NORWOOD VILLAGE HISTORY

The history of Norwood Village goes back to 1946. Most of Woodridge hill was then undeveloped. It was a tangle of blackberry bushes and trees and undergrowth covering the hill from what is now the Factoria Interchange to the Wilburton trestle.

 

In 1946, returning veterans of World War II everywhere faced a severe housing shortage. In July of that year, a nonprofit group spearheaded by national veterans’ organizations announced in six column headlines an intention to build 1,000 low cost homes on “…a 300 acre tract to be announced,” to help alleviate that shortage in this area. In spite of the headlines, it was almost five years before the first house was completed.

In 1947, a 28 acre tract, which became Lower Norwood, was bought at a tax sale for $885.00 after other prospective bidders were persuaded to allow the property to go to the veterans’ group, now formally organized as the Veterans Mutual Building Association (VMBA). The owner of considerable adjoining land gave the young association an additional 20 acres free of charge. In 1950, the property under the Seattle City Light transmission lines, now called Long Park, was bought by the Norwood Village Corporation and is still owned by the Village….read more here:

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History Historic Norwood Village,
History Norwood bid article from 9-15-1945
History Norwood-Living4YoungHome-1952
History Norwood-House-Home-1952

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And for all lovers of local history, check out this FB page, showing cool, retro photos of Bellevue.