A Message from Dean Thomason
Saint Mark's Receives an Extraordinary Gift
Dear friends,
Amidst all the challenges this year has brought to us, it is a worthy endeavor to celebrate the good news that comes our way as well. In that vein, I am delighted to share the wonderful news that Saint Mark’s Cathedral has received a major gift from long-time parishioners Laura Ellen and Bob Muglia resulting in outright ownership of the St. Nicholas property. A small gathering took place Sunday October 25th at the St. Nicholas portico recognizing the Muglias publicly for the first time as our LLC partners. We are elated to share this good news with the broader community today.
Laura Ellen and Bob’s visionary leadership and extraordinary generosity made possible the acquisition of the St. Nicholas property in 2003, as an LLC partnership, and they have now gifted their 50.5% share of ownership outright to Saint Mark’s Cathedral. The historic building provides classrooms, auditorium and resource rooms for the cathedral parish as well as space for local non-profits, Bright Water Waldorf School and Gage Academy of Arts. The sublease income has been used to benefit the St. Nicholas property, including maintenance, improvements, and debt reduction. The ultimate goal for acquiring the St. Nicholas site was “to promote the vision, mission, strategic plan and charitable purposes” of Saint Mark’s. The Muglias’ generous gift furthers that missional goal, and we are deeply grateful to them. Please join me in giving thanks to Laura Ellen and Bob Muglia for this wonderful gift. 
The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason
Dean and Rector
Brief History of the St. Nicholas Property
The original St. Nicholas School building and its historic façade date to the mid-1920s and predate the construction of Saint Mark’s Cathedral by several years. It housed a nonsectarian Christian girls school for nearly fifty years, with a new western wing of the building added in the 1950s. In 1972, when St. Nicholas School merged with Lakeside School, the property was acquired by Cornish College for the Arts, which used the property until the sale in 2003. The historic section enjoys landmark status for its architectural splendor, making it one of Seattle’s iconic structures.