The City of Edmonds is one of Washington State's heritage cities. Historic preservation is an important community value as represented by the presence of many historic buildings in the city. It is evidenced also in the vitality of the commercial buildings on Main Street and 5th Avenue South, and in the successful adaptive use of historic buildings such as the former Carnegie Library / Edmonds Historical Museum, Edmonds Grade School, and Edmonds High School.

This historic survey was sponsored by the Edmond's Historic Preservation Commission and funded by a grant from the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP). BOLA examined the city's downtown and "bowl" area, which include the oldest and most dense parts of Edmonds - the blocks between the waterfront on the west and 9th Avenue on the east, and Caspers Street on the north to Pine Street on the south. The intent of the survey was to gather information about historic properties in this area, and establish a comparable database.

The survey culminated with a context report, illustrated by historic and contemporary photos and maps, and data-based DAHP Historic Property Inventory Forms for 80 buildings, structures, and sites. The survey identified 52 individual single-family houses and public and institutional properties as potential local landmarks, with some eligible for National Register listings. The report included BOLA's specific recommendation for further preservation activities and advocacy.