The North Slope Historic District,

Part of The National Historic Register

By Roger Johnson

Everyone should thank his lucky stars because Jay and Julie Turner live in the North Slope Historic District! Thanks to them we now live in a nationally recognized historic district!

Jay and Julie were the spark plugs, the fuel and the drivers of the machine that created and submitted the nomination forms to the Washington State Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. The state office added our neighborhood to the Washington Heritage Register and recommended the NSHD to the federal government to be added to the National Historic Register in February 2003!

The whole process began over 10 years ago with the idea of a historic designation to help preserve our neighborhood. Some fine old homes had been torn down and replaced with ugly apartments. They add nothing to the neighborhood; in fact, they lower the property values and serve as a cancer on the neighborhood. For a while, the cancer made us all suffer with an increase in crime and drug activity. We have battled the sickness, and one of the cures is Historic Preservation which fosters pride!

In 1994, Julie seized upon the historic preservation "cure" and ran with it. The North Slope Historic District was officially created with the passage of a Tacoma city ordinance. Jay took up the mantle of Historic Preservation, the preservation for our neighborhood's quality of place and life. He never let up until the Federal Government declared our neighborhood a National Historic District!

On May 6, 2004, the State Of Washington Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation awarded Jay and Julie Turner a Special Achievement Award to recognize their efforts.  Congratulations to the Turners!