Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 314 1st AVE / Parcel ID 5247800330 / Inv #

Historic Name: Nord Hotel/Thompson Hotel Common Name: Nord Hotel/Nord Apartment and Retail Building Style: Queen Anne - Richardsonian Romanesque Neighborhood: Pioneer Square Built By: Year Built: 1890   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). The building was erected in 1890. It is significant both architecturally and as an early building that was constructed right after the Great Fire of 1889. It combines repeated arched openings with the typical Victorian grid, seen on many buildings erected in the former “burnt district” right after the Fire of 1889. The upper floors are especially visually pleasing, but the only material used to adorn the building is brick. The building apparently first housed the Thompson Hotel and had a fountain saloon on the ground floor. The Nord Hotel, named in honor of Frank Nordquist, a hotel manager from 1911 to 1914, occupied the building from 1915 to 1969. The building was restored by Stickney and Murphy Architects during the late 1970s   Appearance The Nord Hotel is three stories in height with a basement. Its footprint is 60 feet by 108 feet. Its basement has a concrete floor. Its exterior walls are of brick. On the interior, the primary structural elements of the upper floors are wood joists, which are supported by wood frame walls and or wood or brick columns. There is only one street facing elevation on First Avenue South. This façade sits between the western façade of the Globe Building to the north and the Seattle Quilt Building. The ground level is currently divided into three sections by brick piers. The openings between piers are filled with new storefront with transom lights. The second floor has four window openings with segmental arches and the third floor four arched openings. Brick corbelling and raised bands of brick, which mimic the shape of the window openings emphasize the window openings on both levels. Engaged pilasters also tie the second and third floors together visually. Aside from the new storefront set between brick piers and the loss of the original cornice, which included a raised triangular pediment shape centered over the main façade, the architectural details of the building façade appear to be intact.

Detail for 314 1st AVE / Parcel ID 5247800330 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: NR, LR Cladding(s): Brick Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Flat with Parapet Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition Building Type: Domestic - Hotel Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Masonry - Unreinforced No. of Stories: three Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Commerce Integrity Storefront: Moderate Changes to Plan: Slight Changes to Original Cladding: Slight Changes to Windows: Intact Major Bibliographic References King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972. Lange, Greg and Tim O’Brian. “Virtual Pioneer Square,” unpublished manuscript, 27 October 1996. City of Seattle, Department of Neighborhoods, Historic Preservation Program files. “314 First Avenue South, Seattle, Historic Preservation Certification Application, Part 1,” 30 December 1977. Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, State of Washington, Olympia, Washington, Microfiche File.

Photo collection for 314 1st AVE / Parcel ID 5247800330 / Inv #

Photo taken Oct 26, 2004