Lowell neighborhood map

Lowell Community Church (1891)

Everett's oldest church still stands. Everett Congregational Church was organized in 1889, and the land and materials were donated by E.D. Smith in 1891. The church was completed by the next year.

In 1920, the church was raised a bit and a basement dug. The church suffered a big fire on the last day of 1984, but fortunately was extensively repaired. See HistoryLink article.

Lowell Fire Station (1938)

A “well equipped fire brigade” for Everett Pulp and Paper Co began in Lowell by 1896. By 1905, the company had hydrants, but citizens up the hill relied on the mill's crew without nearby hydrants. The Lowell Volunteer Fire Department started in 1934 with two hand-drawn hose carts. They purchased a 1938 Seagrave 500 gallon pumper (right truck). Proving their weekly training efforts, Lowell’s men beat out 30 other fire departments in a hose laying contest in 1952.

The fire station, built by the Works Progress Administration at 5315 S 2nd Ave, was dedicated on May 6th, 1939. Volunteers during the day, or boarders at night who lived upstairs, would sound the alarm when a fire telephone call came in.

After Everett annexed Lowell in 1962, the equipment moved to Station 5 in Pinehurst. Most of the 25 volunteers were released, some having served since 1934. The Seagrave pumper, restored in 1981, still runs and is on display at Station 5. The fire station was converted to a residence -- the owner even bought an old fire truck and left in the fire pole for many years.

Hannah Buckley was at the house in 1929, having lived in Lowell for 29 years. Her husband Joseph Buckley died in 1906. Other Buckleys lived at this house in later decades.

There's a very sad story about Luella Buckley Billings' daughter, Margaret Billings. Margaret was a nurse who joined the Army Nurse's Corps in 1942. In April, 1945 the hospital ship she was on was bombed, killing 28 including six nurses. Margaret, 35 was one of them. More is on Historic Everett Evergreen Cemetery web page.

Killien house (c. 1923)

Everett Register of Historic Places home

Frank R. Killien (c. 1876-1931) was an assistant superintendent of the massive Everett Pulp & Paper Co. in Lowell. His wife Cora J. Killien (1888-1931) from Michigan was very active the community. They were married in 1906. He was a chemist at EP&P in the 1900 decade, living at 5214 South 2nd Ave in 1908-1922 when he was assistant superintendent. By the 1923 Polk Directory, he was at this address.

It's believed the house was the Carlton Park design (Stetson & Post Lumber Co.) and the materials mail-ordered. A Dutch Colonial Revival home, built for a prosperous family and containing servants quarters, it its the grandest home in Lowell. The house was lovingly restored in the 2010s and 2020s, removing plastic bathrooms and repairing numerous issues including water damage.

James G. Ramsay (-1936) lived here from 1933-1936. He was superintendent of EP&P. Later the Lauzon family lived here.

In 1939, Paul and Olga Smith purchased the home, and were there into the 1950s. Olga was a teacher at old Lowell School. Their son Harrison "Smitty" Smith' wrote "Smitty's Stories" about growing up in Lowell. Later the Bever family lived here.

O'Hara house (c. 1922)

Gail Chism, the "Queen of Lowell" and its historian extraordinaire, has lived here since 1964.

The granddaughters of the Harry O'Hara (O'Harra?) who built the house said it was built in 1911, but other sources have 1918, 1922 or 1923. The O'Hara's were there until about 1927. Harry was a dairyman. His wife Mamie was killed in 1920 when hit by a streetcar in the fog.

Tom (1923-2007) and Lucille Crist, who owned Tom's Superette (at 3402 Broadway) were there by 1940, when son Tom was 16. (In 1937 they was at 4723 S 3rd Ave). The house was remodeled in the 1950s. Herb and Vera Johnson remodeled the house in 1963.

Lowell School (1893-1951)

The first school was established in 1872. A large school building, designed by Frederick Sexton, was built in 1893 just north of Main St where the freeway is now. It was torn down in 1951.

A new school was built in 1951, about 0.1 miles northwest of the 1893 school. It's now on the opposite side of the freeway from Lowell. In 2025, the Everett School District asked the voters for a bond that would once again replace Lowell School.

The Lowell School District No. 5 was split from Snohomish School District No. 1 in 1873. It was the fifth in the county after Snohomish (1868), Park Place (1869), Florence-Stillaguamish (1872) and Stanwood (1872). District 5 shrunk as it was also split for Marshland (1880), Shorts (1881), Swans Trail (1884) and District 24 (1887, 1893 and 1912, later called Everett School District). In 1942, the district was consolidated with Everett into Everett School District No. 2. Lawrence E. O'Donnell