Summary for 5605 CORSON AVE / Parcel ID 3868400200 / Inv # 0 |
| Historic Name: |
Ferguson Apartments/Pacific Tel. & Tel. Exchange |
Common Name: |
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| Style: |
Colonial |
Neighborhood: |
Georgetown |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1916 |
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| Significance |
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Based on field work conducted in September 2014, this historic property retains its relationship to the streetscape, historic building form and a sufficient amount of exterior historic building fabric (design features, cladding and/or window sash/openings) to contribute to the distinct character of the Georgetown neighborhood.
This is a generally well-preserved historic property that appears to possess architectural and/or historic significance. This property exhibits no substantive changes to the exterior appearance since it was identified in the 1997 HRI project.
(1997) This property is associated with the residential and commercial building boom in Georgetown which occurred between 1890 and 1916. Fueled by the construction of the Seattle Brewing and Malting Company’s new brewing facility after the turn of the century and the arrival of foreign immigrants, especially German and Italian, Georgetown came to rely more on its commercial and industrial bases rather than agricultural. With the increase of industry and business, Georgetown had grown in population from 1,913 in 1900 to approximately 7,000 by 1910 as families located themselves near its factories and other places of employment. This property appears to have been originally constructed for mixed housing and retail (commercial) purposes. Reportedly an addition designed by H. Bittman was made to the building in 1924 to expand the "present Telephone Station" (Exchange). The first floor and half of the upper floor were used for the exchange. The remaining portion of the upper floor was used as a hotel and later apartments. Henry Bittman is an architect considered to have designed numerous architecturally significant Seattle buildings. This building and the adjacent building (GT017) were owned by a single owner, J.B. Ferguson, from at the least the 1910s to the 1940s and remain in the ownership of one individual today. This property may pre-date the construction date identified on assessor’s records and is worthy of additional research to determine a more accurate date of construction and original ownership.
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| Appearance |
| A partly intact example of early 20th C. commercial architecture that has been altered and is deteriorated. Exhibits one-part commercial block facade composition with an upper floor level that includes large double-hung windows. The storefront level is divided into three bays that include an historic entry door with transom (NE end) although the remainder of entry, display and mezzanine level window openings have been covered and/or altered. The facade is distinguished by an intact simple corbelled brick cornice and voussoirs. Windows are typically double-hung (1/1) type and several appear to have been altered, covered and/or replaced. The northwestern end of the building appears to have been added to the original brick masonry structure. This building exhibits foundation/structural problems and deterioration. The lower floor level was historically used for commercial purposes and the upper floor level included rooms used as offices, sleeping/hotel rooms and later for apartments purposes. |
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Detail for 5605 CORSON AVE / Parcel ID 3868400200 / Inv # 0 |
| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Brick |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Hotel |
Plan: |
Irregular |
| Structural System: |
Brick |
No. of Stories: |
two |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Communications, Community Planning/Development |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Windows: |
Slight |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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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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Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, ed. Shaping Seattle Architecture, A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.
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O'Brian, Tim. "Georgetown Historical Places" Construction Chronology.
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Sandborn (Insurance) Map Company, Seattle, Washington, Vol. 8, 1929.
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Photo collection for 5605 CORSON AVE / Parcel ID 3868400200 / Inv # 0 |
Photo taken Mar 17, 1997
Photo taken Mar 17, 1997
Photo taken Mar 17, 1997
Photo taken Sep 12, 2014
Photo taken Sep 12, 2014
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