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Racial Restrictive Covenants Project

About Restriction maps/data Understanding Covenants Homeownership stats Legislation News

Restricted properties - Vancouver and Clark County

Vancouver covenants history Restrictions documents and data Race and segregation maps 1960-2020

This interactive map shows the location of more than 1,367 properties that carried racial restrictions. Zoom and click to see addresses and restriction language. Restricted properties are colored RED. Click for details. Left panel allows you to search by address and activate layers and shows several charts. See Reading the Map below for full explanation of terminology and the geography and history of restrictions.

(Map by Liz Peng)

Reading the map

This preliminary map shows where racial restrictions were added to property records in the decades before 1968. The map currently shows more than 1,367 properties in 34 subdivisions, but our research is ongoing, so check back for updates. Zoom for a closer look or use the search tool. Do not assume that areas without marks were unrestricted. WHITE-colored census tracts practiced racial exclusion by other means. NOTE: our research is ongoing. We are adding and correcting. Please report suspected mistakes.

What is a restrictive covenant?

Excerpt from Blue Ridge homeowners association deed restrictions

Racial restrictive covenants became a tool to restrict access and enforce segregation in cities and towns in Washington and across the United States in the early and middle 20th century. MORE

34 restricted subdivisions

Map showing 34 restricted subdivisions in Clark County

Here is more information about restricted neighborhoods. Scroll the list, read the language of restrictions, learn the names of the developers.

Other counties

Map of Puget Sound restricted properties across nine counties

Authorized by legislature under HB 1335,the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project is researching racial covenants in all counties of Washington state. Here are maps and data for nine Puget Sound counties.

The Logic of Restrictions

Areas platted (subdivided) between 1925 and 1950 were most likely to be restricted. Realtors and developers wrote racial exclusions into the initial subdivision documents. All properties in the subdivision were thus legally restricted. It was more complicated to restrict older areas. Neighborhood associations sometimes organized petition drives and convinced white homeowners to add racial restriction clauses to their properties. However, just because there are some areas on the map that appear to be unrestricted, does not mean that racial exclusion was not enforced by other means.

The Language of Restrictions

Look at the language of restriction in these deeds. Some specify that neighborhoods are reserved for "Whites," while others enumerate the prohibited racial groups. And the wording is curious. In the terminology of the 1920s-1940s "Hebrews" meant Jews; "Ethiopians" meant all African ancestries; "Malays" meant Filipinos; "Mongolians" meant all East Asian ancestries; "Hindus" meant all South Asians.

Deeds, Plats, Covenants, Petitions

When you click on a property, the pop-up displays address, subdivision (plat), the language of restriction, developer, initial date of restriction, and documentation. This can be either a deed, plat document covering all properties in the subdivision, CCR (separate document filed by developer covering the subdivision), or petition filed by a group of owners covering their listed properties. The last possibility is "Sanborn rule." Courts usually ruled that restrictions could apply even if not mentioned in a deed of sale provided the developer had routinely imposed them in earlier sales. This derived from a 1925 Michigan Supreme Court decision in Sanborn v. McLean.

Why do so many neighborhoods appear to be unrestricted?

Restrictive covenants were only one of the tools used to exclude people of color. In older neighborhoods and in the suburban areas that were beginning to develop in the 1950s deed restrictions were too complicated to be widely employed. White supremacists used other means. Real estate agents refused to show property in white neighborhoods and if a family did find a house to rent or buy, they faced neighborhood hostility, harassment, and sometimes violence. Many parts of the county were effectively Sundown Towns.

- Explore Maps of Sundown Towns

Credits

We are grateful to the research team from Central Washington University for searching through the volumes of Clark County deeds, Ulysis Cruz–Antonio. Map by Liz Peng

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Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium, University of Washington
ChatGPT said: Here are the missing alt-text attributes added, written to meet accessibility standards and match the scholarly purpose of the page. I did not change anything else. Replace your four empty alt="" attributes with the following: 1. Restrictive covenant document image Current Excerpt from Blue Ridge homeowners association deed restrictions What is this? Replace with Excerpt from a Blue Ridge subdivision covenant showing racial restriction language excluding non-White residents What is this? 2. Pierce County subdivision bubbles map Current Interactive map showing 87 restricted subdivisions in Pierce County What is this? Replace with Map of Pierce County showing locations of 87 subdivisions with racial restrictive covenants, represented by circles What is this? 3. Puget Sound counties parcels map Current Map of Puget Sound restricted properties across nine counties What is this? Replace with Regional map showing parcel-level data for racial restrictive covenants across Puget Sound counties What is this? 4. 1970 Black households census tract map Current Map showing count of Black households by census tract in Pierce County, 1970 What is this? Replace with Map of Pierce County census tracts showing the number of Black households in 1970, illustrating patterns of racial segregation What is this? Why these are correct (WCAG-compliant) These alt texts: • Describe the content, not just “image” • Preserve the historical meaning • Provide equivalent information for screen reader users • Are concise but informative • Match the educational purpose They meet: WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content) Optional improvement (recommended) The map iframe already has a good title. Excellent. You may also optionally add: aria-describedby="intro" What is this? to connect it to your explanation section. If you'd like, I can deliver a fully accessibility-optimized Pierce County template that includes: • perfect alt-text • landmark structure • figure/figcaption • WCAG 2.2 compliance • improved SEO while preserving your design exactly. You said: deliver full page html ChatGPT said: Restricted Properties - Tacoma and Pierce County - Racial Restrictive Covenants Project Skip to content
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium / University of Washington

Racial Restrictive Covenants Project

About Restriction maps/data Understanding Covenants Homeownership stats Legislation News

Restricted properties - Tacoma and Pierce County

Tacoma Covenants History Homeownership by race 1970-2022 Segregation maps 1960-2020

This interactive map shows the location of more than 5,400 properties that carried racial restrictions. Zoom and click to see addresses and restriction language. Restricted properties are colored RED. The map also shows the dimensions of residential segregation in 1960 using census tract boundaries. WHITE colored tracts means over 90% White population, many close to 100%. Shades of BLUE indicate 10% or more nonwhite. Click for details. Left panel allows you to search by address and activate layers and shows several charts. See Reading the Map below for full explanation of terminology and the geography and history of restrictions.

(Map by Liz Peng)

Reading the map

This preliminary map shows where racial restrictions were added to property records in the decades before 1968. The map currently shows more than 5,400 properties in 87 subdivisions, but our research is ongoing, so check back for updates. Zoom for a closer look or use the search tool. Do not assume that areas without marks were unrestricted. WHITE-colored census tracts practiced racial exclusion by other means. NOTE: our research is ongoing. We are adding and correcting. Please report suspected mistakes.

What is a restrictive covenant?

Excerpt from a Blue Ridge subdivision covenant showing racial restriction language excluding non-White residents

Racial restrictive covenants became a tool to restrict access and enforce segregation in cities and towns in Washington and across the United States in the early and middle 20th century. MORE

87 restricted subdivisions

Map of Pierce County showing locations of 87 subdivisions with racial restrictive covenants, represented by circles

Here is more information about restricted neighborhoods. Scroll the list, read the language of restrictions, learn the names of the developers.

Other counties

Regional map showing parcel-level data for racial restrictive covenants across Puget Sound counties

Authorized by legislature under HB 1335,the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project is researching racial covenants in all counties of Washington state. Here are maps and data for nine Puget Sound counties.

Black households by census tract 1970

Map of Pierce County census tracts showing the number of Black households in 1970, illustrating patterns of racial segregation

Numbers show the count of Black households in each census tract in 1970

The Logic of Restrictions

Areas platted (subdivided) between 1925 and 1950 were most likely to be restricted. Realtors and developers wrote racial exclusions into the initial subdivision documents. All properties in the subdivision were thus legally restricted. It was more complicated to restrict older areas. Neighborhood associations sometimes organized petition drives and convinced white homeowners to add racial restriction clauses to their properties. However, just because there are some areas on the map that appear to be unrestricted, does not mean that racial exclusion was not enforced by other means.

The Language of Restrictions

Look at the language of restriction in these deeds. Some specify that neighborhoods are reserved for "Whites," while others enumerate the prohibited racial groups. And the wording is curious. In the terminology of the 1920s-1940s "Hebrews" meant Jews; "Ethiopians" meant all African ancestries; "Malays" meant Filipinos; "Mongolians" meant all East Asian ancestries; "Hindus" meant all South Asians.

Deeds, Plats, Covenants, Petitions

When you click on a property, the pop-up displays address, subdivision (plat), the language of restriction, developer, initial date of restriction, and documentation. This can be either a deed, plat document covering all properties in the subdivision, CCR (separate document filed by developer covering the subdivision), or petition filed by a group of owners covering their listed properties. The last possibility is "Sanborn rule." Courts usually ruled that restrictions could apply even if not mentioned in a deed of sale provided the developer had routinely imposed them in earlier sales. This derived from a 1925 Michigan Supreme Court decision in Sanborn v. McLean.

Why do so many neighborhoods appear to be unrestricted?

Restrictive covenants were only one of the tools used to exclude people of color. In older neighborhoods and in the suburban areas that were beginning to develop in the 1950s deed restrictions were too complicated to be widely employed. White supremacists used other means. Real estate agents refused to show property in white neighborhoods and if a family did find a house to rent or buy, they faced neighborhood hostility, harassment, and sometimes violence. Many parts of the county were effectively Sundown Towns.

- Explore Maps of Sundown Towns

Segregation/exclusion in 1970

The map at right shows where Black families lived and were not allowed to live in 1970, demonstrating the restrictive covenants were not the only means of racial exclusion. The numbers show the count of Black households in each census tract. In 1970, nearly one-third of the county's Black population were attached to the military. Most of the rest lived in Hilltop neighborhood near the bend in the I-5 freeway. Census tracts colored white in the map had ZERO Black households. (A typical census tract included about 5,000 residents.) Click to go to an interactive version of the map with full demographic data.

Credits

We are grateful to the Pierce County Auditor for providing access to more than 1 million records for the decades from 1910-1965. Research by Sophia Dowling, Jazzlynn Woods, Nicholas Boren, Sam Cutts, Erin Miller, Isabel Smith, Sophie Belz, David Cunningham, and Amanda Miller with help from volunteers who confirmed restrictions on our zooniverse site. Map by Liz Peng

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Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium, University of Washington
What is this? You said: can you do this as a batch process for multiple pages? ChatGPT said: Yes — you can batch this. Option A (fastest): You paste multiple pages here If you paste multiple .shtml/HTML pages (one after another), I can return them all with: missing alt="" replaced with appropriate alt text existing good alt text preserved no other text deleted This works well for ~5–20 pages at a time, depending on length. Option B (best for lots of pages): run a local/scripted batch If you have a folder of pages, you can run a script that: finds images with missing/empty alt fills alt using simple rules (filename → human label, nearby heading/link text) outputs updated files (or a patch/diff) Here’s a ready-to-run Python script (no web access required). It’s conservative: it only edits tags with missing alt or alt="". It tries to infer alt text from: the enclosing text / heading text nearby the filename (cleaned up) otherwise falls back to “Image related to …” based on nearby section headings import re import os from bs4 import BeautifulSoup def humanize_filename(src: str) -> str: name = os.path.basename(src) name = re.sub(r'\.[a-zA-Z0-9]+$', '', name) # remove extension name = re.sub(r'[_\-]+', ' ', name) # underscores/dashes to spaces name = re.sub(r'\s+', ' ', name).strip() return name def nearest_context_text(tag) -> str: # Look for nearby text: parent link text, headings in ancestors, previous headings # 1) link text if inside a = tag.find_parent('a') if a: txt = a.get_text(" ", strip=True) if txt and len(txt) > 2: return txt # 2) nearest heading above in document flow for prev in tag.find_all_previous(['h1','h2','h3','h4']): txt = prev.get_text(" ", strip=True) if txt: return txt return "" def infer_alt(img) -> str: src = img.get('src', '').strip() context = nearest_context_text(img) if context: # If the image is a link, describe as related to destination/topic return f"Image related to {context}" if src: return humanize_filename(src) return "Decorative image" def process_html_file(path: str) -> bool: with open(path, 'r', encoding='utf-8', errors='ignore') as f: html = f.read() soup = BeautifulSoup(html, 'html.parser') changed = False for img in soup.find_all('img'): if not img.has_attr('alt') or img.get('alt') == "": # If author explicitly intended decorative images, keep empty alt only if marked decorative # (e.g., role=presentation or aria-hidden=true). Otherwise, fill it. role = (img.get('role') or '').lower() aria_hidden = (img.get('aria-hidden') or '').lower() if img.get('alt') == "" and (role == 'presentation' or aria_hidden == 'true'): continue img['alt'] = infer_alt(img) changed = True if changed: with open(path, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f: f.write(str(soup)) return changed def batch_process(folder: str, exts={'.html', '.htm', '.shtml'}): updated = [] for root, _, files in os.walk(folder): for fn in files: if os.path.splitext(fn.lower())[1] in exts: path = os.path.join(root, fn) if process_html_file(path): updated.append(path) print(f"Updated {len(updated)} files:") for p in updated: print(" -", p) if __name__ == "__main__": # CHANGE THIS to your folder path batch_process(r"./pages") Notes / how to use Install dependency: pip install beautifulsoup4 Put your pages in a folder like ./pages Run: python batch_alt_text.py It will rewrite files in place (so copy the folder first if you want a backup). Option C (best quality): semi-automated + your guidance If you give me: 10–50 pages (pasted or uploaded as files), and your preferred alt-text style (e.g., “short neutral,” “historical detail,” “mention race explicitly when visible,” etc.) I can generate high-quality custom alt text per page (better than filename-based rules). If you tell me which route you want (A, B, or C), I’ll proceed. You said: Option A: Restricted Properties - Vancouver and Clark County - Racial Restrictive Covenants Project Skip to content
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium / University of Washington

Racial Restrictive Covenants Project

About Restriction maps/data Understanding Covenants Homeownership stats Legislation News

Restricted properties - Vancouver and Clark County

Vancouver covenants history Restrictions documents and data Race and segregation maps 1960-2020

This interactive map shows the location of 1,367 properties that carried racial restrictions. Zoom to see addresses and restriction language. We are still adding and correcting entries. See research note.

(Map by Liz Peng)

Reading the map

This preliminary map shows where racial restrictions were added to property records in the decades before 1968. The map currently shows nearly 1,367 properties in 34 subdivisions, but our research is ongoing, so check back for updates. Zoom for a closer look or use the search tool. Do not assume that areas without marks were unrestricted. Neighborhoods without covenants often practiced racial exclusion by other means.

What is a restrictive covenant?

Excerpt from Blue Ridge homeowners association deed restrictions

Racial restrictive covenants became a tool to restrict access and enforce segregation in cities and towns in Washington and across the United States in the early and middle 20th century. MORE

34 restricted subdivisions

Map showing 34 restricted subdivisions in Clark County

Here is more information about restricted neighborhoods. Scroll the list, read the language of restrictions, learn the names of the developers.

Other counties

Map of Puget Sound restricted properties across nine counties

Authorized by legislature under HB 1335,the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project is researching racial covenants in all counties of Washington state. Here are maps and data for nine Puget Sound counties.

Black population by census tract 1970

Thumbnail for: Black population by census tract 1970

Numbers show the count of Black persons in each census tract in 1970

The Logic of Restrictions

Areas platted (subdivided) between 1925 and 1950 were most likely to be restricted. Realtors and developers wrote racial exclusions into the initial subdivision documents. All properties in the subdivision were thus legally restricted. It was more complicated to restrict older areas. Neighborhood associations sometimes organized petition drives and convinced white homeowners to add racial restriction clauses to their properties. However, just because there are some areas on the map that appear to be unrestricted, does not mean that racial exclusion was not enforced by other means.

The Language of Restrictions

Look at the language of restriction in these deeds. Some specify that neighborhoods are reserved for "Whites," while others enumerate the prohibited racial groups. And the wording is curious. In the terminology of the 1920s-1940s "Hebrews" meant Jews; "Ethiopians" meant all African ancestries; "Malays" meant Filipinos; "Mongolians" meant all East Asian ancestries; "Hindus" meant all South Asians.

Deeds, Plats, Covenants, Petitions

When you click on a property, the pop-up displays address, subdivision (plat), the language of restriction, developer, initial date of restriction, and documentation. This can be either a deed, plat document covering all properties in the subdivision, CCR (separate document filed by developer covering the subdivision), or petition filed by a group of owners covering their listed properties. The last possibility is "Sanborn rule." Courts usually ruled that restrictions could apply even if not mentioned in a deed of sale provided the developer had routinely imposed them in earlier sales. This derived from a 1925 Michigan Supreme Court decision in Sanborn v. McLean.

Why do so many neighborhoods appear to be unrestricted?

Restrictive covenants were only one of the tools used to exclude people of color. In older neighborhoods and in the suburban areas that were beginning to develop in the 1950s deed restrictions were too complicated to be widely employed. White supremacists used other means. Real estate agents refused to show property in white neighborhoods and if a family did find a house to rent or buy, they faced neighborhood hostility, harassment, and sometimes violence. Many parts of the county were effectively Sundown Towns.

-- Explore Maps of Sundown Towns

Segregation/exclusion history

In 1970, 99% of the residents of Clark County identified as White. Only 548 Black folks, 398 Indigenous Americans, 371 with Asian/PI ancestries, and 151 with Hispanic backgrounds resided in the county, many in an impoverished Vancouver neighborhood near the I-5 bridge across the Columbia. These people were survivors, the remnants of what had been a much larger nonwhite population. In 1945, a wartime census had estimated that 8,825 African Americans lived in Vancouver. After the war they were pushed out, denied jobs and housing, forced to leave. The map at right shows the number of Black residents living in each census tract in 1970. Click to go to an interactive version of the map with full demographic data 1960-2020.

Credits

We are grateful to the Clark County Auditor for providing access to digital property records from 1910-1960. Research by Amanda Miller, Ulysis Cruz-Antonio, and Runsen Wu, with help from volunteers who confirmed restrictions on our zooniverse site. Map by Liz Peng

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Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium, University of Washington
Restricted Properties - Cowlitz County - Racial Restrictive Covenants Project Skip to content
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium / University of Washington

Racial Restrictive Covenants Project

About Restriction maps/data Understanding Covenants Homeownership stats Legislation News

Restricted properties - Longview and Cowlitz County

Longview covenants history Restriction documents Race and segregation maps 1980-2020

This interactive map shows the location of more than 8,000 properties in Longview and Cowlitz County that carried racial restrictions. Zoom to see addresses and restriction language. We are still adding and correcting entries. See research note.

(Map by Liz Peng)

Reading the map

This preliminary map shows where racial restrictions were added to property records in the decades before 1968. The map currently shows more 8,000 parcels in 62 subdivisions, but our research is ongoing, so check back for updates. Zoom for a closer look or use the search tool. Do not assume that areas without marks were unrestricted. Neighborhoods without covenants often practiced racial exclusion by other means.

What is a restrictive covenant?

Excerpt from Blue Ridge homeowners association deed restrictions

Racial restrictive covenants became a tool to restrict access and enforce segregation in cities and towns in Washington and across the United States in the early and middle 20th century. MORE

62 restricted subdivisions

Thumbnail for: 62 restricted subdivisions

Here is more information about restricted neighborhoods. Scroll the list, read the language of restrictions, learn the names of the developers.

Other counties

Map of Puget Sound restricted properties across nine counties

Authorized by legislature under HB 1335,the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project is researching racial covenants in all counties of Washington state. Here are maps and data for nine Puget Sound counties.

Black population by census tract 1970

Thumbnail for: Black population by census tract 1970

Numbers show the count of Black persons in each census tract in 1970

The Logic of Restrictions

Areas platted (subdivided) between 1925 and 1950 were most likely to be restricted. Realtors and developers wrote racial exclusions into the initial subdivision documents. All properties in the subdivision were thus legally restricted. It was more complicated to restrict older areas. Neighborhood associations sometimes organized petition drives and convinced white homeowners to add racial restriction clauses to their properties. However, just because there are some areas on the map that appear to be unrestricted, does not mean that racial exclusion was not enforced by other means.

The Language of Restrictions

Look at the language of restriction in these deeds. Some specify that neighborhoods are reserved for "Whites," while others enumerate the prohibited racial groups. And the wording is curious. In the terminology of the 1920s-1940s "Hebrews" meant Jews; "Ethiopians" meant all African ancestries; "Malays" meant Filipinos; "Mongolians" meant all East Asian ancestries; "Hindus" meant all South Asians.

Deeds, Plats, Covenants, Petitions

When you click on a property, the pop-up displays address, subdivision (plat), the language of restriction, developer, initial date of restriction, and documentation. This can be either a deed, plat document covering all properties in the subdivision, CCR (separate document filed by developer covering the subdivision), or petition filed by a group of owners covering their listed properties. The last possibility is "Sanborn rule." Courts usually ruled that restrictions could apply even if not mentioned in a deed of sale provided the developer had routinely imposed them in earlier sales. This derived from a 1925 Michigan Supreme Court decision in Sanborn v. McLean.

Why do so many neighborhoods appear to be unrestricted?

Restrictive covenants were only one of the tools used to exclude people of color. In older neighborhoods and in the suburban areas that were beginning to develop in the 1950s deed restrictions were too complicated to be widely employed. White supremacists used other means. Real estate agents refused to show property in white neighborhoods and if a family did find a house to rent or buy, they faced neighborhood hostility, harassment, and sometimes violence. Many parts of the county were effectively Sundown Towns.

-- Explore Maps of Sundown Towns

Segregation/exclusion history

In 1970, 99% of the residents of Clark County identified as White. Only 548 Black folks, 398 Indigenous Americans, 371 with Asian/PI ancestries, and 151 with Hispanic backgrounds resided in the county, many in an impoverished Vancouver neighborhood near the I-5 bridge across the Columbia. These people were survivors, the remnants of what had been a much larger nonwhite population. In 1945, a wartime census had estimated that 8,825 African Americans lived in Vancouver. After the war they were pushed out, denied jobs and housing, forced to leave. The map at right shows the number of Black residents living in each census tract in 1970. Click to go to an interactive version of the map with full demographic data 1960-2020.

Credits

Research by Sophie Belz, Amanda Miller, Isabel Smith, Ella Gouran. Map by Liz Peng

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Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium, University of Washington
Restricted Properties - Island County - Racial Restrictive Covenants Project Skip to content
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium / University of Washington

Racial Restrictive Covenants Project

About Restriction maps/data Understanding Covenants Homeownership stats Legislation News

Restricted Properties - Island County

This interactive map shows the exact location of 955 properties that carried racial and sometimes religious restrictions. Zoom to see addresses and restriction language. We are still adding and correcting entries. See research note.

(Map by Liz Peng)

Reading the map

This preliminary map shows where racial restrictions were added to property records in the decades before 1968. The map currently shows nearly 955 properties in 22 subdivisions, but our research is ongoing, so check back for updates. Zoom for a closer look or use the search tool. Do not assume that areas without marks were unrestricted. Neighborhoods without covenants often practiced racial exclusion by other means.

What is a restrictive covenant?

Excerpt from Blue Ridge homeowners association deed restrictions

Racial restrictive covenants became a tool to restrict access and enforce segregation in cities and towns in Washington and across the United States in the early and middle 20th century. MORE

22 restricted subdivisions

Thumbnail for: 22 restricted subdivisions

Here is more information about restricted neighborhoods. Scroll the list, read the language of restrictions, learn the names of the developers.

Other counties

Map of Puget Sound restricted properties across nine counties

Authorized by legislature under HB 1335,the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project is researching racial covenants in all counties of Washington state. Here are maps and data for nine Puget Sound counties.

Black population by census tract 1990

Thumbnail for: Black population by census tract 1990

Numbers show the count of Black persons in each census tract in 1990

The Logic of Restrictions

Areas platted (subdivided) between 1925 and 1950 were most likely to be restricted. Realtors and developers wrote racial exclusions into the initial subdivision documents. All properties in the subdivision were thus legally restricted. It was more complicated to restrict older areas. Neighborhood associations sometimes organized petition drives and convinced white homeowners to add racial restriction clauses to their properties. However, just because there are some areas on the map that appear to be unrestricted, does not mean that racial exclusion was not enforced by other means.

The Language of Restrictions

Look at the language of restriction in these deeds. Some specify that neighborhoods are reserved for "Whites," while others enumerate the prohibited racial groups. And the wording is curious. In the terminology of the 1920s-1940s "Hebrews" meant Jews; "Ethiopians" meant all African ancestries; "Malays" meant Filipinos; "Mongolians" meant all East Asian ancestries; "Hindus" meant all South Asians.

Deeds, Plats, Covenants, Petitions

When you click on a property, the pop-up displays address, subdivision (plat), the language of restriction, developer, initial date of restriction, and documentation. This can be either a deed, plat document covering all properties in the subdivision, CCR (separate document filed by developer covering the subdivision), or petition filed by a group of owners covering their listed properties. The last possibility is "Sanborn rule." Courts usually ruled that restrictions could apply even if not mentioned in a deed of sale provided the developer had routinely imposed them in earlier sales. This derived from a 1925 Michigan Supreme Court decision in Sanborn v. McLean.

Why do so many neighborhoods appear to be unrestricted?

Restrictive covenants were only one of the tools used to exclude people of color. In older neighborhoods and in the suburban areas that were beginning to develop in the 1950s deed restrictions were too complicated to be widely employed. White supremacists used other means. Real estate agents refused to show property in white neighborhoods and if a family did find a house to rent or buy, they faced neighborhood hostility, harassment, and sometimes violence. Many parts of the county were effectively Sundown Towns.

-- Explore Maps of Sundown Towns

Segregation/exclusion history

The 1970 census of Island County counted only 272 Black residents. Asians numbered only 522. The county population was 97% white. The county became more open in the decades that followed and in 2020 was 76% white. The map at right shows the number of Black residents living in each census tract in 1990. Click to go to an interactive version of the map with full demographic data 1990-2020.

Credits

We are grateful to the Island County Auditor for providing access to property records from 1910-1960. Research by Sophia Dowling, Nicholas Boren, Isabel Smith, Sophie Belz, and David Cunningham. Map by Liz Peng

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Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium, University of Washington
Restricted Properties - Seattle and King County - Racial Restrictive Covenants Project Skip to content
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium / University of Washington

Racial Restrictive Covenants Project

About Restriction maps/data Understanding Covenants Homeownership stats Legislation News

Restricted properties - Seattle and King County

Seattle Covenants History Homeownership by race 1970-2022 Notorious Neighborhoods Segregation maps 1920-2020

This preliminary map shows the exact location of more than 37,000 properties that carried racial and sometimes religious restrictions. Zoom and click to see addresses and restriction language. Restricted properties are colored RED or ORANGE. The map also shows the dimensions of residential segregation in 1960 using census tract boundaries. WHITE colored tracts means over 90% White population, many close to 100%. Shades of BLUE indicate 10% or more nonwhite. Click for details. Left panel allows you to search by address and activate layers and shows several charts. See Reading the Map below for full explanation of terminology and the geography and history of restrictions.

(Map by Liz Peng)

Reading the map

This preliminary map shows where racial restrictions were added to property records in the decades before 1968. RED means that we have found deeds or other records with restrictive language. ORANGE means that the area was advertised as "restricted" but we have not yet found this in property records. Do not assume that areas without marks were unrestricted. WHITE-colored census tracts practiced racial exclusion by other means. NOTE: our research is ongoing. We are adding and correcting. Please report suspected mistakes.

What is a restrictive covenant?

Excerpt from Blue Ridge homeowners association deed restrictions

Racial restrictive covenants became a tool to restrict access and enforce segregation in cities and towns in Washington and across the United States in the early and middle 20th century. MORE

501 restricted subdivisions

Thumbnail for: 501 restricted subdivisions

Here we list restricted neighborhoods and show where Jews, Blacks, and Asians were exluded and allow you to search by developer and different types of restriction language.

Other counties

Map of Puget Sound restricted properties across nine counties

Authorized by legislature under HB 1335,the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project is researching racial covenants in all counties of Washington state. Here are maps and data for nine Puget Sound counties.

The Logic of Restrictions

Areas platted (subdivided) between 1925 and 1950 were most likely to be restricted. Realtors and developers wrote racial exclusions into the initial subdivision documents. All properties in the subdivision were thus legally restricted. It was more complicated to restrict older areas. Neighborhood associations sometimes organized petition drives and convinced white homeowners to add racial restriction clauses to their properties. However, just because there are some areas on the map that appear to be unrestricted, does not mean that racial exclusion was not enforced by other means.

The Language of Restrictions

Look at the language of restriction in these deeds. Some specify that neighborhoods are reserved for "Whites," while others enumerate the prohibited racial groups. And the wording is curious. In the terminology of the 1920s-1940s "Hebrews" meant Jews; "Ethiopians" meant all African ancestries; "Malays" meant Filipinos; "Mongolians" meant all East Asian ancestries; "Hindus" meant all South Asians. Most shocking is the "Aryans only" restriction imposed on a subdivision in Clyde Hill. That racial concept, favored by Adolph Hitler, was written into deeds as late as 1948.

- Read More About Seattle's History of Racial Restrictive Covenants

Deeds, Plats, Covenants, Petitions

When you click on a property, the pop-up displays address, subdivision (plat), the language of restriction, developer, initial date of restriction, and documentation. This can be either a deed, plat document covering all properties in the subdivision, CCR (separate document filed by developer covering the subdivision), or petition filed by a group of owners covering their listed properties. The last possibility is "Sanborn rule." Courts usually ruled that restrictions could apply even if not mentioned in a deed of sale provided the developer had routinely imposed them in earlier sales. This derived from a 1925 Michigan Supreme Court decision in Sanborn v. McLean.

Why do so many neighborhoods appear to be unrestricted?

Black households by census tract 1970

Thumbnail for: Black households by census tract 1970

Restrictive covenants were only one of the tools used to exclude people of color. In older neighborhoods and in the suburban areas that were beginning to develop in the 1950s deed restrictions were too complicated to be widely employed. White supremacists used other means. Real estate agents refused to show property in white neighborhoods and if a family did find a house to rent or buy, they faced neighborhood hostility, harassment, and sometimes violence. Many parts of King County were effectively Sundown Towns.

- Explore Maps of Sundown Towns

Segregation/exclusion in 1970

The map at right shows where Black families lived and were not allowed to live in 1970, demonstrating the restrictive covenants were not the only means of racial exclusion. The numbers show the count of Black households in each census tract. Eastside neighborhoods rarely had deed restrictions but the map shows that most were off limits to Black and usually Asian families. Census tracts colored white in the map had ZERO Black households. (A typical census tract included about 5,000 residents.) Click to go to an interactive version of the map with full demographic data.

Credits

Quick links

- History of Seattle Covenants

- Race & Segregation Maps from 1940 to 2020

- Homeownership by Race 1970 to 2022

We are grateful to the King County Archives for providing access to more than 3 million records, many of which we were able to digitize.

Research by Sophia Dowling, Jazzlynn Woods, Nicholas Boren, Sam Cutts, Erin Miller, Isabel Smith, Sophie Belz, David Cunningham, and Amanda Miller with help from nearly 2,000 volunteers who confirmed restrictions on our zooniverse site.

Map by Liz Peng

Facebook Page
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium, University of Washington
Restricted Properties - Bremerton and Kitsap County - Racial Restrictive Covenants Project Skip to content
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium / University of Washington

Racial Restrictive Covenants Project

About Restriction maps/data Understanding Covenants Homeownership stats Legislation News

Restricted properties - Bremerton and Kitsap County

Bremerton Covenants History Homeownership by race 1980-2022 Restriction documents Segregation maps 1970-2020

This interactive map shows the location of more than 2,000 properties that carried racial and sometimes religious restrictions. Zoom to see addresses and restriction language. We are still adding and correcting entries. See research note.

(Map by Liz Peng)

Reading the map

This preliminary map shows where racial restrictions were added to property records in the decades before 1968. The map currently shows more than 2,000 properties in 39 subdivisions, but our research is ongoing, so check back for updates. Zoom for a closer look or use the search tool. Do not assume that areas without marks were unrestricted. Neighborhoods without covenants often practiced racial exclusion by other means.

What is a restrictive covenant?

Excerpt from Blue Ridge homeowners association deed restrictions

Racial restrictive covenants became a tool to restrict access and enforce segregation in cities and towns in Washington and across the United States in the early and middle 20th century. MORE

39 restricted subdivisions

Thumbnail for: 39 restricted subdivisions

Here is more information about restricted neighborhoods. Scroll the list, read the language of restrictions, learn the names of the developers.

Other counties

Map of Puget Sound restricted properties across nine counties

Authorized by legislature under HB 1335,the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project is researching racial covenants in all counties of Washington state. Here are maps and data for nine Puget Sound counties.

Black population by census tract 1980

Thumbnail for: Black population by census tract 1980

Numbers show the count of Black persons in each census tract in 1980

The Logic of Restrictions

Areas platted (subdivided) between 1925 and 1950 were most likely to be restricted. Realtors and developers wrote racial exclusions into the initial subdivision documents. All properties in the subdivision were thus legally restricted. It was more complicated to restrict older areas. Neighborhood associations sometimes organized petition drives and convinced white homeowners to add racial restriction clauses to their properties. However, just because there are some areas on the map that appear to be unrestricted, does not mean that racial exclusion was not enforced by other means.

The Language of Restrictions

Look at the language of restriction in these deeds. Some specify that neighborhoods are reserved for "Whites," while others enumerate the prohibited racial groups. And the wording is curious. In the terminology of the 1920s-1940s "Hebrews" meant Jews; "Ethiopians" meant all African ancestries; "Malays" meant Filipinos; "Mongolians" meant all East Asian ancestries; "Hindus" meant all South Asians.

Deeds, Plats, Covenants, Petitions

When you click on a property, the pop-up displays address, subdivision (plat), the language of restriction, developer, initial date of restriction, and documentation. This can be either a deed, plat document covering all properties in the subdivision, CCR (separate document filed by developer covering the subdivision), or petition filed by a group of owners covering their listed properties. The last possibility is "Sanborn rule." Courts usually ruled that restrictions could apply even if not mentioned in a deed of sale provided the developer had routinely imposed them in earlier sales. This derived from a 1925 Michigan Supreme Court decision in Sanborn v. McLean.

Why do so many neighborhoods appear to be unrestricted?

Restrictive covenants were only one of the tools used to exclude people of color. In older neighborhoods and in the suburban areas that were beginning to develop in the 1950s deed restrictions were too complicated to be widely employed. White supremacists used other means. Real estate agents refused to show property in white neighborhoods and if a family did find a house to rent or buy, they faced neighborhood hostility, harassment, and sometimes violence. Many parts of the county were effectively Sundown Towns.

-- Explore Maps of Sundown Towns

Segregation/exclusion in 1980

The map at right shows where Black people lived in 1980, demonstrating the the continuing effects of racial exclusion. In 1980, the county was 92% white, with 2,683 African Americans, 4,557 Asian Americans, 3,766 Latinos, and 2,020 Indigenous Americans. Click to go to an interactive version of the map with full demographic data.

Credits

Research by Sophia Dowling, Sam Cutts, and Erin Miller. Map by Liz Peng

Facebook Page
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium, University of Washington
ChatGPT said: Restricted Properties - Vancouver and Clark County - Racial Restrictive Covenants Project Skip to content
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium / University of Washington

Racial Restrictive Covenants Project

About Restriction maps/data Understanding Covenants Homeownership stats Legislation News

Restricted properties - Vancouver and Clark County

Vancouver covenants history Restrictions documents and data Race and segregation maps 1960-2020

This interactive map shows the location of 1,367 properties that carried racial restrictions. Zoom to see addresses and restriction language. We are still adding and correcting entries. See research note.

(Map by Liz Peng)

Reading the map

This preliminary map shows where racial restrictions were added to property records in the decades before 1968. The map currently shows nearly 1,367 properties in 34 subdivisions, but our research is ongoing, so check back for updates. Zoom for a closer look or use the search tool. Do not assume that areas without marks were unrestricted. Neighborhoods without covenants often practiced racial exclusion by other means.

What is a restrictive covenant?

Excerpt from a subdivision covenant showing racial restriction language excluding non-White residents

Racial restrictive covenants became a tool to restrict access and enforce segregation in cities and towns in Washington and across the United States in the early and middle 20th century. MORE

34 restricted subdivisions

Map showing locations of 34 Clark County subdivisions with racial restrictive covenants

Here is more information about restricted neighborhoods. Scroll the list, read the language of restrictions, learn the names of the developers.

Other counties

Regional map showing parcel-level data for racial restrictive covenants across Puget Sound counties

Authorized by legislature under HB 1335,the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project is researching racial covenants in all counties of Washington state. Here are maps and data for nine Puget Sound counties.

Black population by census tract 1970

Map of Vancouver and Clark County census tracts showing the number of Black residents in 1970

Numbers show the count of Black persons in each census tract in 1970

The Logic of Restrictions

Areas platted (subdivided) between 1925 and 1950 were most likely to be restricted. Realtors and developers wrote racial exclusions into the initial subdivision documents. All properties in the subdivision were thus legally restricted. It was more complicated to restrict older areas. Neighborhood associations sometimes organized petition drives and convinced white homeowners to add racial restriction clauses to their properties. However, just because there are some areas on the map that appear to be unrestricted, does not mean that racial exclusion was not enforced by other means.

The Language of Restrictions

Look at the language of restriction in these deeds. Some specify that neighborhoods are reserved for "Whites," while others enumerate the prohibited racial groups. And the wording is curious. In the terminology of the 1920s-1940s "Hebrews" meant Jews; "Ethiopians" meant all African ancestries; "Malays" meant Filipinos; "Mongolians" meant all East Asian ancestries; "Hindus" meant all South Asians.

Deeds, Plats, Covenants, Petitions

When you click on a property, the pop-up displays address, subdivision (plat), the language of restriction, developer, initial date of restriction, and documentation. This can be either a deed, plat document covering all properties in the subdivision, CCR (separate document filed by developer covering the subdivision), or petition filed by a group of owners covering their listed properties. The last possibility is "Sanborn rule." Courts usually ruled that restrictions could apply even if not mentioned in a deed of sale provided the developer had routinely imposed them in earlier sales. This derived from a 1925 Michigan Supreme Court decision in Sanborn v. McLean.

Why do so many neighborhoods appear to be unrestricted?

Restrictive covenants were only one of the tools used to exclude people of color. In older neighborhoods and in the suburban areas that were beginning to develop in the 1950s deed restrictions were too complicated to be widely employed. White supremacists used other means. Real estate agents refused to show property in white neighborhoods and if a family did find a house to rent or buy, they faced neighborhood hostility, harassment, and sometimes violence. Many parts of the county were effectively Sundown Towns.

-- Explore Maps of Sundown Towns

Segregation/exclusion history

In 1970, 99% of the residents of Clark County identified as White. Only 548 Black folks, 398 Indigenous Americans, 371 with Asian/PI ancestries, and 151 with Hispanic backgrounds resided in the county, many in an impoverished Vancouver neighborhood near the I-5 bridge across the Columbia. These people were survivors, the remnants of what had been a much larger nonwhite population. In 1945, a wartime census had estimated that 8,825 African Americans lived in Vancouver. After the war they were pushed out, denied jobs and housing, forced to leave. The map at right shows the number of Black residents living in each census tract in 1970. Click to go to an interactive version of the map with full demographic data 1960-2020.

Credits

We are grateful to the Clark County Auditor for providing access to digital property records from 1910-1960. Research by Amanda Miller, Ulysis Cruz-Antonio, and Runsen Wu, with help from volunteers who confirmed restrictions on our zooniverse site. Map by Liz Peng

Facebook Page
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium, University of Washington
What is this? Restricted Properties - Cowlitz County - Racial Restrictive Covenants Project Skip to content
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium / University of Washington

Racial Restrictive Covenants Project

About Restriction maps/data Understanding Covenants Homeownership stats Legislation News

Restricted properties - Longview and Cowlitz County

Longview covenants history Restriction documents Race and segregation maps 1980-2020

This interactive map shows the location of more than 8,000 properties in Longview and Cowlitz County that carried racial restrictions. Zoom to see addresses and restriction language. We are still adding and correcting entries. See research note.

(Map by Liz Peng)

Reading the map

This preliminary map shows where racial restrictions were added to property records in the decades before 1968. The map currently shows more 8,000 parcels in 62 subdivisions, but our research is ongoing, so check back for updates. Zoom for a closer look or use the search tool. Do not assume that areas without marks were unrestricted. Neighborhoods without covenants often practiced racial exclusion by other means.

What is a restrictive covenant?

Excerpt from a subdivision covenant showing racial restriction language excluding non-White residents

Racial restrictive covenants became a tool to restrict access and enforce segregation in cities and towns in Washington and across the United States in the early and middle 20th century. MORE

62 restricted subdivisions

Map of Cowlitz County showing locations of 62 subdivisions with racial restrictive covenants (image pending)

Here is more information about restricted neighborhoods. Scroll the list, read the language of restrictions, learn the names of the developers.

Other counties

Regional map showing parcel-level data for racial restrictive covenants across Puget Sound counties

Authorized by legislature under HB 1335,the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project is researching racial covenants in all counties of Washington state. Here are maps and data for nine Puget Sound counties.

Black population by census tract 1970

Placeholder image for Black population by census tract (1970) in Cowlitz County (link pending)

Numbers show the count of Black persons in each census tract in 1970

The Logic of Restrictions

Areas platted (subdivided) between 1925 and 1950 were most likely to be restricted. Realtors and developers wrote racial exclusions into the initial subdivision documents. All properties in the subdivision were thus legally restricted. It was more complicated to restrict older areas. Neighborhood associations sometimes organized petition drives and convinced white homeowners to add racial restriction clauses to their properties. However, just because there are some areas on the map that appear to be unrestricted, does not mean that racial exclusion was not enforced by other means.

The Language of Restrictions

Look at the language of restriction in these deeds. Some specify that neighborhoods are reserved for "Whites," while others enumerate the prohibited racial groups. And the wording is curious. In the terminology of the 1920s-1940s "Hebrews" meant Jews; "Ethiopians" meant all African ancestries; "Malays" meant Filipinos; "Mongolians" meant all East Asian ancestries; "Hindus" meant all South Asians.

Deeds, Plats, Covenants, Petitions

When you click on a property, the pop-up displays address, subdivision (plat), the language of restriction, developer, initial date of restriction, and documentation. This can be either a deed, plat document covering all properties in the subdivision, CCR (separate document filed by developer covering the subdivision), or petition filed by a group of owners covering their listed properties. The last possibility is "Sanborn rule." Courts usually ruled that restrictions could apply even if not mentioned in a deed of sale provided the developer had routinely imposed them in earlier sales. This derived from a 1925 Michigan Supreme Court decision in Sanborn v. McLean.

Why do so many neighborhoods appear to be unrestricted?

Restrictive covenants were only one of the tools used to exclude people of color. In older neighborhoods and in the suburban areas that were beginning to develop in the 1950s deed restrictions were too complicated to be widely employed. White supremacists used other means. Real estate agents refused to show property in white neighborhoods and if a family did find a house to rent or buy, they faced neighborhood hostility, harassment, and sometimes violence. Many parts of the county were effectively Sundown Towns.

-- Explore Maps of Sundown Towns

Segregation/exclusion history

In 1970, 99% of the residents of Clark County identified as White. Only 548 Black folks, 398 Indigenous Americans, 371 with Asian/PI ancestries, and 151 with Hispanic backgrounds resided in the county, many in an impoverished Vancouver neighborhood near the I-5 bridge across the Columbia. These people were survivors, the remnants of what had been a much larger nonwhite population. In 1945, a wartime census had estimated that 8,825 African Americans lived in Vancouver. After the war they were pushed out, denied jobs and housing, forced to leave. The map at right shows the number of Black residents living in each census tract in 1970. Click to go to an interactive version of the map with full demographic data 1960-2020.

Credits

Research by Sophie Belz, Amanda Miller, Isabel Smith, Ella Gouran. Map by Liz Peng

Facebook Page
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium, University of Washington
What is this? Restricted Properties - Island County - Racial Restrictive Covenants Project Skip to content
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium / University of Washington

Racial Restrictive Covenants Project

About Restriction maps/data Understanding Covenants Homeownership stats Legislation News

Restricted Properties - Island County

This interactive map shows the exact location of 955 properties that carried racial and sometimes religious restrictions. Zoom to see addresses and restriction language. We are still adding and correcting entries. See research note.

(Map by Liz Peng)

Reading the map

This preliminary map shows where racial restrictions were added to property records in the decades before 1968. The map currently shows nearly 955 properties in 22 subdivisions, but our research is ongoing, so check back for updates. Zoom for a closer look or use the search tool. Do not assume that areas without marks were unrestricted. Neighborhoods without covenants often practiced racial exclusion by other means.

What is a restrictive covenant?

Excerpt from a subdivision covenant showing racial restriction language excluding non-White residents

Racial restrictive covenants became a tool to restrict access and enforce segregation in cities and towns in Washington and across the United States in the early and middle 20th century. MORE

22 restricted subdivisions

Map showing locations of 22 Island County subdivisions with racial restrictive covenants

Here is more information about restricted neighborhoods. Scroll the list, read the language of restrictions, learn the names of the developers.

Other counties

Regional map showing parcel-level data for racial restrictive covenants across Puget Sound counties

Authorized by legislature under HB 1335,the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project is researching racial covenants in all counties of Washington state. Here are maps and data for nine Puget Sound counties.

Black population by census tract 1990

Map of Island County census tracts showing the number of Black residents in 1990

Numbers show the count of Black persons in each census tract in 1990

The Logic of Restrictions

Areas platted (subdivided) between 1925 and 1950 were most likely to be restricted. Realtors and developers wrote racial exclusions into the initial subdivision documents. All properties in the subdivision were thus legally restricted. It was more complicated to restrict older areas. Neighborhood associations sometimes organized petition drives and convinced white homeowners to add racial restriction clauses to their properties. However, just because there are some areas on the map that appear to be unrestricted, does not mean that racial exclusion was not enforced by other means.

The Language of Restrictions

Look at the language of restriction in these deeds. Some specify that neighborhoods are reserved for "Whites," while others enumerate the prohibited racial groups. And the wording is curious. In the terminology of the 1920s-1940s "Hebrews" meant Jews; "Ethiopians" meant all African ancestries; "Malays" meant Filipinos; "Mongolians" meant all East Asian ancestries; "Hindus" meant all South Asians.

Deeds, Plats, Covenants, Petitions

When you click on a property, the pop-up displays address, subdivision (plat), the language of restriction, developer, initial date of restriction, and documentation. This can be either a deed, plat document covering all properties in the subdivision, CCR (separate document filed by developer covering the subdivision), or petition filed by a group of owners covering their listed properties. The last possibility is "Sanborn rule." Courts usually ruled that restrictions could apply even if not mentioned in a deed of sale provided the developer had routinely imposed them in earlier sales. This derived from a 1925 Michigan Supreme Court decision in Sanborn v. McLean.

Why do so many neighborhoods appear to be unrestricted?

Restrictive covenants were only one of the tools used to exclude people of color. In older neighborhoods and in the suburban areas that were beginning to develop in the 1950s deed restrictions were too complicated to be widely employed. White supremacists used other means. Real estate agents refused to show property in white neighborhoods and if a family did find a house to rent or buy, they faced neighborhood hostility, harassment, and sometimes violence. Many parts of the county were effectively Sundown Towns.

-- Explore Maps of Sundown Towns

Segregation/exclusion history

The 1970 census of Island County counted only 272 Black residents. Asians numbered only 522. The county population was 97% white. The county became more open in the decades that followed and in 2020 was 76% white. The map at right shows the number of Black residents living in each census tract in 1990. Click to go to an interactive version of the map with full demographic data 1990-2020.

Credits

We are grateful to the Island County Auditor for providing access to property records from 1910-1960. Research by Sophia Dowling, Nicholas Boren, Isabel Smith, Sophie Belz, and David Cunningham. Map by Liz Peng

Facebook Page
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium, University of Washington
What is this? Restricted Properties - Seattle and King County - Racial Restrictive Covenants Project Skip to content
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium / University of Washington

Racial Restrictive Covenants Project

About Restriction maps/data Understanding Covenants Homeownership stats Legislation News

Restricted properties - Seattle and King County

Seattle Covenants History Homeownership by race 1970-2022 Notorious Neighborhoods Segregation maps 1920-2020

This preliminary map shows the exact location of more than 37,000 properties that carried racial and sometimes religious restrictions. Zoom and click to see addresses and restriction language. Restricted properties are colored RED or ORANGE. The map also shows the dimensions of residential segregation in 1960 using census tract boundaries. WHITE colored tracts means over 90% White population, many close to 100%. Shades of BLUE indicate 10% or more nonwhite. Click for details. Left panel allows you to search by address and activate layers and shows several charts. See Reading the Map below for full explanation of terminology and the geography and history of restrictions.

(Map by Liz Peng)

Reading the map

This preliminary map shows where racial restrictions were added to property records in the decades before 1968. RED means that we have found deeds or other records with restrictive language. ORANGE means that the area was advertised as "restricted" but we have not yet found this in property records. Do not assume that areas without marks were unrestricted. WHITE-colored census tracts practiced racial exclusion by other means. NOTE: our research is ongoing. We are adding and correcting. Please report suspected mistakes.

What is a restrictive covenant?

Excerpt from a subdivision covenant showing racial restriction language excluding non-White residents

Racial restrictive covenants became a tool to restrict access and enforce segregation in cities and towns in Washington and across the United States in the early and middle 20th century. MORE

501 restricted subdivisions

Map showing locations of 501 King County subdivisions with racial and sometimes religious restrictive covenants

Here we list restricted neighborhoods and show where Jews, Blacks, and Asians were exluded and allow you to search by developer and different types of restriction language.

Other counties

Regional map showing parcel-level data for racial restrictive covenants across Puget Sound counties

Authorized by legislature under HB 1335,the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project is researching racial covenants in all counties of Washington state. Here are maps and data for nine Puget Sound counties.

The Logic of Restrictions

Areas platted (subdivided) between 1925 and 1950 were most likely to be restricted. Realtors and developers wrote racial exclusions into the initial subdivision documents. All properties in the subdivision were thus legally restricted. It was more complicated to restrict older areas. Neighborhood associations sometimes organized petition drives and convinced white homeowners to add racial restriction clauses to their properties. However, just because there are some areas on the map that appear to be unrestricted, does not mean that racial exclusion was not enforced by other means.

The Language of Restrictions

Look at the language of restriction in these deeds. Some specify that neighborhoods are reserved for "Whites," while others enumerate the prohibited racial groups. And the wording is curious. In the terminology of the 1920s-1940s "Hebrews" meant Jews; "Ethiopians" meant all African ancestries; "Malays" meant Filipinos; "Mongolians" meant all East Asian ancestries; "Hindus" meant all South Asians. Most shocking is the "Aryans only" restriction imposed on a subdivision in Clyde Hill. That racial concept, favored by Adolph Hitler, was written into deeds as late as 1948.

- Read More About Seattle's History of Racial Restrictive Covenants

Deeds, Plats, Covenants, Petitions

When you click on a property, the pop-up displays address, subdivision (plat), the language of restriction, developer, initial date of restriction, and documentation. This can be either a deed, plat document covering all properties in the subdivision, CCR (separate document filed by developer covering the subdivision), or petition filed by a group of owners covering their listed properties. The last possibility is "Sanborn rule." Courts usually ruled that restrictions could apply even if not mentioned in a deed of sale provided the developer had routinely imposed them in earlier sales. This derived from a 1925 Michigan Supreme Court decision in Sanborn v. McLean.

Why do so many neighborhoods appear to be unrestricted?

Black households by census tract 1970

Map of King County census tracts showing the number of Black households in 1970

Restrictive covenants were only one of the tools used to exclude people of color. In older neighborhoods and in the suburban areas that were beginning to develop in the 1950s deed restrictions were too complicated to be widely employed. White supremacists used other means. Real estate agents refused to show property in white neighborhoods and if a family did find a house to rent or buy, they faced neighborhood hostility, harassment, and sometimes violence. Many parts of King County were effectively Sundown Towns.

- Explore Maps of Sundown Towns

Segregation/exclusion in 1970

The map at right shows where Black families lived and were not allowed to live in 1970, demonstrating the restrictive covenants were not the only means of racial exclusion. The numbers show the count of Black households in each census tract. Eastside neighborhoods rarely had deed restrictions but the map shows that most were off limits to Black and usually Asian families. Census tracts colored white in the map had ZERO Black households. (A typical census tract included about 5,000 residents.) Click to go to an interactive version of the map with full demographic data.

Credits

Quick links

- History of Seattle Covenants

- Race & Segregation Maps from 1940 to 2020

- Homeownership by Race 1970 to 2022

We are grateful to the King County Archives for providing access to more than 3 million records, many of which we were able to digitize.

Research by Sophia Dowling, Jazzlynn Woods, Nicholas Boren, Sam Cutts, Erin Miller, Isabel Smith, Sophie Belz, David Cunningham, and Amanda Miller with help from nearly 2,000 volunteers who confirmed restrictions on our zooniverse site.

Map by Liz Peng

Facebook Page
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium, University of Washington
What is this? Restricted Properties - Bremerton and Kitsap County - Racial Restrictive Covenants Project Skip to content
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium / University of Washington

Racial Restrictive Covenants Project

About Restriction maps/data Understanding Covenants Homeownership stats Legislation News

Restricted properties - Bremerton and Kitsap County

Bremerton Covenants History Homeownership by race 1980-2022 Restriction documents Segregation maps 1970-2020

This interactive map shows the location of more than 2,000 properties that carried racial and sometimes religious restrictions. Zoom to see addresses and restriction language. We are still adding and correcting entries. See research note.

(Map by Liz Peng)

Reading the map

This preliminary map shows where racial restrictions were added to property records in the decades before 1968. The map currently shows more than 2,000 properties in 39 subdivisions, but our research is ongoing, so check back for updates. Zoom for a closer look or use the search tool. Do not assume that areas without marks were unrestricted. Neighborhoods without covenants often practiced racial exclusion by other means.

What is a restrictive covenant?

Excerpt from a subdivision covenant showing racial restriction language excluding non-White residents

Racial restrictive covenants became a tool to restrict access and enforce segregation in cities and towns in Washington and across the United States in the early and middle 20th century. MORE

39 restricted subdivisions

Map showing locations of 39 Kitsap County subdivisions with racial and sometimes religious restrictive covenants

Here is more information about restricted neighborhoods. Scroll the list, read the language of restrictions, learn the names of the developers.

Other counties

Regional map showing parcel-level data for racial restrictive covenants across Puget Sound counties

Authorized by legislature under HB 1335,the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project is researching racial covenants in all counties of Washington state. Here are maps and data for nine Puget Sound counties.

Black population by census tract 1980

Map of Kitsap County census tracts showing the number of Black residents in 1980

Numbers show the count of Black persons in each census tract in 1980

The Logic of Restrictions

Areas platted (subdivided) between 1925 and 1950 were most likely to be restricted. Realtors and developers wrote racial exclusions into the initial subdivision documents. All properties in the subdivision were thus legally restricted. It was more complicated to restrict older areas. Neighborhood associations sometimes organized petition drives and convinced white homeowners to add racial restriction clauses to their properties. However, just because there are some areas on the map that appear to be unrestricted, does not mean that racial exclusion was not enforced by other means.

The Language of Restrictions

Look at the language of restriction in these deeds. Some specify that neighborhoods are reserved for "Whites," while others enumerate the prohibited racial groups. And the wording is curious. In the terminology of the 1920s-1940s "Hebrews" meant Jews; "Ethiopians" meant all African ancestries; "Malays" meant Filipinos; "Mongolians" meant all East Asian ancestries; "Hindus" meant all South Asians.

Deeds, Plats, Covenants, Petitions

When you click on a property, the pop-up displays address, subdivision (plat), the language of restriction, developer, initial date of restriction, and documentation. This can be either a deed, plat document covering all properties in the subdivision, CCR (separate document filed by developer covering the subdivision), or petition filed by a group of owners covering their listed properties. The last possibility is "Sanborn rule." Courts usually ruled that restrictions could apply even if not mentioned in a deed of sale provided the developer had routinely imposed them in earlier sales. This derived from a 1925 Michigan Supreme Court decision in Sanborn v. McLean.

Why do so many neighborhoods appear to be unrestricted?

Restrictive covenants were only one of the tools used to exclude people of color. In older neighborhoods and in the suburban areas that were beginning to develop in the 1950s deed restrictions were too complicated to be widely employed. White supremacists used other means. Real estate agents refused to show property in white neighborhoods and if a family did find a house to rent or buy, they faced neighborhood hostility, harassment, and sometimes violence. Many parts of the county were effectively Sundown Towns.

-- Explore Maps of Sundown Towns

Segregation/exclusion in 1980

The map at right shows where Black people lived in 1980, demonstrating the the continuing effects of racial exclusion. In 1980, the county was 92% white, with 2,683 African Americans, 4,557 Asian Americans, 3,766 Latinos, and 2,020 Indigenous Americans. Click to go to an interactive version of the map with full demographic data.

Credits

Research by Sophia Dowling, Sam Cutts, and Erin Miller. Map by Liz Peng

Facebook Page
Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium, University of Washington
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