In the late 1920s, the land for Saint Edward Seminary was purchased by Bishop Edward John O’Dea using his own personal inheritance. Bishop O’Dea donated the 366-acres to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle to build a seminary to educate young men for the priesthood.

The seminary was designed by the notable Seattle architect, John Graham Sr., and was completed in 1931. John Graham & Company was founded in 1900 in Seattle, Washington, by English-born architect John Graham (1873–1955), and maintained by his son John Graham Jr. (1908–1991). The firm was responsible for many Seattle landmarks, such as the Space Needle, and significant structures nationwide.

In 1958, the Archdiocese opened a second, larger seminary named Saint Thomas the Apostle Seminary while Saint Edward continued as a minor seminary. For forty-five years, Saint Edward Seminary fulfilled its educational mission until 1976 when it was closed due to declining enrollment.

Preservation of the grounds as a state park was the vision of Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen who had been a student at Saint Edward Seminary. Rather than selling the land to the highest bidder, Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen approached then-governor Dixy Lee Ray and worked with the state to secure national and state funding for the park.

In 1977, the buildings and most of the land (not Saint Thomas Seminary) was sold to the state of Washington and became Saint Edward State Park. The building today is a treasured focal point for the park and City of Kenmore. Saint Thomas Seminary (now Saint Thomas Center) continued under the ownership of the archdiocese until November 2005, when its tenant, Bastyr University, completed their purchase of the property.

Although the intent was for all the buildings at Saint Edward Seminary to be used for public enjoyment, the seminary has had little use in over 40-years and today many of the interior spaces are in disrepair. To see interior photos, click here.