Welcome to Lake Hills, Bellevue Washington!
Engage, connect, and grow with our community!
LakeHills is a growing neighborhood nestled in Bellevue, Washington
Welcome to Lake Hills!
Our Mission
The LakeHills neighborhood association fosters real-world community in a digital age! We are building connection through neighborhood events, while helping residents stay informed, involved, and heard in the city policies and services that shape our lives.
Lake Hills History
Urban Development and Historical Background
An early history of Lake Hills indicates a Native American and Japanese Immigrants presence in the area. Yakima Indians, who had a winter encampment near Larsen Lake, had originally developed parts of the district. In the early 1900s Japanese farmers cultivated the land between Larson and Phantom lakes (bellevuewa.gov).
A more recent chapter in history for Lake Hills started with the urban development of the post-WWII era, when the suburbanization phenomenon struck America. More than a quarter of the American people left behind city apartments & row houses to buy new homes of their own thanks to the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 known as G.I. Bill.
In 1954 real-estate investor R.H. Conner, in conjunction with the builders George Bell and Ted Valdez, acquired land, which sprawled over 1200 acres of wetlands, fertile slopes and timbered hills for a planned community. They bought the land from Modern Homebuilders and got rezoning approval for city lots centering on winding Lake Hills Boulevard. Envisioning a livable future neighborhood, the men prepared to create an instant community with streets, infrastructure, shopping and public areas, and 4000 homes (Hinshaw).
In 1955, Lake Hills was proposed as the largest planned community in the Pacific Northwest. As Seattle Times described it, a “self-contained city in a country atmosphere” (Boswell), integrating education, recreation, shopping, and worship with a carefully designed community of single-family homes. Homes in Lake Hills were about 1000 square feet and faced one another across streets with no curbs, lights, or sidewalks. The development project was inexpensively built on inexpensive land, and met an acute postwar need for middle income housing.
After years of near independence, in 1969 the people of Lake Hills determined that their interests would be best served by joining Bellevue and voted for annexation. The richness of the neighborhood lies in its social infrastructure, extensive system of open space and recreation facilities, and natural topography (bellevuewa.gov).
Phantom Lake School
Phantom Lake School has long been a cornerstone of the neighborhood’s story. The first Phantom Lake Schoolhouse—a one-room building—was constructed in 1894. Early accounts describe its earliest classroom as a simple log cabin, where students did their written work on rough wood planks nailed to the walls. Children even carried their own chairs to school, and the school term lasted only four months each year.
That original log cabin stood near the area where the Eastgate fire station is located today. In the early 1900s, students sometimes saw Native Americans who lived near Lake Sammamish picking blackberries around Phantom Lake. A hitching post welcomed children who rode horses to school. Alongside reading, geography, and arithmetic, students also learned practical skills like repairing farm tools and building outhouses.
A second school building was constructed in 1917, then sold in 1942 and converted into a residence. Remarkably, it still stands at 14821 SE 16th St. After that, Phantom Lake went without a school for 16 years.
In the early 1990s, Phantom Lake Elementary became one of the first schools to adopt a 4½-day week and to pilot community partnership programs. In 2003, it was the first elementary school in the Bellevue School District to be rebuilt, featuring technology upgrades that were considered cutting-edge at the time.
Phantom Lake’s name is often linked to its signature “ghostly” mist, but at times that haze has come from something far less poetic: smoke from school fires. The first, in the 1890s, was reportedly extinguished by a student while the teacher stepped out for a cigarette break. A second fire in 1963 broke out in the multipurpose room, sending smoke visible for miles. A third occurred in 2002—just a year before the current school building opened in 2003.
Robinswood House
The Robinswood House Estate includes the Main House and its surrounding grounds, along with a cabana, the original 1884 log cabin, and a small barn.
Built in 1895 by Hans Miller to accommodate his growing family, the Main House has been thoughtfully renovated to preserve its historic character. Original log framing, solid oak floors, and a vintage stone fireplace—now converted to gas—remain defining features. The home is considered one of the region’s oldest pioneer homesteads still standing in its original Puget Sound location.
Beyond the house itself, the estate is known for its carefully maintained formal English gardens and outdoor patios. From the grounds, visitors enjoy sweeping views of Robinswood Park, a 60-acre refuge in the heart of the Eastside.
Samena
In 1958, 250 dedicated families in the Lake Hills neighborhood of Bellevue broke ground on the Olympic Athletic Club, originally envisioned as a “club house and outdoor pool.” The following year, they renamed it the Samena Swim & Recreation Club. Within five years, Samena completed construction of its first indoor aquatics facility. Samena has grown from a one pool facility to a full service swim, fitness, education, and recreation club. Today, the club offers 3 pools, a fitness facility, before and after school care programs, preschools, and a great place for families to participate in wellness programs.
St Louise School
Originally the site of Lake Hill’s private waste water facility and treatment plant, St. Louise Parish School opened in September, 1961, with a student enrollment of 425 in grades one through six. Enrollment increased by 125 students in the following two years and expansion of facilities became essential. An additional seven-classroom wing was completed for the fall of 1963. Grade seven was added in 1962 and became the first graduating class in 1964. By 1966 there were three classrooms each for grades one through five; two for sixth and seventh; and one for eighth.
Larsen Lake
(from Eastside Heritage Society’s ‘Bellevue Historical tour’)
The Larsen Lake Farm (also known as Blueberry Lake) was named for a Danish couple, Ove and Mary Larsen, who homesteaded in the area in 1890. Their house stood where a K-Mart was built in later years (and where the Walmart sits today). The Larsens harvested wild blue huckleberries and cranberries from the surrounding wetlands. In 1918, the Larsens sold half the property to the four Aries brothers, who turned the property into one of the largest vegetable farms in the area. The other half of the property was sold to Louis Weinzirl in the 1940s, who started the blueberry farm.
Support LakeHills Site Community
Your contributions help us maintain our programs and events that bring our community together. Every donation, big or small, makes a difference in enhancing our shared experiences and promoting local engagement.
Lake Hills Architecture
An early history of Lake Hills indicates a Native American and Japanese Immigrants presence in the area. Yakima Natives, who had a winter encampment near Larsen Lake, had originally developed parts of the district. In the early 1900s Japanese farmers cultivated the land between Larson and Phantom lakes (bellevuewa.gov).
A more recent chapter in history for Lake Hills started with the urban development of the post-WWII era, when the suburbanization phenomenon struck America. More than a quarter of the American people left behind city apartments & row houses to buy new homes of their own thanks to the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 known as G.I. Bill.
Contact Us
Better yet, see us in person!
We love our residents, so feel free to reach out to us! Check our upcoming events page for a chance to meet your neighbors
