The Cornish School in Seattle
historic place
The Cornish School, a historic place in Seattle, Washington, began its journey in 1914. It was founded by Nellie Cornish, a piano teacher, and was initially known as the Cornish School of Music. The school first operated from rented space in the Booth Building on Broadway and Pine Street in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. Nellie Cornish envisioned a broader artistic education. Within a few years, the school expanded its curriculum beyond music to include dance, theater, and visual arts. This expansion led to its name being simplified to The Cornish School in 1920. By 1921, the school moved into a purpose-built facility at Harvard Avenue and East Roy Street. This building, now known as Kerry Hall, was designed in a loosely Mediterranean style. The Cornish School was notable as the first institution in the western United States to offer comprehensive training across all the arts. This location represents a key period in the development of arts education in Seattle.