| Historic Name: |
Seattle Plumbing Company |
Common Name: |
Old Johnson's Plumbing Building/ Washington State Public Stadium Authorities |
| Style: |
Commercial |
Neighborhood: |
Pioneer Square |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1903 |
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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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This historically significant property was built in 1903, during the early part of the decade, 1900 to 1910, when both the district and Seattle experienced explosive economic and physical growth. This is one of the earliest masonry structures to be built this far south, during a time when this portion of the old planked First Avenue and the adjacent tidelands were still being filled. (At this time, since First Avenue only extended to Lander Street and since many of the warehouses were located next to unfilled tideflats to the east, they sometimes included wharves). The striking trapezoidal shape of the building was determined by the siting of Railroad Avenue and of the spur trackage intended for the future rail linkage to the waterfront. The Sanborn Insurance Map of 1904 shows that tenants were the Duncan, Carrigan and Hayden Company, who supplied hardware and George Tay, whose specialty was plumbing supplies. By 1916, the Seattle Plumbing Company occupied the entire building. Later on, the building was also commonly known as Old Johnson’s Plumbing Building. Original building permit records were not available and there is no architect of record.
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| Appearance |
| This two-story building is generally trapezoidal in plan, (almost triangular), with longer, southwest facing, street frontage along Railroad Avenue and a recessed section toward the south end of that elevation. There is also an Occidental Way South elevation and a short, one bay, south elevation. On all these elevations, the building presents a one-part block façade composition. There is a continuous stone watertable at the base of the building and a continuous belt-course in brick that ties together the stone sills of the second story openings. In general, window openings are trabeated. There is double-hung sash, which appears to be intact, at the second floor of all three elevations, while several lower level openings, particularly at the south end of the building, have been filled in. The original formal entrance on the southwest elevation along Railroad Avenue has staggered surrounds in buff stone. The building appears to have been originally divided into two separate warehouses, located on the east and west side of the structure. The original projecting sheet metal cornice has been removed. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
NR, LR |
| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Stone |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Parapet |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
| Building Type: |
Commercial/Trade - Business |
Plan: |
Triangular |
| Structural System: |
Masonry - Unreinforced |
No. of Stories: |
two |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Commerce, Manufacturing/Industry |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Slight |
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Changes to Windows: |
Moderate |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972.
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Sanborn (Insurance) Map Company, Seattle, Washington, 1904.
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City of Seattle, Department of Neighborhoods, Historic Preservation Program, Files.
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Krafft, Katheryn Hills. “Pioneer Square – Skid Road Historic District (Boundary Increase),” submitted 15 December 1987 and approved 6 May 1988.
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