| Historic Name: |
Garage Building for William Fransen |
Common Name: |
parking garage |
| Style: |
Commercial, Beaux Arts - American Renaissance |
Neighborhood: |
Denny Triangle |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1922 |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). |
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According to records of the original drawings which date from September 21, 1921, this significant building was designed as a “Garage Building for William Fransen.” Other records ascribe a construction completion date of 1926, although it seems more likely that the building was constructed by 1922. The building replaced a frame residence, which was originally on the site. It appears to have served as a garage fairly consistently, since its construction. According to later drawings, it was owned by a “Walter C. Fransen,” in 1982, so it appears to have stayed in the family for over 60 years. It currently serves as a garage for the nearby Yuen Lui photography studio. The building is a well designed utilitarian building, with a number of gestures which refer to more high style architecture, such as the Beaux Arts, including: the use of symmetry, the tripartite organization of the main facade and its elements; the doubling of elements on the secondary Terry Street elevation. It is a well designed and virtually intact example of early Twentieth Century Commercial/ Industrial architecture in Seattle
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| Appearance |
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This one story building, which has a basement and a rectangular footprint, 60 feet by 120 feet, is located on the northwest corner of Terry Avenue and Virginia Street. The structure consists of exterior brick walls, set in a common bond pattern. Based on original drawings, the structure was designed with no interior columns. The roof, supported by a series of trusses, is not visible from the Virginia Street elevation, but looms slightly over the parapet along Terry Avenue.
The shorter Virginia Street main façade has a distinctive stepped parapet and symmetrical, tripartite composition. The stepped parapet is emphasized by slight corbelling along its edge and a simple, central ornamental rectangle, created in brick, and set above the central garage door. There are segmental window openings set to each side of the central garage door. The arches are built of header bricks, with a slightly protruding top course, which also subtly emphasizes each arched shape. While the arched lunette of the segmental window opening is filled in, the tripartite composition is carried to the fenestration: each opening has a wider, central double-hung window, flanked to each side by a narrower double-hung window. Above these are corresponding transoms. Both the top part of the double-hung windows and the transoms are divided into multiple, vertical panes by thin, vertical muntins. In most cases, the bottom portion of the double hung window is divided into two, by one single muntin. Based on original drawings, dating from September 24, 1921, while a few panes are missing, the window design and construction is original. The garage door, however, appears to have replaced an original segmental garage door opening, which had double doors with multi-pane fenestration.
The Terry Avenue elevation is characterized by eight bays, each with segmental window openings and fenestration, which is similar to the main façade. In this case, however, each opening is filled with pairs of double-hung windows, with transom lights. Again, typically the transom and the top portion of the double-hung window are divided into multiple, vertical panes by thin, vertical muntins; while the bottom portion of the double-hung window is simply divided into two panes by a single muntin. Although a few panes are missing, these windows are also original and follow the original design, as shown in the 1921 drawings. Basement windows and an original chimney are also visible on the north side of this elevation. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
INV |
| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Concrete, Wood |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Other |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Transportation - Road- Related |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
Brick |
No. of Stories: |
one |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Transportation |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Windows: |
Intact |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records.
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King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972.
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“Final Environmental Impact Statement for the New Federal Courthouse, Seattle, King County, Washington,” U.S. General Services Administration (Region 10), March 27, 1998, p 56-77.
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