Right away I was drawn to this home.
It could have been its mid-century modern style, and the simple lines, or the
part of history that it expressed. However it was the windows in the rear that
really grabbed my attention. The smooth curve of the living room and back porch
seemed to hug Lake Washington and the distant City of Seattle.
The view from
both inside and out draws the viewers attention out over the water and the setting
sun. With that and so many other outdoor features I was lead to believe that someone
put a lot of thought into designing and building this home. In 1962 Ray
Merriwether was that person. The story of this architect is even bigger than this beautiful home.
"A prominent Seattle African
American architect, real estate developer, newspaper owner, and civil rights
activist, who served in the Navy. President of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity at
Howard University where he graduated in 1947 with a Civil Engineering degree. Straight
from graduation to City of Seattle’s Building Department as a Structural Plan
Examiner.
1952, He bought The Pacific
Leader, a newspaper serving the black community. As editor of the paper he
teamed with NAACP attorney Phillip Burton to challenge racial discrimination in
the city. The Pacific Leader and the NAACP led a successful
campaign to get local banks to hire the first black bank teller. They
also pressured the Tradewell chain of grocery stores to hire black clerks and
persuaded the owners of a central Seattle office building to rent to black professionals.
1955-1960. Returned to school at the
University of Washington and Washington State University were he earned a
degree in Architecture and a graduate degree in Urban Planning.
After becoming a registered
Architect and a registered Civil and Structural Engineer, Merriwether
teamed with Raymond Peck in establishing the firm of Peck &
Merriwether. Peck & Merriwether designed and built projects that
contained over 260 apartment units and 630 nursing home beds. Several of
the apartment buildings were named in honor of black personalities: Carver
House, Bethune Manor, Langston House, Charles Drew and Kings Court.
To
assist young African American businessmen to pursue larger business
opportunities, Merriwether leased the multi-million dollar convalescent homes
to three young black men who later bought them and enjoyed several years of
successful operation.
1971 Merriwether bought Peck’s
interest and founded a new firm, Ray Merriwether & Associates which was
headquartered in Bellevue, Washington."
Ray touched many lives in his time
and has influenced others along the way, the ripples of his life still reach out
to many others today. He was a true bridge builder, and an inspiration to
many.
Ray Merriwether passed on May 23, 2011
Information from: blackpast.org
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