| Historic Name: |
Mission Inn |
Common Name: |
Mission Inn |
| Style: |
Spanish - Mission |
Neighborhood: |
Capitol Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1926 |
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| Significance |
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The Mission Inn was designed in 1926 by architect Max Van House (permit #253687) for the Marion Investment Company, as a residential hotel. It was financed by John Davis & Company, whose brochure describes it as "a hotel building of concrete brick walls with stucco finish (of solid masonry construction), being three stories and basement, having spacious dining room and 40 guest rooms, practically all with bath." The original plans show a kitchen and a central dining room, as well as a " trunk room" for storage. Its appearance evokes the romantic style of the California missions, with arched windows and a mission-style arched parapet. The lobby is elaborate, with quarry tile floors. However, the building itself is a simple apartment block. By 1937 it was apartments, with 32 studio apartments and 4 2-room units. However, the central dining room may have still been in use at that time. It is not known when it ceased operation. The building is largely intact, although the original 10-light leaded casement windows have been replaced with newer but similar windows. It was renovated in 2003, when the new windows were installed.
This is a good example of the many apartment buildings constructed in the 1920s, when Seattle experienced a major construction boom. The city's population had increased dramatically in previous decades, and prosperity encouraged developers to meet the pent-up demand for housing. Apartments, ranging from basic housing to luxury units, were a significant factor in meeting this need, and became a major element of the streetscape in many Seattle neighborhoods. The Capitol Hill district had easy streetcar access to downtown and the street was lined with small apartment buildings, often using fine materials and detailing to reduce the impact of their size.
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| Appearance |
| The Mission Inn has an L-shaped plan, with a large light well at the southwest corner. It is basically a simple 3-story apartment block, but with a distinctive Mission-style arched parapet. The arch has three sections, with a bell hanging in the center. The parapet rises at the corners. The entry is simple but elegant, with a wood door and sidelights with leaded glass and a large arched transom, also with leaded glass. Grillwork on the door features the letter "m." The window above the entryway has a small wrought iron balcony. Cladding is stucco. Windows are newer 8-light casements, set into blind arches and flanked by shutters. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Stucco |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Hotel |
Plan: |
L-Shape |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
three |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
Moderate |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
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Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, ed. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.
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King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972.
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City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development, Microfilm Records.
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