[3] It was originally built as a community center by the Danish Brotherhood in America, a fraternal organization, with meeting halls and one-room apartments for new immigrants.

The original floor plan was designed by local Seattle architect Victor W. Voorhees,[4] with the intent to provide boarding facilities for new Danish immigrants to Seattle, along with meeting and social spaces for members, and a dance hall and performing arts venue to provide outside income.

Du Bois have spoken at Washington Hall, and artists like Duke Ellington, Jimi Hendrix and Billie Holiday performed on the upstairs stage.

It served as the original home of On the Boards, a presenter of contemporary performance, now located in Lower Queen Anne, a nearby neighborhood.

[9] Major architectural and contractor contributors to the project included Ron Wright and Associates/Architects PS, Coughlin Porter Lundgren, and Lydig Construction.