Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 327 Eastlake AVE / Parcel ID 6847700115 / Inv #

Historic Name: Washington Teachers’ Credit Union Common Name: Pemco Annex Style: Modern - Contemporary Neighborhood: Cascade Built By: Year Built: 1949   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). The lower building of the 327 Eastlake complex, which faces Eastlake, dates from 1949. It was an early office building for the Washington Teachers’ Credit Union. In 1936, Franklin High School Teacher, Robert H. Handy had founded the Teachers’ Credit Union. By 1948, Handy had also created the Public Employees Mutual Insurance Company (PEMIC), which offered fire insurance. In 1949, Handy also chartered the Washington Teachers’ Credit Union, which absorbed the original Seattle based Teachers’ Credit Union. Since that time, the former Washington Teachers’ Credit Union, now called the Washington School Employees’ Credit Union has been associated with the important family of companies, now known as PEMCO Financial Services, and which includes PEMCO Insurance, the PEMCO Corporation as well as the Evergreen Bank. Stanley O. McNaughton succeeded Robert Handy as Chief Executive Officer of the PEMCO Group. Stan W. McNaughton, Stan O. McNaughton’s son, joined the PEMCO staff in 1986 and became CEO in 1998. This building is still part of the PEMCO complex of office buildings on Eastlake. Architecturally, it is also significant. It is a Modernist building that skillfully uses a combination of textured brick types and repeated bays, as well as metal to create a pleasing whole. There is a sensitive use of proportion and an innovative use of sheet metal in the design of the light fixtures and in the design of canopy over the more central doorway. The back addition dates from 1965.   Appearance The significant one story building at 327 Eastlake Avenue East is rectangular in plan and has a parapet. The Eastlake elevation begins with a side entrance bay at the south of the elevation: a wide storefront window divided into three and then a glazed entrance door. A distinctive element in the entrance bay is the Roman brick of the wall and the low built-in planter. Extant drawings suggest that this portion of the building may have been incorporated into a previous design for 325 Eastlake, which was then replaced by the present 1960s main office building (to the south). Moving north on the Eastlake elevation are nine bays of equal width, distinguished by the variety of brickwork. A typical window bay has the following characteristics: Above a low continuous plinth of about five courses of Roman brick is a tall metal framed window, divided lengthwise into three equal parts. There are also horizontal muntins which define square panes at the bottom and top of the windows. Below each window, (and above the plinth of Roman brick), is an expanse of square textured rug brick. Between the windows, are vertical expanses of another type of textured brick: These are long thin bricks, whose profile consists of 5 scooped out portions which alternate with the regular flush portions of the brick profile. The continuous spandrel above the nine bays is in Roman brick. At the center of each bay is a rectangular decoration, delineated by thin brick of the same length as the Roman brick and filled with the textured square brick shapes. Each rectangle has at its center a thin sheet metal lamp covering, which is almost a diamond shape, but in fact a hexagon, with two very short sides at the top and bottom. The main portion of the Eastlake façade has three of the typical bays, then another entry bay, which replaces the typical window with a low door (regular height: about 6’-8” to 7’) and a wide and somewhat deep sheet metal box for a canopy. Following this, are five more of the typical bays. Turning the corner, the north elevation consists of four typical bays, including the sheet metal light fixtures, over basement level windows, beginning at the second north bay. At this point, the elevation rises, corresponding to the later addition.

Detail for 327 Eastlake AVE / Parcel ID 6847700115 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: INV Cladding(s): Brick, Brick - Roman, Metal Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Flat with Parapet Roof Material(s): Other Building Type: Commercial/Trade - Professional Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Masonry - Unreinforced No. of Stories: one Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Commerce, Education Integrity Changes to Windows: Slight Changes to Plan: Slight Changes to Original Cladding: Slight Major Bibliographic References City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records. Crowley, Walt, “PEMCO Financial Services – A Snapshot History,” http://www.historylink.org. , March 1, 2000. Crowley, Walt, “PEMCO Financial Services – A Snapshot History,” http://www.historylink.org. , March 1, 2000. “King County Department of Development and Environmental Services, Parcel Locator,” http://www.metrokc.gov/ddes/gis/parcel/

Photo collection for 327 Eastlake AVE / Parcel ID 6847700115 / Inv #

Photo taken Oct 08, 2003 Photo taken Oct 08, 2003