In 1977, George Freeman, a New Yorker, moved to Seattle and found a derelict church with a “For Rent” sale on it. Being the opportunist that he was, he formed The Monastery Church, focusing his attention on turning it into a night establishment. On May 19, 1979, Freeman was ordained as Presiding Minister for The Monastery Read More
The Long, Legal Fight for Justice in King County
In 1982, King County and the Washington Department of Revenue (WDOR) sought to assess personal property taxes against The Monastery, arguing that The Monastery was not a legitimate church. George Freeman and The Monastery fought back and appealed this tax assessment to the State Board of Tax Appeals, which ruled The Monastery was entitled to a partial exemption. Read More
Threat to Society: The Unsung Hero
George Freeman was convicted and disgraced from society for providing a safe place for people to come and express themselves. Teenagers looking for a foothold to jump the fence and go over to the dark side were shown a responsible way to spend their time at his institution. At the time, this was considered to be a gross endeavor. Read More
Remembering Seattle’s Nightlife: The Police and 1980’s Bias
Stumbling across this article gives a notable perspective of the Seattle police in the 1980s. One night following a brawl police were sent to the hospital after being assaulted and jumped during a fight involving 7 patrons of Club Broadway before Mister Freeman took it over, two years later. Notable here is that Freeman had no police incidents under his tenure. The history …
Demonizing the Innocent at Seattle’s “Disco Church”
In the early 1970’s the Seattle Police were dealing with some serious threats to the community. There are robbers, vandals, criminals assaulting innocent civilians, and worse, happening daily in the city. Luckily, the SPD have their priorities straight; the police know that the true threat to the city comes from the criminals and degenerates Read More
Parents in Arms: Lessons From Seattle’s Past
What lessons can we learn from the group formed during the 80’s called Parents in Arms? Parents In Arms claimed to be an organization that sought to improve the welfare of runaway teens. Although, one might think their actions were not very concerned with runaway teens, but instead about enforcing their religious, racial, and homophobic fears. Read More