This church, located right on the Fremont-Wallingford border, is no stranger to adaptive reuse. Previous owners transformed it from a place of worship into the Carter Family Puppet Theater and a home for many vintage puppets. Since they closed their doors and sold off the property in 2018, it’s been in the hands of investors—but in the interim, it’s been stripped down to some pretty fantastic bones. Now it's on the market for a buyer to redevelop into something new. Hopefully a rad residence of some sort.

The building’s Swedish-born architect, John Alfred Creutzer, designed apartments and churches all over Seattle, particularly during the 1910s and 1920s. His most notable and recognizable work, however, is the original portion of the Medical-Dental Building, a then-gargantuan 18-story Gothic Revival office tower designed specifically for health care. It’s now a city landmark.If you’ve lived in Seattle for a while, you’ve probably stepped through Creutzer's work for one reason or another.

The architect lived just a few blocks away from the church site, but Creutzer died suddenly of a heart attack in 1929; he didn't get a chance to see his work completed the following year. 

In 2018, when this church last sold as a building (it’s been listed as land the last couple of times, including now), it looked much different on the inside, with lower ceilings, worn carpet, and kind of a lot of puppets. The current ownership has taken the interior down to the studs. The sanctuary looks gorgeous, with an intricate network of rafters and joists.

The lower level, which used to have a reception hall, kitchen, and various offices and meeting rooms, has also been gutted. It isn’t quite as picturesque, but a brick fireplace is still there just in case it’s handy in the structure's next life.

There’s a large and less-fanciful wing behind all the turrets and spires, its roof conveniently accessible through a glass door in the back of the sanctuary, creating the potential for a large, sunny roof deck with a view of Lake Union. In the event of redevelopment, this could also be an area to build something else or free up some space. The land is zoned residential small lot, which raises both some logistical questions (if you care about things like floor area ratio) and interesting possibilities.

Listing Fast Facts

4000 Whitman Avenue N
Size: 8,352 square feet/.12 acres
List Date: 5/13/2023
List Price: $1,995,000
Listing Agents: Edward Krigsman, Windermere