Summary for 2200 4th AVE / Parcel ID 069000065 / Inv # |
Historic Name: |
Otis Elevator Company |
Common Name: |
4th & Blanchard Group |
Style: |
Colonial - Georgian Revival |
Neighborhood: |
Belltown |
Built By: |
|
Year Built: |
1923 |
|
Significance |
In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places. |
In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. |
|
This building, located on 4th Avenue near the edge of the earlier Denny Regrade, stands out for its elegance and highly intact façade. It was designed in 1923 for the Otis Elevator Company; no architect is indicated on the permit (#229622), so it may have been designed by an in-house architect or engineer. Evidently, the front portion was used as an office, and the eastern section as an assembly/repair workshop. These two functions are clearly differentiated by the different window styles of the two sections. Seattle saw unprecedented development in the 1920s, especially in high-rise office and apartment buildings downtown and elsewhere. Elevators were an important aspect of this development, and it made sense for Otis to locate its workshop close to its downtown customers. The building was altered in 1981 by a local preservation architect, Ralph Anderson; skylights were added and it was changed from office/ workshop use to office only. In 1991, Anderson Koch Smith remodeled it to accommodate a large apartment.
|
|
|
Appearance |
This elegant, simple brick building is highly intact. The primary features are the five very tall arched windows that fill the front façade; each has a multipaned upper section and a plain operable lower section. Three similar windows are on the south elevation. Behind these are six tall narrow windows, with 30-light upper sections. The window differentiation probably defines the more elegant office area in the front and the more industrial workshop in the rear. The main entry is at the northwest corner, with double oak doors in a recessed entry with an arched Granitex surround. A secondary entry with oversized doors for equipment is at the southeast corner, set into a blind arch of brick. The dentilled cornice also has decorative brick. The foundation is Granitex scored to look like stone. |
|
|
Detail for 2200 4th AVE / Parcel ID 069000065 / Inv # |
Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
|
Cladding(s): |
Brick, Terra cotta |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Parapet |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
Building Type: |
Industry/Processing/Extraction - Manufacturing |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
Structural System: |
Brick |
No. of Stories: |
one |
Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture |
Integrity |
Changes to Original Cladding: |
|
Changes to Plan: |
|
Changes to Windows: |
|
|
Major Bibliographic References |
King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972.
|
City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development, Microfilm Records.
|
|
|
Photo collection for 2200 4th AVE / Parcel ID 069000065 / Inv # |

Photo taken Jul 05, 2006

Photo taken Jul 05, 2006
|