes to watch kids play in the park that bears his father's name.

"The kids have a ball on the great big playground. It's a delightful thing to see," he said.

"The beautiful thing about this community is that you see blacks and whites and Asians all together, and they're having fun. ... My father worked all his life for that."

The refurbished park is a testament to, and a reflection of, the diverse community.

The park was dedicated to neighborhood and civil-rights leader Powell Barnett in 1969, but the 4-acre plot had fallen into disrepair and been plagued by crime over the years.

With leadership by Douglas Barnett's daughter, Maisha Barnett, the community stepped forward to take back the park. And after help from corporate donations and city funds, the park has seen a complete turnaround.

"Like night and day," Barnett said.

The Leschi neighborhood, bordered by Lake Washington and Seattle's Central Area, was named in honor of Chief Leschi of the Nisqually Tribe.Residents built Victorian homes and bungalows and established the neighborhood's marina, creating a commercial area.

By 1959, residents held the first meeting of what would be the Leschi Community Council, electing Powell Barnett president.

He was also a musician and basketball player, and as a community leader helped organize the East Madison YMCA and the Seattle Urban League.

"He always said: My community is no better than what I help make it," said Douglas Barnett of his father.

A supporter of Japanese Americans in World War II, Powell Barnett joined a committee to bring them back to the community after the war.

Before being forced out by the Japanese internment, Japanese Americans made up a significant part of the neighborhood.

What used to be an affordable neighborhood has gotten pricey. The house he bought in 1954 for $8,500 and raised six children in, recently sold for $575,000, Douglas Barnett said.

From his view at the Leschi Food Mart across from the marina, Steve Shulman, who owns the market with his father, Leonard, has also witnessed changes. The store was first opened by his great-uncle in 1943 and has stayed in the family.

"Since I've been here, there's been a couple of turnovers. Kids graduate, and parents move on," Shulman said. "But now there's a lot of young families again. A lot of them are doctors and lawyers, or in IT at Microsoft and Amazon."

But a byproduct of Leschi's popularity is gentrification. The neighborhood is not as racially diverse as it used to be, he said.

Douglas Barnett moved away from Leschi in the 1970s but visits often. His sister still lives here.

"You never forget your childhood," he said. "Going down a certain street always brings back a certain memory. Those were all good memories."