A Kenmore Treasure: Saint Edward State Park
Yesterday, the weatherman was wrong. It was supposed to be another gray, rainy day in the Northwest, but fortunately Helios managed to hold off the clouds. This gave me an opportunity to spend some time at one of Kenmore’s wonderful landmarks: Saint Edward State Park. Confession time: I’ve never visited this wonderful park before. I’ve driven past it hundreds of times, and I knew there was was a Catholic Seminary on the premises, but I was never inclined to visit. I think my recent trip to Italy inspired me to take a closer look at the Romanesque brick buildings on the property. Also, I needed a few quite moments away from all the NOISE in the world. I was not disappointed:
The pictures above are examples of the Romanesque Revivalist style of the Saint Edward structures. One sees these types of arches and pillars all over Italy. In some ways, it’s odd to see such an old-world structure in Kenmore:
Just for a comparison, the next picture is from Lucca, Italy. These arches are spectacular examples of Romanesque architecture. You can see their resonance in the seminary details.
This wonderful Seminary was completed in 1931 and operated until 1977 when its 316 acres were sold to Washington State. This is truly a must-see part of Kenmore. I hope you have an opportunity to visit it someday. Make sure you bring your walking shoes.
