| Historic Name: |
Mutual Creamery |
Common Name: |
809 Western Avenue (part of Commuter Center Building) |
| Style: |
Beaux Arts - Neoclassical, Commercial |
Neighborhood: |
Downtown Urban Center |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1906 |
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| Significance |
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The building was constructed in 1906, along with the neighboring Carstens Building, now known as the Commuter Building. It was remodeled as a garage, a use it still serves, as early as 1926. By at least 1919, the Mutual Creamery, a wholesale distributor of butter, eggs, cheese and ice cream, also occupied part of the building, which later, by 1938, housed Montgomery Publishing. In 1943, the southern half of the building was demolished to make way for a Standard Oil service station and parking lot, while the northern half remained a garage. Although the main façade seems related to the line of early commercial warehouse buildings located on the west side of Western Avenue, (many completed by 1911), the building façade has lost integrity.In addition, the fact that a good portion of the building has been demolished means that the building has been seriously altered.
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| Appearance |
| This four story building is rectangular in plan. It has a high ground floor level, topped by four three-story recessed bays. Between the bays, the continuous piers are marked by shallow pilasters, topped by modified Doric capitals, which each appear almost like a thin band at the top of each pilaster. The whole of the façade is topped by an overhanging classical entablature. The ground level is also characterized by distinctive cast-iron piers, which mark the central garage opening. Each of the three garage openings and the entry door to the south are topped by transoms, now painted black. The southern bay, which is less wide than the other three bays, is narrower and clearly was truncated during the 1943 remodel/ partial demolition. |
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| Status: |
No - Altered |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
INV |
| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Metal |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Parapet |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Commercial/Trade - Warehouse |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
Masonry - Unreinforced |
No. of Stories: |
four |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Agriculture, Commerce, Manufacturing/Industry, Transportation |
| Integrity |
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Storefront: |
Moderate |
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Changes to Plan: |
Extensive |
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Changes to Windows: |
Moderate |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Slight |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records.
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King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives.
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Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
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Sheridan, Mimi. “SR 99: Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Project Historic Resources Inventory.” Draft, ca. 2004.
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