Panama Hotel

Historic Seattle, in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is working with Panama Hotel owner and steward Jan Johnson to develop a long-term plan which preserves this rare National Historic Landmark for the future and improves community access. Designated a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation... on April 9, 2015, the Panama Hotel is one of approximately 60 Treasures in the US and the only one in Seattle. The Panama Hotel Legacy preview was screened at the Nisei Veterans Committee (NVC) Memorial Hall at the April 9th, 2015 designation event which was co-hosted by The National Trust for Historic Preservation and Historic Seattle. The preview highlights the remarkable legacy of the 105 year-old property and the continuous stewardship to preserve its history and educate current and future generations... A full-length film documenting the history of The Panama Hotel is currently in production which will detail the building's influence in place, culture and community, the ongoing preservation efforts for the Panama Hotel including the Hashidate Yu Sento, one of the most well-preserved bathhouses in the U.S. and the archiving of Japanese Americans' belongings stored in the hotel as a result of Executive Order 9066 issued by President Roosevelt in 1942. "The Panama is a place you could reference directly - it wasn't in a history book, it wasn't in a photograph in a museum - it was a real place where people stored their precious belongings and they're still here." "The Panama Hotel is an amazingly unique property. It embodies a really important chapter of American history, and one that hasn't been told before. As part of the National Treasures program, we're seeking to ensure that there is a full diversity of the American experience." "Its like picking up a diary a hundred years ago and not having a page missing, not having the ink faded. You can read it and almost hear the voices coming out of the writing in the diary. That kind of integrity in a historic building ...Read More